Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices for Sales Management
Description
Illustrating the best-practice study findings recently published by the Sales Management Association at www.salesmanagement.org, these slides illustrate how high-performing sales managers use sales process maps to drive quality, consistency, and increased through-put in their sales force management efforts.
Transcript
Sales Process Mapping Best Practices for Sales Management July 2008 Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consults, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. The Sales Management Association Note to Members This document has been prepared by The Sales Management Association for the exclusive use of its members. It contains valuable proprietary information belonging to The Sales Management Association, which has been made available to the Sales Management Association by an agreement. That agreement specifies that each member should not disclose it to third parties. In the event that you are unwilling to assume this confidentiality obligation, please return this document and all copies in your possession promptly to The Sales Management Association. The Sales Management Association has worked to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides to its members. This report relies upon data obtained from many sources, however, and The Sales Management Association is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Its reports should not be construed as professional advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an appropriate professional. Neither The Sales Management Association nor its programs are responsible for any claims or losses that may arise from a) any errors or omissions in their reports, whether caused by The Sales Management Association or its sources, or b) reliance upon any recommendation made by The Sales Management Association. Descriptions or viewpoints contained herein regarding organizations profiled in this material do not necessarily reflect the policies or viewpoints of those organizations. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Four Common Mistakes Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Engage your people in process mapping to define problems and solutions. Buy someone else’s “ideal” sales process. Map tools, skills, and performance metrics along with the process. Map the process without showing how the results will be measured. Determine how to create value for the customer throughout the process. Focus on the seller, instead of the customer. Foreground goals in organizing your process map. Map all the details, losing track of the big picture. Principles that Yield Powerful Results Process Mapping Mistakes Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Too many steps make this process hard to use Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Grouping activities according to goals creates focus Demand Generation Research Market Qualifying Proposing Delivering Conduct Sales Training Define Qualification Criteria Generate Suspects Investigate Business Plan Account Engage Prospect Identify Opportunities Assess Account Potential Foundation Presentation Engage Resources Analyze Needs Develop Proposal & Pricing Present Recommen-dations Agree on Implemen-tation Bill Customer Manage Account (Ongoing) Develop Account/ Business Plan Account Review Finalize Contract Implement Service Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices This process map focuses on seller activities Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices This revised sales process focuses on customer interaction Demand Generation Assist Marketing Voice of the Customer Qualifying Proposing Delivering Networking (Tradeshows, Referrals, Seminars) Distribute Lead Research Gain Access Business Presentation Assess Account/ Opportunity Needs Analysis Demo/ Proposal Preparation Demonstration/ Proposal Gain Agreement Conversion Implementation Project Plan/ Kickoff Close Customer Service Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Recasting the sales process from the customers’ perspective Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Demand Generation Qualifying Proposing Delivering Find potential customers and help them become aware that we might be valuable to them. Understand the customer’s business well enough to help their decision makers understand the business problems we could solve for them. Help the customer achieve the business results they expect through our products and services. Understand the customer’s application requirements well enough to credibly demonstrate our solution is best for their needs. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices This process does not specify measureable results Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Customer Focus Process developed as part of a sales training course. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Broad metrics assess each goal-driven sales process phase Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Sales Process Mapping: Best Practices Link support tools, skills, and competencies to sales process Copyright © 2008 Sales Performance Consultants, Inc. and The Sales Management Association. All rights reserved. Performance Support Tools Skills and Competencies Account assessment criteria
- Assessing the account/opportunity
- Qualifying the account/opportunity
- Gathering and utilizing data
- Gaining the right level of account knowledge
- Developing/executing and account/opportunity plan
- Conducting an effective sales call
- Identifying decision-makers, sources of influence
- Developing a coach network
- Identifying product fit v business fit
- Dealing effectively with gatekeepers
- Gaining access to decision makers
- Assessing the account/opportunity
- Qualifying the account/opportunity
- Leveraging relationships/knowledge
- Closing – on action steps and opportunities
- Communicating internally