After the Sales rep has done all the hard work of research prospecting, strategies, presenting, and delivering the proposal, they are faced with obstacles to overcome executive delays on signing their contract. It is the lack of PROOF of all their claims and value statements that can hold up the deal.
The decision maker will ruminate in doubt with the struggle to trust the Sales rep, often caused by weakly established proof of their promises. This is a large problem for pretty much any vendor regardless whether they sell a product, solution, service, technology, SaaS or a plethora of things sold every day to small, mid-sized and Enterprise accounts.
The problem manifests itself originally in Marketing. It is all too common for Marketing to engage with a new customer and ask for a reference story without adequate proof statements. I understand value needs to be delivered and that does take time. However, the value can be implied and measured in steps, so the “Reference story” can have more meat and potatoes with it.
It starts with the Sales rep. They are supposed to negotiate their deals asking the prospect to supply a reference story in exchange for preferential treatment. If the sales process were conducted properly, the Sale rep would have used their “value propositions and proofs”” throughout the entire sales process. This helps the prospect to visualize what they will receive once they actually buy.
Therein lies the problem! Very few companies with small to very large sales forces take the time to infuse their Case Studies and Testimonials with hard numbers, percentages, or measurements as expressed by: (X) $ increase in revenues, (X) % improvement in margin, (X) less time to marketing producing (X) in $ Sales.
These proofs are critical for a competitive advantage, and the vendors that have them are clearly in a desired and positive position (free “gifts of Knowledge”). Even if you use the “customer reference called’ it is not easy to have them recite their numeric improvements from your solution if they have not been agreed upon at an earlier date.
So, what can be done to help alleviate this condition when selling to the decion maker?
[/fusion_text][fusion_checklist icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=”” size=”16px” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””][fusion_li_item]Know Customer stories are the “strongest” proof (#1) of the value of your solution.[/fusion_li_item] [fusion_checklist icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=”” size=”16px” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””][fusion_li_item]Create and build value statements, with “quantitative” value throughout your entire sales cycle.[/fusion_li_item] [fusion_checklist icon=”” iconcolor=”” circle=”” circlecolor=”” size=”16px” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””][fusion_li_item]Have your “proofs” align from the actual customer you are referencing to the actual prospect.[/fusion_li_item][/fusion_checklist][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” class=”” id=””]Revenue AcceleratorsTM is the ONLY provider empowering Vendor Sales & Marketing teams to easily and more rapidly acquire high-performing opportunities from accessing and engaging Decision Makers and C-Suite. By defining the Vendors solution’s financial value, aligning it into Target Account objectives and business initiatives and using 1:1 ABM value messaging in SPEEDSHEETS; we transform Product to Value selling overnight for faster and easier selling. www.revenueaccelerators.com
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