Más contenido relacionado Similar a Top 5 ways to connect engage and sell (20) Más de Alinean, Inc. (20) Top 5 ways to connect engage and sell1. Powering B2B sales to economic buyers
Mari Anne Vanella - CEO/Founder Tom Pisello - Chairman & Founder
Twitter: @vanellagroup Twitter: @tpisello
Top 5 Ways to Connect, Engage and Sell C-
x Level Executives
2. Today’s Speakers
Mari Anne Vanella Tom Pisello
CEO & Founder of The Vanella Group Chairman & Founder of Alinean
Top 20 Women to Watch in 2011 by the Sales Who’s Who in B2B Demand Generation
Lead Management Assn.
Parallel entrepreneur
The Vanella Group - Teleservices for Enterprise Ex-Gartner Managing VP
Technology Companies
Alinean - Leading provider of value-based
Delivers customized, strategic teleservices- interactive content marketing campaigns and
based lead generation solution to energize the diagnostic sales tools
pipeline and become a true partner for
success.
Solutions:
Solutions: • Interactive White Papers
• Teleprospecting, identifying active buy-cycles • Diagnostic Assessment Tools
for large deals • ROI Calculators & Sales Tools
• Telenurturing, integrating live communication
• TCO Comparison Tools
with email or automated communication
Fast Facts: Fast Facts:
10 Year milestone in 2011 10 year milestone in 2011
Pioneering work with enterprise technology Over 2000 value-focused campaigns
providers worldwide
42 Rules of Cold Calling Executives—best
seller © 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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3. A New Buyer Requires New Strategy & Tactics
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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4. Today’s Buyer - More Overloaded
• Rapidly increasing rate of new information available to buyers
• Calls 15+ a day
• Email 200+ a day
• Increase in available channels
• E-mails, tweets, Internet, webinars, search engines, videos, micro-sites, banner ads,
newsletters, magazines, demos, white papers, blogs, Facebook, forums, case studies,
research, advertisements, etc....
• A low signal-to-noise ratio on most messages / campaigns
• 62% of B2B vendors need more leads
in order to generate the same amount
of sales
• 72% indicate an increase in sales cycle
time over the past 6 months
• Over past 5 years, average sales cycle
has become 22% longer (SiriusDecisions)
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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5. Today’s Buyer – More Empowered
• Buyers do more research independently and online
• Arm themselves with ideas, solution, competitive product knowledge
• Firmly in control of buying process
• Using online vendor content + 3rd party sources / social groups
• Inviting sales later, after set strategy, budget and solution roadmap
At Same Time, Perceived Sales Readiness Is
On the Decline
Not Prepared
Well Prepared
29%
35%
Somewhat
Prepared
36%
IDC 2010
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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6. Today’s Buyer - More Skeptical
Internal Events / Triggers Drive Early Stages of Buying Cycle
Most often
selected
3rd Parties such as Peers, Analysts & Trade Pubs Most Influence – Mid / Later Stages
35%
30% Internal events/triggers
Peers
25%
Industry analysts
20%
Trade publications
15%
Search engine results
10% VARs/Partners
5% Consultants
Vendors
0%
Early Middle Late
Source: SiriusDecisions 2010
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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7. Today’s Buyer – More Complex Decision Cycle
Took more time to research and consider solutions 48%
Utilized a wider variety of sources to research options 36%
Did more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of solution before 34%
finalizing the process
More internal team members provided their input into 30%
decision process
Relied more on live customer feedback/recommendations 21%
Fewer internal team members provided their input into 16%
decision process
Demand Creation Specialists B2B Buyer Survey - 2011
Multiple Responses Allowed
• Do More Research From More Sources
• More Stakeholders, More Financial Due Diligence
• Taking More Time
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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8. Today’s Buyer – More Frugal & Value Focused
• #1 Reason for NOT Meeting Sales
Quotas – Inability to Communicate Value
Messages (27%) – SiriusDecisions 2010
• Only 38% of sales reps understand the
customer’s issues and can identify how
vendor can help – Forrester 2010
• CFOs responsible for more groups
• Taking control of strategy + buying-
cycle
• More financial due-diligence on all
purchases
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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9. Today’s Buyer – Buyer Frugalnomicus
• Size
More Leads to Close Same Executive Scrutiny Reduced Deal Size
Amount of Business
Longer Sales Cycles Increased Competition
More Stakeholders
Stalled Deals
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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10. Top 5 Ways to Connect, Engage & Sell to Cx Level Executives
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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11. Tip #1: Cut Through the Noise
• Don’t make your prospect try to figure out the fit
• One-size-fits-all messaging tunes out prospects
• Don’t desensitize prospects—Res-ensitize them through point solutions
for THEIR business
• Seeking ―tell me more‖ not ―stop talking!‖
• Ask:
– Would you listen to YOU?
• Test the message on yourself
• Value Added Content / Insights
Greatest resource you already have—your customers © 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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12. Tip #2: Persistence Pays
• Leads have a shelf life—don’t let them expire
• Typical exec requires 6+ attempts to reach
• Most sales teams give up at 3 or less
3-5 Additional Attempts Needed
7
6
Calls to Connect
5
4
3
2
1
0
Reps Execs
Attempts Required To Connect After Initial Interest
© 2011 The Vanella Group, Inc. Proprietary | Do Not Distribute 12
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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13. Tip #3: Engage at Right Time
• Don’t let BANT downgrade good leads
• Early engagements make a difference
• Richest form of communication—use it early and effectively
• Deal size and decision patterns
• Effectively hand off the baton—build systemized lead hand-off
© 2011 The Vanella Group, Inc. Proprietary | Do Not Distribute 13
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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15. Tip #4: The Engagement Path
• Keep it relevant to their need, not your company
• Lead them to a conclusion
• Today’s execs scan info and make connections quickly
• Don’t drive them away with making it too hard to learn more
• Build on each step to keep it moving forward
© 2011 The Vanella Group, Inc. Proprietary | Do Not Distribute 15
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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16. Tip #5: Appeal to Frugal Buyer
Product Focus Solution Focus Value Focus
Discussion: Discussion:
Discussion:
• Customer knows issue • Prescriptive & Quantified
• Customer knows issues &
• Tie features / functions to desired outcome • Discover… Is customer
needs aware of issue?
• Questions to discover pain
• Compares product points
alternatives • Diagnose… How bad is it?
• Feature • Function • Price • Recommend solution to • Quantify … Value of change
solve pain
• Compare … Value vs. Status
Drive: Sales Led: Product Drive: Sales Led: Pain-Point Quo / Competition
Driven Driven
Drive: Diagnostic Led: What
is issue & value of change?
Solution
Vendor Trusted Advisor
Provider © 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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17. Tip #5: Value Focus a Requirement, But Gaps Exist
Forrester Sales Enablement Forum- 2011
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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18. Challenges of Connecting and Engaging
• Reps are challenged:
• To engage early / being invited later into cycle
• On average, not outcome / value focused enough
• Perceived as not adding enough value in sales process
• Not incented to develop long-term opportunities / short term focus
• Buyers are challenged:
• Overloaded: getting a lot of calls, email—all looks/sounds the same
• Empowered: More information to help drive decisions
• Skeptical
• More Complex Decision Cycle – risk adverse / more stakeholders involved
• Frugal – Bottom-line & Value focused
• Buyers have their own urgent issues and teams to manage
• Conversations are forgotten without proper documentation
© 2011 The Vanella Group, Inc. Proprietary | Do Not Distribute 18
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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19. Better Connections & Engagement Yield Significant
Value
• Sales lead expert, Mac McIntosh, found that
• six months after inquiring, 23% of the surveyed subjects had bought the product or
service, from the promoter or from a competitor.
• An additional 67% indicated that they still intended to buy but they were not ready.
• According to Forrester Research, companies that excel at lead nurturing are able to
generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead.
• According to CSO Insights, companies that excel at lead nurturing have 9% more sales
reps make quota, and enjoy a 10% shorter ramp up time for new reps.
• According to DemandGen Report, nurtured leads produce, on average, a 20 percent
increase in sales opportunities versus non-nurtured leads.
• According to IDC, a value focused interactive content & diagnostic tools:
• Deliver 50% more qualified leads compared to traditional content
• Reduce sales cycles by 20-30%
• Reduce discounting / increase deal size by 20%
• Increase competitive win rate by 60%
© 2011 The Vanella Group, Inc. Proprietary | Do Not Distribute 19
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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21. Next Steps
Insights Into Cold Calling
42 Rules of Cold Calling Executives
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
http://www.alinean.com/faq/
© 2011 Alinean, Inc.
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