This is a vocational, hands-on training that is rarely seen in the Middle East. Participants spend 2 days full of role playing and hands on practice. They get exposed to sales situations, call on customers, do needs analysis, present their solutions and finally get their customer commitment to close the sale.
1. Bilingual Vocational
Training for sales
professionals
Hands-on vocational training
The purpose of this training is to focus on practical sales skills and get the participants to live
the sales experience starting from pre-qualification to needs analysis, all the way to presenting
their solution to the Key Decision Making committee and closing the sale. The training is
available in Arabic and English and is delivered by bilingual instructors.
[Pick the date]
2. Contents
Pre-Qualification: ................................................................................................... 2
Competition analysis:............................................................................................. 2
Know your customer .............................................................................................. 2
Listening and probing techniques: ......................................................................... 3
Presenting your solution: ....................................................................................... 3
Hands-On practical exercises: ................................................................................ 3
Overview of the Exercise ....................................................................................... 6
Objective................................................................................................................ 6
How the exercise will work .................................................................................... 6
How you will earn points ....................................................................................... 7
Getting started....................................................................................................... 8
3. The purpose of this training is to focus on practical sales skills and get the
participants to live the sales experience starting from pre-qualification to needs
analysis, all the way to presenting their solution to the Key Decision Making
committee and closing the sale.
The training is 2 days long and is designed for a group of 15 participants because
of the practical nature of role playing and questions answer. This number will give
a chance to all participants to get personally involved and have their share of
questions and answers.
The following concepts will be discussed and also explored in a practical context
through the bi-lingual practical examples
Pre-Qualification:
Participants will be introduced to several techniques to screen the
opportunity and decide if it is worth spending the time and effort.
Participants will learn what question to ask to qualify an opportunity: Is
there an opportunity? Can we participate? Can we win? Is it worth
winning?
Participants will be introduced to BPOUT (budget, potential, ownership,
urgency, and timing).
Competition analysis:
There is more to competition than price. What are other factors that create
a competitive advantage other than price, how can I build a profile for your
competition
Know your customer
How to build an organization profile of your customer’s organization:
o Organization map.
o Personal motivators of key personnel (Recognition/ Achievement/
Detail/ Affiliation/ Power/ Lifestyle )
o Buyers’ types (the Economic, the User, the technical, the coach).
o Adaptability to change
o Vendor preference
4. Listening and probing techniques:
Participants will know the different kinds of questioning techniques which
they will implement during the exercises:
o Open probes.
o Acknowledge statements
o Sensitive probes
o Closed probes.
o Alternate closing probes
Presenting your solution:
Participants will be introduced to presentation techniques which they will
use during the practical session.
Hands-On practical exercises:
Personal interaction in role playing is of utmost importance in sales training;
hence we have built multiple case studies to cater for different industries.
The Case studies available for hands on role-playing are:
1. Troubled international construction company that is expanding
worldwide and faces profit decline after opening branches in Middle
East and Asia.
2. Similar case; with an international bank facing performance problems.
Participants need to meet with the bank’s key decision maker and
understand their problems and what they need to formulate the
solution, and then present it.
3. Similar case; a large hospital acquires a specialized hospital and
struggles to integrate it with its operation.
4. Cash management and NPV concepts
5. A small hotel is facing rapid growth, the owner is old style and inflexible
(feature vs benefit).
5. Participants have the opportunity to propose solutions and close deals and in so
doing they have to probe the customer, understand the problem and needs and
then propose a solution. Participants are rated based on:
Ability to know the problem areas using active listening and questioning
techniques.
Ability to devise a solution that solves customer’s problems,
Presentation quality (content & form).
Ability to handle objections during the final presentation.
The 2 days course is designed to include 25% introduction and discussion, while
the remaining 75% will be spent in role-playing exercises. The participants will be
divided into groups and handed over the different exercises.
The teams are briefed on the problem and introduced to the KDM (Key Decision
Makers), they can then plan their sale calls, book meetings with KDM (up to 4
meetings max) during which they should collect 10 pieces of information that
form the customer problem.
They then propose a solution and present it and get their customer commitment
on the business.
At the end of every exercise the teams are briefed on what went well and went
wrong with their call plan and content, which they can work on during the
following exercise.
7. Overview of the Exercise
The client HDCC has issued a ‘request for proposal to a number of international
consulting companies for a companywide restructuring job. .HDCC is facing an
unprecedented expansion worldwide, however the increased revenue is coming
with a negative outcome; poor profitability.
The RFP aims at finding a way to continue growth while increasing profitability to
please the shareholders. HDCC is open for any suggestions to its international
operation including leasing equipment, subcontracting, process outsourcing, etc..
Four companies are invited; your company is one of them. All will have the
opportunity to meet with HDCC management to discuss their problems and needs
before making a final and formal pitch to close the business.
Objective
The objective of the exercise is to identify the client’s needs and requirements for
an operational restructuring proposal and to make a pitch to the client to win the
contract.
Once you have successfully gathered all the relevant data/information on the
client requirements you will be required to make a pitch to the client in order to
win the contract.
You will be asked to do this by making a 10 minute presentation to the client.
In order to win the contract you must demonstrate your understanding of the
client’s needs and requirements and how your system will best meet their needs.
You will be in competition with three other companies/teams who will also be
trying to win the contract. The winning team will be the team with the highest
score at the end of the exercise.
How the exercise will work
In your teams you are to review the consulting that you represent, including your
strengths and weaknesses.
8. You will be given a number of opportunities to meet with the client in order to
interview them and ask questions in order to identify their needs and
requirements. Each meeting will last approximately 5-10 minutes.
It will be important to plan your questions beforehand as only the questions you
ask will be answered, no information will be volunteered. You can meet with the
client up to a maximum of four times.
Each meeting will cost your team 10 points. Points spent on meeting with the
client will be deducted from the final score. If you are effective in your
questioning you will require fewer meetings and lose less points.
How you will earn points
You will earn points by gathering the critical pieces of information, during the
client meetings. (asking vague or general questions will not get the answers you
are looking for) If you include this information in your pitch presentation you will
earn 10 points for each piece of information.
There will be 10 pieces of information in total with a maximum of 100 points to be
scored if you collect all 10 pieces of information. In addition you will earn points
for the following:
20 points for relating solution to client’s needs, highlighting how the client
will benefit
You will be awarded points for the quality of your presentation; five points
for average quality, 10 points for very good and 15 points for excellence.
You will be awarded points for each objections successfully overcome,
there will be two objections per team. Each objection successfully
overcome will earn 10 points.
The presentation will be made by using a flipchart and any other visuals you wish
to use. The presentations will be a maximum of 10 minutes long.
9. After all 4 teams have presented the points will be added up and the winning
team will be announced.
Getting started
Once you have read the brief your team should discuss your strategy for the
exercise and decide how to deploy your team and maximize the team’s resources.
You will need to decide on what questions to ask.
Who will meet with the client to conduct the meeting?
Having decided on your strategy you will then need to arrange to meet with
the client.
How to collate and interpret the information?
How to incorporate the client’s requirements into your presentation?
How you will design and produce your presentation?
Who will present the pitch to the client?