Improve your    win rate.  

Consilium

| sales transformation |

 

Doom and gloom
... or sunshine?
Sunshine w500 cropped

In today’s financial climate many companies are seeing their sales pipeline falter. Sales come late or not at all. But contrary to our instinct, recession gives us all the opportunity to grow market share at the expense of our competitors.

First let’s look at what’s happening using the sales funnel analogy. The funnel is narrower both top and bottom, and flowing more erratically:
Sales Funnel

£££

Fewer projects
are being considered.

Financial & other constraints keep changing so do the requirements
– so progress through the funnel is even less predictable.

With reduced budgets, fewer projects are being approved.
Often approval takes longer.
Sales Funnel recession

£
Profiting during adversity

As every procurement will be reviewed more thoroughly, those who plan their sales campaigns thoroughly and present their proposals professionally will gain competitive advantage. It is essential:
 

  • To align solutions being proposed with the client’s business objectives.
  • To optimise business cases
        – they must show a strong Return on Investment
        – preferably they should be funded from operating expenditure, as customers hoard cash and capital
           is becoming scarcer
        – solution benefits are definitely not enough, economic benefits must be clear.
  • As there is increased competition for budget, only the strongest business cases will succeed.
  • Cash flow may be more important.
     
Seizing competitive advantage

Thorough sales planning will put you in an advantageous position:
 

  • At the top account planning will improve a sales team’s understanding of a client’s business objectives
        so projects will be seen as more relevant.
  • During the campaign an improved business understanding and a better contact plan will help make sure
        your proposal is as strong as possible and isn’t defeated by politics.
  • At the bottom improved contact plans will ensure a better understanding of the client’s business constraints
        and more supporters for your business case.

 

Fill your pipeline with sunshine!

We offer facilitated workshops based on our Concise Opportunity Planning and Concise Account Planning methodologies. We offer both sales planning workshops on concessionary terms to new customers. We believe in making our services “easy to buy” … another important topic in today’s climate.

|  © Consilium Consultancy Ltd  2006-2009  |  T: +44 (0)1844 275430   |   contact us   |