Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer's Handbook (Artech House Technology Management Library) - 2nd edition

Mastering Technical Sales......Page 2
Contents v......Page 6
Acknowledgments xvii......Page 18
1 Introduction: Why Study \"Technical Sales\"? 1......Page 20
New SE 4......Page 23
Sales Manager or Sales Trainer 5......Page 24
Technical Consultant 6......Page 25
2 An Overview of the Sales Process 7......Page 26
Marketing Campaigns 8......Page 27
Partners 9......Page 28
Request for Proposal 10......Page 29
Presentation 11......Page 30
Negotiations: Close or Lose—Getting the Deal 12......Page 31
Summary 13......Page 32
3 Lead Qualification 17......Page 36
Lead Ratings 19......Page 38
Qualification Criteria 20......Page 39
Competitive Implications of Technical Qualification Criteria......Page 42
Low-Cost Fallback Strategies 24......Page 43
Sales Representative 25......Page 44
SE 26......Page 45
Solicited Leads 27......Page 46
Current Projects or Recommended Leads 28......Page 47
Summary 29......Page 48
Budget 21......Page 40
Fit: Do the Prospect’s Needs Match Your Solution? 22......Page 41
Creation of an RFP 31......Page 50
Basic Rule of RFPs 32......Page 51
The Go/No-Go Decision 33......Page 52
Internally Scoring the RFP 34......Page 53
Handling Deadlines 35......Page 54
Strategies for Avoiding an RFP 36......Page 55
The Alternate Response Tactic 37......Page 56
Completing the RFP 38......Page 57
Presentation and Follow-Up 39......Page 58
Summary 40......Page 59
Appendix 4A 42......Page 61
Overview 43......Page 62
Why Discovery Is Critical 44......Page 63
Engaging the Customer 45......Page 64
Step 2: Build the Perfect Pitch 48......Page 67
Step 3: Explain the Needs Analysis Process 50......Page 69
Reviewing Existing Information 51......Page 70
Step 4: Interview Key Customers 52......Page 71
Step 6: Synthesize Information 54......Page 73
Step 7: Prepare and Present Summary 55......Page 74
Wrap-Up 56......Page 75
Getting the Economics Right 57......Page 76
Adapt Your Questions to Your Audience 58......Page 77
Summary 60......Page 79
6 Successful Customer Engagement 61......Page 80
First Contact 62......Page 81
Remember What They Want from You 63......Page 82
Back the Strongest Faction 64......Page 83
But Don’t Forget to Use Your Brain 65......Page 84
Coaches 66......Page 85
How to Get to Potential Coaches 68......Page 87
Maintaining the Relationship 69......Page 88
Maintaining Credibility 70......Page 89
Know What You Don’t Know 71......Page 90
Summary 72......Page 91
7 The Perfect Pitch 73......Page 92
Start with the Structure 74......Page 93
Do a Data Dump to Identify Solution and Proof Points 75......Page 94
Transfer to PowerPoint 76......Page 95
Nonverbal Delivery Skills 77......Page 96
Verbal Delivery Skills 79......Page 98
Strategize the Start 81......Page 100
Very Large Audiences 82......Page 101
Around the Conference Room Table 83......Page 102
Using Nervous Energy to Your Advantage 84......Page 103
Summary 86......Page 105
8 The Dash to Demo 89......Page 108
“The Product” Becomes “The Solution” 91......Page 110
Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail 92......Page 111
Logistical Implications 94......Page 113
Preparing the Way 96......Page 115
The Audience 98......Page 117
Dealing with Techincal and Business Audiences 99......Page 118
Checkpoint Charlie 100......Page 119
Summary 101......Page 120
Appendix 8A: Sample Agenda 102......Page 121
9 Snap Demos 105......Page 124
Scoping the Snap Demo 106......Page 125
Exhibit 9.1: Sample Snap Demo Structure 107......Page 126
Keep the Demo Snappy 108......Page 127
Snap Demos for Executive Audiences 109......Page 128
Summary 110......Page 129
The Basic Premise 113......Page 132
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Remote Demonstration 114......Page 133
Best Practices in Preparing for a Webcast 116......Page 135
The First 3 Minutes are Critical 118......Page 137
Effectively Constructing and Delivering PowerPoint for a Webcast 119......Page 138
Some Really Bad Habits to Avoid 120......Page 139
Prime Time for Webcasts 121......Page 140
The Wrap-Up 122......Page 141
Summary 123......Page 142
Conducting an Evaluation: How Did We Get Here? 125......Page 144
Negotiating Engagement in a Trial 126......Page 145
How to Win: Determining the Success Criteria 127......Page 146
How to Ensure Success: Evaluating the Success Criteria 128......Page 147
Intellectually Closing the Deal 129......Page 148
Trial Phases 130......Page 149
Basic Trial Organization 134......Page 153
Documentation 136......Page 155
Equipment 137......Page 156
Anticipate and Outdeliver Your Competitor 138......Page 157
Avoiding a Trial 139......Page 158
Are They Paying for the Pilot? 140......Page 159
Summary 141......Page 160
12 Contract Negotiation and Pricing 143......Page 162
An Introductory Approach 144......Page 163
An Advanced Tactic 145......Page 164
Summary 146......Page 165
13 Sanity After the Sale 149......Page 168
Developing the Transition Plan 150......Page 169
After Rollout 151......Page 170
Personal Benefits of Postsales Support 153......Page 172
Personal References 154......Page 173
Potential for Customer Satisfaction Objectives 155......Page 174
Where to Draw the Line 156......Page 175
Major Accounts Have Special Requirements 157......Page 176
Customer Tries to Do It Themselves 158......Page 177
Summary 159......Page 178
Appendix 13A: Record-Keeping Forms for Postsales Information 161......Page 180
The Ramp Process 163......Page 182
Find Out What You Need to Know to Succeed 164......Page 183
Why Use Benchmarking? 166......Page 185
Develop a 30-/90-/180-Day Plan 167......Page 186
Example Plan 1 168......Page 187
The 30-/90-/180-Day Structure 169......Page 188
Ready to Go 170......Page 189
Find a Mentor 171......Page 190
Master the Product 172......Page 191
Practice, Practice, Practice 173......Page 192
Learn the Math; Don’t Just Memorize the Answers 174......Page 193
Review Your Plan Weekly 175......Page 194
Summary 176......Page 195
Before You Start 177......Page 196
A Competitive Objection 178......Page 197
The Seymour Objection 179......Page 198
The Coaching Objection 180......Page 199
The Hostile Objection 181......Page 200
Basic Technique 1: Listen 183......Page 202
Basic Technique 4: Restate 184......Page 203
Basic Technique 5: Answer 185......Page 204
Summary 186......Page 205
What They Think of You 189......Page 208
Keep It Simple 190......Page 209
Setting the Stage 191......Page 210
Following the Dollars 192......Page 211
You Are the Expert 193......Page 212
Presentation Ideas 194......Page 213
Follow Up After the Meeting 196......Page 214
The Informal Executive Connection 196......Page 215
Summary 198......Page 217
17 The U in Technical Sales 199......Page 218
What Are Your Goals? 200......Page 219
Your Personal Value Proposition: Self-Branding 201......Page 220
External Branding 202......Page 221
Communicating Your Personal Value Proposition 203......Page 222
Put Your Plan Into Action 204......Page 223
Benchmarking 206......Page 225
Ethics in Sales 207......Page 226
Summary 208......Page 227
Partnership Defined 209......Page 228
Defining Account Ownership 211......Page 230
Working the Relationship and Building the Infrastructure 213......Page 232
The Dangers of Dealing with Partners 215......Page 234
Summary 217......Page 236
19 Competitive Tactics 219......Page 238
Develop a Competitive Strategy 220......Page 239
Know Thine Enemy 222......Page 241
“Tell Me About Your Competition” 224......Page 243
Using Product Benchmarks 227......Page 246
Summary 228......Page 247
20 Using the CRM/SFA System 229......Page 248
Why CRM Is Your Best Friend 230......Page 249
Time and Resource Prioritization 232......Page 251
Gain Advantage by Tapping Organizational Knowledge 233......Page 252
Annual Review Time 235......Page 254
Summary 236......Page 255
What Is Your Motivation? 239......Page 258
Positioning for the Change 240......Page 259
What You Should Expect 242......Page 261
How to Make It All Work 243......Page 262
Summary 245......Page 264
22 The Hybrid Sales Specialist Position 247......Page 266
Introducing the Hybrid Technical-Sales Position 248......Page 267
Parallel Sales Forces 249......Page 268
Compensation 253......Page 272
Communication 254......Page 273
Cross-Selling 255......Page 274
Summary 256......Page 275
23 Organizational Structure 257......Page 276
Structure 258......Page 277
Structure 1: Separate SE Structure 259......Page 278
Structure 2: Strong Branch Management 260......Page 279
Demonstration Preparation 261......Page 280
Mentoring and Skills Development 262......Page 281
Point of Escalation/General Management Support 263......Page 282
Trainer 264......Page 283
Lead SEs 265......Page 284
Overlay Sales/Market Executives 266......Page 285
Advanced Topics: Five Models for SE Organizations 267......Page 286
Model 1: A New Organization—Five SEs and $0 to $20 Million in Annual Sales 268......Page 287
Model 2: Getting Off the Ground—20 to 30 SEs and $50 to $100 Million in Annual Sales 269......Page 288
Model 3: Economies or Diseconomies of Scale—100 to 200 SEs and $350 Million in Annual Sales 270......Page 289
Model 4: Over $500 Million in Annual Sales—Splitting the Business Unit 271......Page 290
Making the Models Work in the Real World 272......Page 291
Summary 273......Page 292
24 Building the Infrastructure 275......Page 294
A Little Philosophy 276......Page 295
Initial Corporate Training 277......Page 296
Initial Technical Training 278......Page 297
Follow-Up/Update Training 279......Page 298
Demonstration and Equipment Support 280......Page 299
Knowledge Management and Retention 281......Page 300
Implementation Suggestions 282......Page 301
General SE Processes 284......Page 303
Summary 285......Page 304
25 Hiring Winners 287......Page 306
The Job Description 288......Page 307
Using the Hiring Profile 289......Page 308
Dealing with Recruiters 291......Page 310
Screening Candidates 292......Page 311
Be Prepared 293......Page 312
Judging the Candidate’s Performance 296......Page 314
Hiring 296......Page 315
Summary 297......Page 316
Fixed Time and Infinite Demands 299......Page 318
Running Your Schedule Like a Business 300......Page 319
Qualification 301......Page 320
A Simple Structure for Managing Your Time 302......Page 321
Timeliness 303......Page 322
Prioritizing the Tasks 304......Page 323
How to Run Your Day 306......Page 325
The Daily Close 307......Page 326
Apply the 80/20 Rule 308......Page 327
“Be Prepared” Prioritization Tactics 309......Page 328
Long-Term Time Management 310......Page 329
Personal Commitments 311......Page 330
Summary 312......Page 331
27 Managing by the Metrics 315......Page 334
Managing by the Metrics for the Manager 316......Page 335
Managing-by-Metrics Bonus Compensation Versus MBO 318......Page 337
Rolling Out Metrics-Based Management to Your Organization 319......Page 338
Summary 320......Page 339
Be Passionate 323......Page 342
Consistently Outperform Expectations 324......Page 343
Build and Maintain Relationships 325......Page 344
Continually Challenge Yourself 326......Page 345
About the Authors 327......Page 346
Index 329......Page 348