This document discusses strategies for improving a sales organization's ability to sell solutions to senior-level executives. It introduces the ONE process which includes three components: obtaining insights about customers, navigating for access to senior executives, and elevating the dialogue during meetings. Specific tactics are provided for each component, such as conducting online and internal research, gaining introductions from champions, and giving prescriptive presentations. The document also discusses alternatives like creating a specialized sales force focused on senior executives or leveraging subject matter experts to engage with certain senior roles. The goal is to help salespeople succeed in selling solutions by selling at a higher, more strategic level within customers.
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Research Brief
ability to apply this expertise to engage at a senior level. A chief consideration
to taking this step is the cost-of-sales increase, in terms of both the added
human resources required and the team compensation structure that must
be created.
• Utilizing SMEs. It’s not uncommon for companies to use a sales engineer to
sell to a technical buyer; a similar approach can be taken for a senior-level
buyer. For example, we have seen some companies keep former CFOs on
retainer to help prepare and deliver presentations to senior level financial
buyers. Again, the key consideration here is the return on investment
expected calculated vs. the added cost of sales.
The Sirius Decision
The evolution from product-centric to solution-centric selling is one that many
sales organizations must make to both sustain and create growth. While this
evolution will often have roots in marketing, forward-thinking chief sales
officers will need to quickly engage their leadership team in these initiatives,
and join forces with marketing to map out the strategy and implement an
enablement process for success. Focusing your efforts based on our ONE
framework will help to ensure salespeople get the help they need in not only
getting onto executive row, but succeeding when they do.