I wish I had written that…

I just read an ebook on the New Rules of Sales Enablement by Jeff Ernst. It is written from the perspective of a classically trained marketer who had the “ah ha” moment of what it really takes to sell. Well, this little book should be required reading for all product marketing management. I used to say, don’t confuse selling with installing. An adjunct to that is don’t confuse sales enablement with collateral or sales process.

Mr. Ernst outlines six critical elements a successful sales person manages and advocates marketing to understand them and get them incorporated into a repeatable sales playbook (not to be confused with a sales process).

1. Understand the customer’s marketplace and business issues
2. Help the buyer envision solving their problems using his or her products and services
3. Frame the buyer’s evaluation criteria so that the competitors are at a disadvantage
4. Help the “buyer champion” sell within his or her organization
5. Overcome objections raised by the buyer
6. Respond to the tough questions immediately and with credibility

What is the difference between a playbook and a sales process? A sales process is how you progress through the sale. The playbook is what is done within the context of the customer’s environment.

I liken this to how head coach Josh McDaniels is running the Denver Bronco’s team. He has all the positions covered (sales process), but each week the Broncos adjust their playbook and approach to exploit the weaknesses and protect against the strengths of the opposing team. How this is done is through heavy analysis and the coaches strategizing how to play this week’s game.

Translation to marketing: First identify a specific sales environment, the customer. Think industry, think decision maker and influencer, think company size and environment.

Know the customers has a lot of options to solve their problem, including doing nothing. Define the playbook with questions that probe for problems, pain and view to solve their world. You will have to talk to your top sales people to determine the questions and what they are looking for with those questions.

Teach the sales to set decision criteria and plan for landmines. This isn’t just listing unique requirements and capabilities. It is using questions, with the sales person’s knowledge of what is important to the buyer, to get your unique value as the baseline requirement(s). Nice to have doesn’t cut it. As far as landmines, if I know what the competition is up to I can discredit them before I get hit.

If you still don’t understand, call your local sales person and ask them what it means.
Happy selling.

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Actually, the title of this should be “marketing funnel, sales process and collateral… why you should care”. But that was too long.  Besides, the concept of a marketing funnel is foreign to most, and that is another blog. So here is why you care..

Collateral is a supporting structure for the process of identifying, developing and closing a deal. To do this right, (efficient, complete, etc.), a business needs to document how they sell as well as how the customer buys. When these processes are mapped out, then at each stage the collateral requirements can be identified based on the need of the customer to obtain knowledge and be convinced this is the right solution for their business.  The smarter a company becomes in understanding the process, the better they provide the right information at the right time.  This will also lead to using creative tools as you begin to think about how a customer will absorb the information.   Here are some examples:

DEALING WITH FUD: In the last 9 months there has been a good deal of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) used by the big vendors when competing with startups.  I have heard numerous cases where the technical team has recommended a particular purchase only to have it undone by THE BIG GUY swooping in and convincing the executives this is the wrong choice.  If you KNOW the sale / buying cycle will require a high level executive sign off, the process needs the supporting materials to win. So what is needed?  Most likely, sales needs to prep the customer tech team early in the cycle.  Relationships need to be created higher up, again early in the cycle.  To support the sales process, they need convincing materials.  This could be executive to executive customer references, i.e a 3 minute video clip that addresses the issues of business value and why the company (see References-Online and click on the demo).  Or it may mean info on the company’s financial viability. Best bet, is to talk to the sales team and model how they will manage this phase of selling.

THE NEVER-NEVER LAND OF POCs: Proof of Concepts can take a sales cycle into the ditch or close the business.  It may be part of your sales cycle, or a requirement of the prospect.  Either way, 99% of POC’s need supporting marketing material that steps the prospect through the proof process, even if you are selling a simple SAAS solution.  It maybe an online ‘how to start,’ or a step my step document on how to demonstrate a test of disaster recovery replication. If the prospect has their own process, the supporting material can be used as a basis for that project. Without this, the POC can be an undefined project that has no beginning or end.

So how I do align the marketing and sales funnel with the collateral:

1. Identify the marketing and sales processes.  Clearly understand how the customer buying cycle. This means talking to sales, current customers and understanding lost deals.
2. Decide what questions are to be answered and resolved at each stage
3. Define how the information will be best presented (brochure, online, video, webinar).  (There will most likely be different vehicles of delivery, as people are different in how they absorb information).
4. Deliver and review again, as the market changes and processes change

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I am a 2009 Finisher of the Triple ByPass. No, that is not the surgery type bypass, but the road bike craziness.
Three weeks ago I was griping on the blog about lack of hard, consistent training and focus. Questioning my sanity about showing up at the start line, knowing how grueling the ride is.  Well, I showed up, rode well and had some thoughts about the bike and business… read on.

Progress is not linear - the week I wrote about training, I pushed hard. Very hard. Multiple step -up climbs that taxed the body and mind. A week off and then another mountain day. The same ride on July 4th (Carter - Estes - Big Thompson) - I rode 23% faster. Why? As in marketing there is the consistency of message and constant work, then a push or splash to get attention of the market. Done right, there is more return for the money. Where we miss it, is forgetting about the prep for the hard press and then continuing the drum beat after the major event. This might seem easier if you are a big company with lots to talk about. For small companies, it is even more important to stay out front with relevant information.  That takes preparation and digging. A splash here and a splash there (think one per quarter) will result in blimps on the screen and make your hard training times worthless.

The right fuel - On last year’s ride I bonked. Bonking means the brain says go, the body says “I’m done.” I failed to fuel properly. I ate the wrong food (Pringles and Coke for salt sugar and caffiene) when I really needed protien.  And it was not enough. So when everything gave out on Vail Pass, there was only one cure. Get carb’s in the body as no one was coming to pick me up. Once fueled, I had enough to limp my way up and down another 35 miles.

Fueling marketing means the right stuff (tactics, resources, materials) for sustainable results. A little here, a little there gets you just a little and a limp. Consistent fuel and support of the organization will produce predictable results. If you have starved the beast, just feeding it money or people will not get it back in form. It takes time. Also note, money and people cannot cure all ills. The mix of PR, analysts, advertising, field events, etc., need to be coordinated. Too much of one or the other with not make the engine work properly.

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So here it is: “For Who, Does What, Unlike.” **…..  Now I will break down:

“For Who?“ The first step is to define who your primary is, and who is your secondary. For Web 2.0, this can be tough, as your customer tends to be the end user and the secondary is those people who give you money - someone who is advertising or wants to get to your audience. For all of these audiences you need to have a messaging and positioning statement, as their needs, pains, desires are different. Unless you talk directly to them, they will tune you out.

When you describe For Who, make it very, very descriptive and specific. In old messaging you drew the largest circle possible. In this world you have to have a rifle shot or you will be dismissed. For Instance, SMB (also known as Small-Medium Business) is not enough - you need to crawl into your targets brain and know what it means to be a 10 employee firm or a 200 or 1000 person firm. These are all considered “SMB,” but a 10 person firm is not a 500 person firm.  What the “For Who” looks like:

1. For researchers who have to analyze large data sets and solve visual problems.
2. For landscape architects who need an easy to use design tool.
3. For people who need to make sure their data is secure.

“Does What?”  Think in terms of PAIN and improvements. Can you quantify what you do? This is critical for business. Don’t just say improve ROI. One CEO told me if he invested in every ROI pitch, he would be broke. Ask yourself - is this enough for me to change what I do? There are always tradeoffs, and work arounds to make the old way ‘work.’  We like the familiar, despite its drawbacks. Take an honest look at your value and make sure it is enough. 

After you define the “Does What” you can tell me what you do. Do not make me dig. If you are a new concept, it has to be related to what I already understand. Humans categorize, that is how we remember. If you are breakthrough technology, you are responsible for helping me understand the breakthrough. And you only have 30 seconds to get my attention. So what Does What look like?

1. For researchers who have to analyze large data sets with visual problems. We enable you to develop predictable, repeatable math routines, with simple to use software.
2. For landscape architects who want an easy to use design tool because I don’t have time to invest in huge app like autocad. We are a highly intuitive tool that you can master in 15 minutes.
3. For people who need to make sure their data is secure. We are a simple and safe way to back up all the important stuff on your computer. A copy of your data is stored in a secure, remote location for safekeeping, so that in the event of disaster your data is always retrievable.

“Unlike”-Most companies forget the Unlike element. I don’t blame them. This is the hardest step. I call this Share of Stomach - if I am hungry, there are lots of options out there. While Whole Foods does not compete directly with Capitol Grill, once my stomach is full, game over. So make sure you look at not only your direct competitor, but what other options the customer has. For most, “do nothing” is a biggest obstacle and needs to be addressed in the Unlike statement. So how this all gets put together”

1. For researchers who have to analyze large data sets with visual problems. We enable you to develop predictable, repeatable math routines, with simple to use software and without extensive programming and complicated analysis.
2. For landscape architects who want an easier to use design tool because I don’t have time to invest in huge app like autocad. We are a highly intuitive tool that you can master in 15 minutes without knowledge of technology, without knowledge of technology.
3. For people who need to make sure their data is secure. We are a simple and safe way to back up all the important stuff on your computer. A copy of your data is stored in a secure, remote location for safekeeping, so that in the event of disaster your data is always retrievable. No software, no hardware, no tapes, just simple 3 steps to protection.

Now for the BIG TEST: Exchange your competitors name in your positioning statement. Does it hold on it own? Or are you saying the same thing? If it doesn’t - go back to the drawing board.

** Concept originated by Geoffrey Moore in Crossing the Chasm. Printed originally in 1991, but still very applicable in technology adoption, marketing and messaging.

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