Problem Framing and Red Team Reviews
OPPORTUNITY REVIEW TRAINING
Today, we are focusing on the early stage of the customer buying process
Account Planning Sales Excellence Red team reviews
Understanding our clients agendaCapturing more opportunities Creating balance viewsCreating buy-in, collaboration and ownership
Opportunity managementBeing prepared for client meetingsHaving better discussions Spending time more efficiently
Better client engagementHigher bid-to win ratio’sMore starburst opportunitiesMore satisfied clients
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Overall programme scope and objectives• We have been teaching a new approach to sales activity
• The purpose of today’s workshop is to practice and embed some of these new skills
• If we succeed, then by the end of this workshop you will have:
• Developed a framework for testing and clarifying clients’ business problems
• Practiced putting these skills into practice in ‘live’ Red Team reviews of real opportunities
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We are focusing on two of the three criteria for the ‘qualification’ stage in the IMS sales process
Budget Available: The budget that has been formally established for a specific project or the broad budget established across multiple projects. Clearly defined and owned in the organization.
Unique Business Value: The tangible or intangible value you can provide the customer. It must be defined in the customer’s terms and differentiate you from the competition.
Compelling Event: The deadline or timeframe in which the customer must make a decision. Consequences the customer will suffer if a decision is not made (e.g. lost revenue, loss of market share or inability to compete).
Stage 2+ Opportunity
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SESSION 1 – PROBLEM CONTEXT
For our early meetings with the client, we also need something to take with us, so we can ‘go first’:
• What could we take into a client meeting that would be useful to the client?
• What could we take into a client meeting that would be low cost for IMS?
• If we’re going to take something written or prepared, what should be its subject?
• How can we demonstrate our capability without asserting it?
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What do we often do by default?
• We focus on our solutions instead of the client’s problem
• We get trapped in a cycle of presenting and asserting instead of listening and asking questions
• We focus on our own frameworks, language and activity, rather than the client’s
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A framework for suggesting, testing & agreeing the context of a problem that is important to the client
Context
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These elements can inform your Call Plan
Questions about current & desired situation
Information about current and desired situation
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Client needs and problem analysis worksheet
Objective• To prepare an outline proposal – context for a typical client problem
Process• Break into two groups, and use the breakout rooms to review the two
current Teva opportunities:
Groups 1 and 3:
˗ your opportunity will be ‘Farma SA’ Oncology Go-To-Market RFP for the launch of ‘PhentomaX’
• In your groups, develop a Point Of View (Current Situation / Trigger / Future Situation / Overarching Question)
• Write it down on a flipchart, along with any other supporting proposal information – 5 flip charts maximum
• Prepare for a review in the main teaching room
Time for a group exercise
What did we learn?
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SESSION 2 – LEAD STRATEGY
We have developed and tested our understanding of the context, so now the process is going to continue
• We will have to meet other people – how can we navigate among the different client contacts (buyers) and diagnose their different roles?
• How can we interpret and use what we learn about their aims and desires?
• What can we do to reconcile the differences across multiple buyers?
• How can we keep the conversation going so that we are still asking useful and purposeful questions about them?
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The 40–minute Red Team Review
• The Process
• A ‘Live’ Red Team Review
Running a Red Team Review – learn what you don’t know, and do something about it
• What we know can help us win
• What we don’t know can make us lose
• We will improve our chance of winning if we:− Learn what we don’t know
− Strategize potential actions to leverage our strengths/offset our weaknesses
−Act upon those strategic options
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The objective is to quickly create a platform for the pursuit team to build on and refine their proposal
Pursuit team’s objectives in running a red team review:
• Identify 30 to 40+ potential actions to consider which may, if utilized, improve the probability of winning the work
− Actions may be new (for consideration) or previously identified (which may provide confirmation of inclusion)
•Identify ways to better leverage strengths
•Identify potential weaknesses or problematic areas
Do this quickly!
The objective is NOT to test the quality of a proposal, but to get some new ideas, by reflecting on …
What we might not yet know …
• What is the real context (current & desired situation, trigger event, overriding question
• What are the benefits of fixing this problem
• Who are the real buying influences, and what are their ‘hot buttons’
What we can find out, or add to our proposal …
• What else might have triggered this opportunity?
• What is the ‘big picture’ perspective?
• What does the boss think?
• Who is the boss?
• Who else cares?
• What do they care about?
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Partnership-based Sales Masterclass • December 2012
The 40-minute Red Team Review is guided by four distinct timed activities
1. Listen: Pursuit Team member presents background information, without interruption. Timekeeper selected to time each step*
2. Ask: Review Team asks questions of Pursuit Team, to understand the opportunity better and to identify additional red flags
3. Flag: Review Team and Pursuit Team summarize perceived strengths and red flags with scribes listing them on flip charts*
4. Strategize: Review Team and Pursuit Team brainstorm 30 to 40+ potential actions. . . no discussion, no questions, no evaluation. (There are no bad ideas.)
Subsequently, Pursuit Team evaluates potential actions, selects the best, and plans strategy to implement them.
Minutes
15
10
5
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Buyers differ in their perception of the context …
Current Situation
Current Situation
Triggering event
Triggering event
Desired future situation
Desired future situation
Overarching question
Overarching question
Benefits of reaching new situation
Benefits of reaching new situation
Critical success factors
Critical success factors
Context
Structure
Impact
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… and buyers also differ in their perception of the expected benefits
Current Situation
Current Situation
Triggering event
Triggering event
Desired future situation
Desired future situation
Overarching question
Overarching question
Critical success factors
Critical success factors
Context
Structure
Impact
Benefits of reaching new situation
Benefits of reaching new situation
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Buyer: Budget Holder (or delegated to Key Decision Maker)
Role To give final approval to buy
Characteristics
• Has discretionary use of consulting funds• Can release these monies• Has veto power
Focus
Concerned with overall impact on organization and bottom line, such as:• Strategic position• Competitiveness• Market growth
• Cash flow• Profitability• ROCI• Budget fit• Meeting business
goals/objectives
Number Only one per sale (but may be one of a set of people, like a board or a committee)
Asks: “What will be the overall improvement in performance and eventual return on this investment?”
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Influencer - User
Role To judge impact on operational performance
Characteristics
• Will be directly affected by this engagement
• Will often have a subjective response to proposal
• Is very important for continuing relationships
Focus
• Objectives and adequacy of proposed approach
• General effects on the potentially affected organizational units
Number Often several
Asks: “How will the work and its results affect my job and those I supervise?
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Influencer - Technical
Role To screen out
Characteristics
• Acts as gatekeeper• Makes recommendations• Can’t say yes; can say no
Focus
Concerned with measurable, quantifiable aspects related to this situation, such as:
• ROI
• Adequacy of technical solution
• Price
• Match of specifications
Number Often several
Asks: “Do the proposed offerings and IMS’ qualifications meet specifications?”
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Influencer - Coach
Role To act as guide for this sale
Characteristics
Wants you to win. Therefore, provides/interprets information about the client’s environment. E.g.:• Situation• Other buyers• Benefits, individual and collective• Evaluation criteria• Competition
Focus Your success with this opportunity
Number Develop at least one in the buyer’s firm…
Asks: “How can we pull this off together?”
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Influencer - Ratifier
Role To bless the recommendation of the Economic Buyer
Characteristics
• Ratifies the recommendation• Acts as gatekeeper• Often at the highest levels of the organization• Has veto power
Focus
Concerned with total resource availability/allocation as well as potential cultural/environmental conflicts in the organization. For example, conflicts with:−Other programs−Constituencies−Colleagues −Corporate culture
Number If exists, usually only one in corporate organizations; sometimes several in governmental organizations
Asks: “Will this proposed effort and this vendor supportmy broader ‘political’ and/or personal objectives?”
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Potential benefits are associated with each buyer type
• Budget Holder− Good budget fit− ROI/Profitability− Increased productivity− Better cash flow− Flexibility
• Influencer - Technical− Meets specs best− Timely delivery− Best technical solution− Reliability− Price, discounts
• Influencer - User− Increased efficiency− Upgraded skills− Fulfilled performance− Better, faster, easier− Versatility− Ease of learning/use
• Influencer - Coach− Recognition− Visibility− Strokes− Seen as contributor/ problem
solver
Source: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
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Addressing buyer ‘hot topics’ can result in many different kinds of benefits
Adapted from: Miller, Heiman & Tuleja The New Strategic Selling
Productivity• Increase personal productivity • Achieve more control
Personal Values• Increase self-esteem• Get more leisure, have more time at
home• Have more flexibility• Get more freedom
Professional/Job Security• Remain in/increase power• Feel more secure/safe
Reputation• Be seen as a problem solver• Be seen as a leader• Improve social status• Be an instrument of change• Pay a debt
Professional Competence• Increase skills• Improve job potential• Increase responsibility and authority• Put in a quality performance• Offer uniqueness
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We can capture information on the identity and orientation of our buyers on the opportunity plan
Including the details of our specific buyers …
… and the level of support they can offer, and the access we have to them
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The 40-minute Red Team Review is guided by four distinct timed activities
1. Listen: Pursuit Team member presents background information, without interruption. Timekeeper selected to time each step*
2. Ask: Review Team asks questions of Pursuit Team, to understand the opportunity better and to identify additional red flags
3. Flag: Review Team and Pursuit Team summarize perceived strengths and red flags with scribes listing them on flip charts*
4. Strategize: Review Team and Pursuit Team brainstorm 30 to 40+ potential actions. . . no discussion, no questions, no evaluation. (There are no bad ideas.)
Subsequently, Pursuit Team evaluates potential actions, selects the best, and plans strategy to implement them.
Minutes
15
10
5
10
Each role is critical to ensure that the process runs efficiently and achieves the desired objectives
• Facilitator
− Provide relevant background
− Describe process and time limit of < 1 hour
− Explain process guidelines
− Create collaborative atmosphere
• Scribes
− Record ideas as stated
• Timekeeper
− Announce how much time is left for each segment - allow extra time if needed
− Call “time’s up” at the end of end of each segment but not while someone is speaking
• Review Team
− Be honest, direct and don’t hold back!Note: Scribes and Timekeepers should contribute as active Review Team participants
DivergentThinking
• Creative, wide ranging ideas• As many as
possible• Build off each
other• No judgment,
good or bad
Red Team Strategy Process
The 40-minute Red Team Review uses both divergent and convergent thinking
Subsequently, account team evaluates
ConvergentThinking
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The 40-minute Red Team Review:Listen, Ask, Flag and Strategize
1. Listen: Pursuit Team member presents background information, without interruption. Timekeeper selected to time each step*
2. Ask: Review Team asks questions of Pursuit Team, to understand the opportunity better and to identify additional red flags
3. Flag: Review Team and Pursuit Team summarize perceived strengths and red flags with scribes listing them on flip charts*
4. Strategize: Review Team and Pursuit Team brainstorm 30 to 40+ potential actions. . . no discussion, no questions, no evaluation. (There are no bad ideas.)
Subsequently, Pursuit Team evaluates potential actions, selects the best, and plans strategy to implement them.
Minutes
15
10
5
10
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What did we learn?
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