This presentation is a simple step-by-step guide for defining and documenting an enterprise selling process that aligns well to the customer's buying process - visit http://DataDrivenSalesManagement.com for more discussion on this content.

1. ALIGNING THE
ENTERPRISE BUYING AND
SELLING PROCESS
Swayne Hill, 2012
DataDrivenSalesManagement.com

2. Why Bother?
• Companies with a Dynamic Process experience
35% higher win rate on average than those with
a Random Process
• Random Process: Your company may be perceived as being anti-process, although what
you really lack is a single standard process. Essentially every sales rep does their own thing
their own way.
• Informal Process: Your company exposes your salespeople to a sales process and
indicates that they are expected to use it, but its use is neither monitored nor measured.
• Formal Process: Your company regularly enforces the use of a defined sales process
(sometimes religiously). You conduct periodic reviews of the process to see how effective it is
and make changes based on that analysis.
• Dynamic Process: Your company dynamically monitors and provides continuous feedback
on sales reps’ use of your formal sales process. You also proactively modify the process
when you detect key changes in market conditions—new competitors emerging, changes in
governmental regulations, shifts in the economy, etc.
CSO Insights, 2012 SPO Report

3. HERE’S HOW WE DID IT…

4. 1. Document Buying Process
Phases Activities
Identify the problem (or opportunity for change)
Assign solution owner
Clarify the problem Create a straw-man argument for solving
Gain conditional/directional approval to explore solutions ($$ too)
Explore and get educated on the possibilities
Build a business case, quantifying the expected ROI
Get educated on the possibilities Formalize the funding request
Determine the decision team, agree on the problem and decision process
Set priority/timing for selection & implementation
Gain agreement on the most
Formally select and evaluate options
appropriate solution Determine preferred solution (and plan 'B')
Determine solutions scope and deployment approach
Negotiate business terms with preferred supplier
Get the right deal Negotiate legal terms
Get final funding/purchase approval
Execute contracts
Plan & resource solution deployment
Put everything in motion to Implement solution
insure we solve the problem Verify expected returns are being realized

5. 2. Map Selling Stages
Buying Phases Qualification Selling Stages
Clarify the problem 1. Why Buy/Solve? 01-Qualify
Get educated on the possibilities 02-Secure Sponsorship
2. Why Now?
Gain agreement on the most
03-Secure DG Preference
appropriate solution
04-Negotiate Business Terms
3. Why Buy From (Solve
Get the right deal With) This Particular 05-Negotiate Legal Terms
Solution? 06-Pending Approval
Put everything in motion to insure we 07-Closed/Won
solve the problem Customer

6. 3. Define Selling Process
Stages Activities
Help characterize the problem in a way that gives us an advantage as the process develops. Set
01-Qualify the agenda against competition. Help 'pain map' our way to strategic/high-priority problems.
Communicate in strong, crisp business value terms.
Develop relationship with power sponsor, discovery, initial solution demos, supply ROI data,
02-Secure Sponsorship encourage back-door reference checks, build network maps to get beyond sponsor, develop
solution maps, configuration for custom demonstration identify and get to the DG members
Custom demonstration/presentation to get to power, map our org/politics/personal drivers, etc.,
03-Secure DG Preference formally responding to RFP, differentiate from competition, etc.
04-Negotiate Business Terms Building an SOW, MSA to legal, confirming funding with Finance
05-Negotiate Legal Terms Contract review with Legal
06-Pending Approval Arrange reference calls, confirm with finance and approvers
07-Closed/Won
Transitioning to Tech & CE for launch, 90-day health checks, etc.
Customer

7. 4. Define Observable Milestones
Buying Phases Milestones Selling Stages
Specific buying process documented,
Clarify the problem scheduled and confirmed by prospect
01-Qualify
Solution map built & validated by
Get educated on the possibilities prospect, buying process corroborated
02-Secure Sponsorship
Exec-sponsor engaged, custom
Gain agreement on the most
demo/presentation confirmation of 03-Secure DG Preference
appropriate solution preference, MSA & proposal delivered
SOW/Quote accepted in principle 04-Negotiate Business Terms
Get the right deal Redlined MSA in-hand 05-Negotiate Legal Terms
Final MSA agreed, docs out for
signature
06-Pending Approval
Put everything in motion to insure Docs in place - Quote, SOW, MSA, PO – 07-Closed/Won
and verified by Finance/Ops. CE
we solve the problem engaged Customer

8. 5. Focus on Buying Triggers
1. Pain
• Experience pain which exceeds the tolerance
threshold for key stakeholders
2. Fear
• Insure against getting left behind, fired, missing
an opportunity or other negative consequence
3. Vision
• Imagine a better situation, healthier or more
productive circumstances

9. Buying-Selling Process Map
Observable
Buying Activities Buying Phases Selling Stages Selling Activities
Milestones
Identify the problem (or opportunity for change) Help characterize the problem in a way that gives us an
Specific buying process
Assign solution owner advantage as the process develops. Set the agenda
documented, scheduled
Create a straw-man argument for solving Clarify the problem 01-Qualify against competition. Help 'pain map' our way to
and confirmed by the
Gain conditional/directional approval to explore strategic/high-priority problems. Communicate in
prospect
solutions ($$ too) strong, crisp business value terms.
Explore and get educated on the possibilities Develop relationship with power sponsor, discovery,
Build a business case, quantifying the expected ROI Solution map built & initial solution demos, supply ROI data, encourage
Get educated on the validated by prospect, back-door reference checks, build network maps to get
Formalize the funding request 02-Secure Sponsorship
possibilities buying process beyond sponsor, develop solution maps, configuration
Determine the decision team, agree on the problem corroborated for custom demonstration identify and get to the DG
and decision process members
Set priority/timing for selection & implementation Exec-sponsor engaged,
Formally select and evaluate options Gain agreement on the custom demo, Custom demo/presentation to get to power, map our
03-Secure DG
most appropriate confirmation of org/politics/personal drivers, etc., formally responding
Preference
Determine preferred solution (and plan 'B') solution preference, MSA to RFP, differentiate from competition, etc.
delivered
Determine solutions scope and deployment approach SOW/Quote accepted in 04-Negotiate Business Building an SOW, MSA to legal, confirming funding
Negotiate business terms with preferred supplier principle Terms with Finance
05-Negotiate Legal
Negotiate legal terms Get the right deal Redlined MSA in-hand Contract review with Legal
Terms
Get final funding/purchase approval Final MSA agreed, docs Arrange reference calls, confirm with finance and
06-Pending Approval
Execute contracts out for signature approvers
Plan & resource solution deployment Put everything in motion
All docs in place - 07-Closed/Won Transitioning to Tech & CE for launch, 90-day health
Implement solution to insure we solve the
Quote, SOW, MSA, PO checks, etc.
Verify expected returns are being realized problem Customer

10. Significant Benefits
1. Easy for our buyers, we come across
supportive to their process
2. Simplifies our CRM deployment - just
enough data collected to project revenue
and diagnose on-going issues
3. Fast time to ramp our new sales people
on the process

11. ALIGNING THE
ENTERPRISE BUYING AND
SELLING PROCESS
Swayne Hill, 2012
DataDrivenSalesManagement.com