A Fool With a Tool

By Blair Goulet

A Fool With A Tool is a guide for Executives and Sales Leaders who are considering or going through transformation of how they sell their goods and services. Transformation is a very common objective and challenge for businesses large and small as they seek to drive organic growth and to achieve a different set of results. With rising Cost of Sale, declining Win Rates and increased competitive threats, transformation requires a clear strategy and a plan for execution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483453095

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Software

Copyright © 2016 A Fool With A Tool.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means---whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic---without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5308-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5309-5 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 06/17/2016

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART A -- REALITY

ONE -- SELLING IN THE 3.0 WORLD

What We Have Heard

Market Trends

Sales Factoids

Changing Buying Process

Complexity and Commoditization

The Theory of Good Enough

Risk Aversion

What Are You Really Selling

Getting From A to B

TWO -- HOW DO YOU SELL

Why You Should Care

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning

How Are You Being Judged

What Are Your Key Sales Activities

How Do You Do Them

Who Is Involved

Your Vision

The Business Case For Change

Tactical Playbook

Innovation and Differentiation

THREE -- DIY SALES LEADERS

DIY Challenges

Creating Consistency

Alignment

Sales Governance

Tools

Selling Inside

Managing Communication

FOUR -- THE CARROT AND STICK

The CRM Story

The Role of SFA

The Rear View Mirror & The Windshield

Processes and Controls

PART B -- TRANSFORM

FIVE -- BUILD YOUR STRATEGY

Strategic Flow

Sales Strategy

Resource Optimization

Sales Management Operating System [SMOS]

You Can't Delegate Strategy

Everything Is Selling

SIX -- CONNECT THE DOTS

Where Am I?

Are They Really Making Change?

Should You Invest?

Can We Truly Differentiate?

Can We Win?

A Point In Time

Action Planning

Decision Making

SEVEN -- GETTING MORE INK

The Cast of Characters

Roles

Relationships

Power Grid

Value

Measuring Differentiation

Deal Strategy

Tactical Plans

Price To Win

Strategic Theme

EIGHT -- EXECUTE

Chaos and Drama

Daily Habits

OJT

ROI

Measure

Adjust

Operating Rhythm

CONCLUSION

Think Different

Creating Leverage

Inspiration Speed

RESOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

A FOOL WITH A TOOL IS STILL A FOOL.

-Grady Booch (Software Developer)

If we all look in the mirror, there is a pretty good chance that we have all invested in some form of tool or technology in our lives to solve a problem. There is also a very good chance that it did not change the outcome. Examples include acquiring CRM to help sales results or an app for your iPhone to help you lose weight or most Infomercial products. Business leaders, when faced with a daunting problem and the need for transformation, have been known to invest in tools or quick fixes rather than do root causal work to understand the real issue or to invest in process improvement and transformative change. Why?

Well, we do like our toys. 75% of businesses in North America have acquired some kind of CRM tool. Over 50% would state that they acquired the tool to improve how they sell. A very high percentage are not using the tool properly or for its intended purpose, and a Gartner study indicated over 50% do not use the tool at all! Despite what Marc Benioff (the outspoken CEO of Salesforce.com) says, CRM or sales force automation tools will seldom be responsible for you winning a deal. A database tool like CRM allows you to look in the rear view mirror after you have recorded what happened; but it will add limited value without the structure that you need to bring to the party. If you have defined processes, software tools will support and enable, but you need to start with process.

The reality is tools are easy answers and it is more fun to buy tangible assets. Root cause and strategy work is hard and requires certain skills. There is also the perception that it takes more time and money. We are all looking for more immediate gratification in both our business and personal lives and thus investing in quick fixes is logical. Unfortunately, they seldom yield the desired results.

We are in the business of developing and delivering software, consulting and professional services. We create software tools that add value as stand alone solutions, but there is a value multiplier when coupled with effective process and the other required elements. Regardless of how good the underlying software may be and how it may be the best thing since cold beer at resolving the root business problem, there needs to be a linkage to existing (or new) process to extract the potential value.

A Fool with a Tool focuses on the realities of the current selling environment and pressure points on sales leaders and reps. As many organizations seek to transform results, many areas of the sales business need to transform first. We are going to tell this story with a focus on Sales Strategy. Sales Strategy can be defined in both the Macro and Micro sense. Macro being the Sales Strategy of a company and micro being the Sales Strategy for an individual deal or pursuit. Strategy is critical to transformation and tools support the execution plan.

Tools are good things. They can support productivity gains, improve workflow, consistency, skill development and the ability to get access to timely/accurate information to list a few benefits. We believe in tools as a critical component to transformation. That said, we have all been fools at some point in our lives.

Have fun.

If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don't bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will teach them a new way of thinking.

-Richard Buckminster Fuller

PART A

REALITY

ONE

SELLING IN THE 3.0 WORLD

Selling has always been hard work and it is getting harder. 2008 onward have brought on significant macro economic headwinds that have materially impacted the markets in which most of us compete. The strong will survive and those with weak balance sheets or poor business models will be acquired or go by the wayside. The trends that are evolving in the world of complex sales and the dynamics going on inside many organizations are continuing to put more pressure on sales organizations in a hyper competitive world.

I am not trying to be negative, but the dynamics of our markets are forcing