Value-based sales skills

Solution selling - how to win more business with value-based propositions Overview
Two days of practical advice and guidance on how to sell high-value, complex solutions to discerning and sophisticated customers, whether new or existing, more effectively.
Training objectives
As a result of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply the higher-level skills and strategies needed to sell value-based and differentiated business solutions
• Manage complex or high-value sales more proactively and accurately
• Create and deliver persuasive sales messages based on value and agreed business improvements and solutions
• Use advanced techniques to develop customer needs, value and decision-making criteria in depth
• Make an impressive and compelling final proposal

Format
A highly interactive two-day course involving practical exercises, role play, case studies and, if possible, specific examples from your company. For maximum benefit, we recommend a one-day follow-up workshop to reinforce the learning, review the 'Sales Playbook' and keep the participants focused on using their newly-acquired skills.
Special features
The more advance access the trainer has to examples from your company, the more focused and beneficial will be the participants' learning experience. This will also help in generating ideas for the 'Sales Playbook'.
Course outline

1. The fundamentals of solution and consultative selling
   • The four principles of solution selling and how they benefit you and the customer
   • The stages of the customer's buying cycle - how to identify them and strategies for each stage
   • Solution selling strategies - real life examples and case studies of how to identify and develop larger-value opportunities on a consistent basis
   • Identifying and getting to key influencers - when and how
2. Stage one: Influencing client needs
   • Key skills and approaches for this stage of the customer's buying process
   • Positioning yourself positively, gaining credibility early, developing a sales attack plan based around user style and objectives
   • Understanding the power of high-impact and third-level questions to influence people based around your specific solutions
   • How best to differentiate your solutions against key major competitors by better influencing needs and requirements
3. Stage two: Helping the customer to make a buying decision
   • Key skills and approaches for this stage of the customer's buying process
   • Mapping user and business needs, consequences, payoffs and criteria onto your solutions
   • Using the alternatives assessment tool to uncover value and customer preferences
   • Progressing your contact strategy by using a number of planning tools and methods
   • Decision-making criteria - tools to help you develop the criteria with the customer and in doing so progress your sales opportunity more accurately
   • Getting time with key people; 'selling' your meeting to the user or manager
4. Stage three: Creating a compelling proposition
   • Key skills and approaches for this stage of the customer's buying process
   • Client-focused value messages: how to differentiate your solutions clearly and accurately with client-matched value statements
   • Influencing skills and persuasion - tips and tricks
   • Improve the way you match your proposal to the customer's objectives and requirements
   • Plan your sales proposals and presentations systematically - to make them easy to read and more persuasive
   • Express the content (ie, selling points) clearly, concisely and correctly - plus choosing the right words that sell effectively
5. Stage four: Managing the end game
   • Key skills and approaches for this stage of the customer's buying process
   • Isolate, prioritise and answer objections and concerns more openly and accurately
   • Negotiate from a position of partnership and strength, not competition
   • Deal more effectively and profitably with price objections and the influence of buying professionals
   • Learn to recognise initial negotiating tactics and stances.
   • Managing the transition from prospect to customer
6. Summary
   • Personal action plan and learning summary