Using Outcome-Based Selling to Achieve
Better Sales Success
TOM PISELLO, Chairman & Founder
Blog: http://tompiselloroiguy.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @tpisello
http://www.alinean.com
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
Powering B2B sales to economic buyers
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 2
A New Buyer Requires New Strategy & Tactics
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 3
Less Discretionary Budget up for Grabs in 2012,
But Opportunity Exists
Determined potential impact through other adopters and built a business
Budget was taken from another line item after need was established/clear
Budget was determined post multiple bids
Budget was allocated as part of a larger line item once need was established
Budget for project was approved and allocated during beginning of the year
26.7%
26.1%
20.6%
15.8%
10.9%
Demand Creation Specialists B2B Buyer Survey - 2011
Sales needs to proactively help facilitate buyer’s realization that:
1. A need exists and it is a priority
2. If opportunity is not addressed it has a cost
3. If opportunity addressed = tangible and significant financial and competitive reward
4. A viable proposed solution is available w/ significant ROI and fast payback
5. The proposed solution represents a good value vs. competitions
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 4
Buyer’s Decision Process Significantly Changed
Fewer internal team members provided their input into decision process
Relied more on live customer feedback/recommendations
More internal team members provided their input into decision process
Did more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of solution before finalizing the process
Utilized a wider variety of sources to research options
Took more time to research and consider solutions
16%
21%
30%
34%
36%
48%
Multiple Responses Allowed
Demand Creation Specialists B2B Buyer Survey - 2011
Match and facilitate buyer’s decision process:
1. Deliver content to help buyer’s adequately research opportunities and solutions,
2. Provide financial justification and business case tools to prove return on investment
(ROI),
3. Provide live customer testimonials and advocate communities to help buyers learn from
peers the best way to solve opportunities with the proposed solutions.
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 5
B2B Buyers: It’s All About the Benjamins
Focus on Lowest Purchase Price
vs. Best Value
Focus on Total Cost of Ownership
can help facilitate better decision
Source: The Considered Purchase Decision What Matters, What Doesn’t And What It
Means For B2B Marketing and Sales by TriComB2B / University of Dayton School of
Business Administration http://www.cmo.com/conversion/purchase-survey-finds-price-
total-cost-ownership-most-important
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 6
Buyers are Economic-Focused
• Size
Longer Sales Cycles
Reduced Deal Size More Leads to Close Same
Amount of Business
Stalled Deals
Increased Competition More Stakeholders
Executive Scrutiny
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 7
Unfortunately, Product / Solution Selling Still Reigns
Forrester Sales Enablement Forum- 2011
Sales Recognizes Issue as Well:
26% of BtoB sales reps surveyed cited “inability to communicate value
messages” as the number one inhibitor to achieving quota - SiriusDecisions
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 8
Fight Frugalnomics™ with Value Selling & Marketing
Value Focus
Discussion:
• Prescriptive & Quantified
• Discover… Is customer
aware of issue?
• Diagnose… How bad is it?
• Quantify … Value of change
• Compare … Value vs. Status
Quo / Competition
Drive: Diagnostic Led: What
is issue & value of change?
Product Focus
Discussion:
• Customer knows issue
• Tie features / functions to needs
• Compares product alternatives
• Feature • Function • Price
Drive: Sales Led: Product
Driven
Solution Focus
Discussion:
• Customer knows issues &
desired outcome
• Questions to discover pain
points
• Recommend solution to
solve pain
Drive: Sales Led: Pain-Point
Driven
Solution
Provider Trusted Advisor Vendor
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 9
Facilitating the Buyer’s Journey w/ Interactive Sales &
Marketing Tools
BUYER’S JOURNEY
Interactive White Papers
Diagnostic Assessment Tools
ROI Analysis Tools TCO Comparison Tools
Create awareness
around a new problem
Align problem with
business issues; drive
urgency
Help buyer
identify needs in solving
the problem
Align solution
with specific sets of
business needs
Make the business case
for change
Validate/ reinforce choice
Prove best value
Loosening of the
status quo
Committing to change
Exploring possible solutions
Committing to a
solution
Justifying the
decision
Making the selection
Content Marketing & Sales Enablement Strategy
DISCOVERY CONSIDERATION DECISION
PROVOCATIVE APPROACH VALUE APPROACH
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 10
Case Study: Microsoft Simple-to-Save
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 11
Microsoft Simple-to-Save Cost Savings Analysis
http://www.microsoft.com/optimization/tools/overview.mspx
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 12
Quick Savings Analysis
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 13
Few Data Points to Estimate Savings
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 14
Overview of Results
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 15
Capability & Maturity Benchmarks
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 16
IT & Business Savings
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 17
Savings Details
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 18
Review & Customize Results
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 19
Roadmap Recommendations
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 20
White Paper Reports
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 21
PPT Report
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 22
Case Studies: OfficeMax ProForma
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 23
Proactive Profiling to Generate Provocative Savings Reports
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 24
Profile + Research = Savings Opportunity
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 25
Select Scope of Proposed Services
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 26
Quantifying the Cost of Doing Nothing
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 27
Estimate Savings Potential
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 28
Compelling Savings From Enterprise Programs
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 29
Urgency via “Speed to Savings”
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 30
Word and PPT Report Options
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 31
Tool Development Process & Benefits
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 32
Typical Development Project
• Demand-Gen – Week 1: Kickoff
– Week 2: Initial Prototype Spreadsheet
– Week 3: 2nd Prototype Spreadsheet
– Week 4: Initial Tool Alpha
– Week 5: Initial Tool Beta
– Week 6: Initial Tool Pilot
– Week 8: Final
• Sales Enablement – Week 1: Kickoff
– Week 2: Initial Prototype Spreadsheet
– Week 3: 2nd Prototype Spreadsheet
– Week 5: Initial Tool Alpha
– Week 7: Initial Tool Beta
– Week 8: Initial Tool Pilot
– Week 10: Final
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 33
What is Required of You and Your Team?
• Collect and Provide Prior Art:
– Benefit statements
– Benefit / ROI white papers
– Spreadsheet or other tools
– ROI / Benefit oriented case studies
• Create Tool Development / Review Team
– Marketing/ sales enablement usually leads project
– ROI subject matter expert(s)
– Enterprise sales representation
– Channel sales representation
– Pilot review team (select customers / partners)
• Participation
– Weekly meeting
– Weekly review
– Alpha, Beta & Pilot review
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 34
Facilitating the Buyer’s Journey w/ Interactive Sales &
Marketing Tools
BUYER’S JOURNEY
Interactive White Papers
Diagnostic Assessment Tools
ROI Analysis Tools TCO Comparison Tools
Create awareness
around a new problem
Align problem with
business issues; drive
urgency
Help buyer
identify needs in solving
the problem
Align solution
with specific sets of
business needs
Make the business case
for change
Validate/ reinforce choice
Prove best value
Loosening of the
status quo
Committing to change
Exploring possible solutions
Committing to a
solution
Justifying the
decision
Making the selection
Content Marketing & Sales Enablement Strategy
DISCOVERY CONSIDERATION DECISION
PROVOCATIVE APPROACH VALUE APPROACH
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 35
Connect higher in organization & speak language of economic buyers / CFOs
Break through the noise with value add / personalized content
Elevate relationships from vendor to trusted advisor
Convert 240% more prospects to sales than other programs Increase the competitive success rate of proposals by over
60%
Prove more value, lower costs and competitive advantages
Automate development of personalized assessments and business case proposals
Reduce proposal time from days to hours Reduce sales cycles by 20-30%
Drive 50% more leads / connections compared to other initiatives
Reduce discounting and increase deal size by 20%
Engage on value vs. feature / function / price
Increase the credibility and acceptance of proposals by 100%
Deliver credibility with research and 3rd party validation
Convert existing Excel sales tools into on-line interactive applications with no programming
SaaS delivery Self-authoring for shared workload
Develop sales tools with lower TCO
Enable all direct and channel sales teams with a scalable sales /marketing tool suite.
Collect customer data, track and drive usage
Standardize and centralize value selling / marketing efforts
Convert 240% more prospects to sales than other programs Increase the competitive success rate of proposals by over
60%
Value of Alinean Business Value Selling / Marketing Tools
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 36
Questions?
http://www.alinean.com/faq/
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 37
Next Steps
1. Your Sales & Marketing Ready to Do Business with Frugal Buyers? Take this Diagnostic Assessment to Find Out.
2. Research White Paper: Sales Enablement and the Economic Buyer
3. Over 200% ROI from a Value Selling Program Sound Impossible? Find Out for Yourself
4. Why Alinean? Alinean Vendor Profile (SiriusDecisions)
Alinean powered tools can significantly upgrade the quality of sales interactions
throughout the buying process, allowing prospects to drive at the beginning
through simpler, self-service tools and sales to provide greater depth as the buying
process proceeds – SiriusDecisions 2010
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 38
Thank You!
http://www.fightfrugalnomics.com