Presented by

Jurek Sikorski
Entrepreneur in Residence, LBS
Formerly Marketing & Sales
Director

Thursday, 30 January 2014
Build a Successful Sales
Strategy
Build a Successful Sales Strategy

What is (and why have) a sales strategy?

Key elements of a sales strategy

The Selling Process

Sales Value Proposition

How to build a successful sales strategy

Ask the Panel
Coming up...

A plan to achieve the sales goal of a
business

Describes how a business will win, retain
and develop customers...

A blueprint for success
Build a successful sales strategy
What is a sales strategy?...
What does a sales strategy do?
Build a successful sales strategy
Defines the selling activities and
allocates resources to deliver the
sales goal of the business
Why have a sales strategy?
Build a successful sales strategy
Without a sales strategy the
companys customer facing people will
struggle to obtain the focus needed for
successful selling...
every organisation needs a sales strategy
A sales strategy aligns the companys
sales goal with the approach to
achieve that goal
Key elements of a sales strategy?
Build a successful sales strategy
1. Goal and Objectives
What is the goal of your business? e.g. We want to become the UKs leading
supplier of solar powered generators by sales within 3 years
What are the objectives that when achieved will deliver the goal?
2. Target Market (Customer)
Who is your target customer group? What /how/why do they buy?
Who is the person you are selling to? What are their needs
3. Products/Services
What are you selling to the target market? Why would the customer buy?
What is your sales value proposition?
4. Competitive Advantages
Who are your competitors? What are their strengths/weaknesses?...
What are your competitive advantages ? How are you better, cheaper, faster?
Key elements of a sales strategy?
Build a successful sales strategy
7. Resources, Skills and Capabilities
What resources (e.g. sales time, money), skills and capabilities (e.g. sales
planning, key account management ) are required to sell
How will you develop and improve skills e.g. selling skills training
8. Sales Management
How is the sales target set, sales performance reviewed, coaching provided?
What performance incentives are provided? e.g. bonus scheme
5. Route to market
How will you reach the customer? e.g. direct, channel partners, internet
What direct route will you adopt? e.g. sales team, telesales, trade shows
6. Selling Process
What are your selling activities? e.g. prospecting, approaching and presenting
How will you maximise success during the critical hour in front of customer?
A sales strategy addresses
common business challenges?
Build a successful sales strategy

Stagnant or declining sales revenues

Merger of sales forces after an acquisition

New product introductions

Launch of a new competitor

Expansion to new markets
Key Partners Key Activities
Key Resources
Customer Relationships
Channels
Customer Segments
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
Off grid solar/hybrid power generation industry














New customers
Construction and Plant
Hire firms need to
service client projects
Advocates
Trialists
Sales team
DFID, Aid Agencies
Range of peak power
outputs
Reliable power delivery
Silent operation
Zero/reduced CO2
pollution
Portable
Designing, manufacturing
and supplying generators
Marketing and selling
Recruitment and training
of resellers
Working capital
Technical/commercial staff
develop and market
International resellers
Plant and hire firms
Battery and power inverter
suppliers
Electronic circuits suppliers
Simple
installation/commissioning
Investors
Facility landlord
Cost of sales (<50%)
Salaries (zk pa)
Facility (xk pa)
Price set at x FOB
Revenue 1.8m rising to
over 25m by year 5
Gross Margin: min. 50%
Knowledge and expertise
Range of purchase options
Marketing (yk pa)
Resellers
Selling is a key activity of
your business model...
Business Model Generation: Alexander Osterwalder & YvesPigneur
2010
International Aid agencies
Need robust power
generation solutions at a
low cost
Event and Broadcast
organisers need a
source of reliable power
that is non polluting at an
affordable cost
Value Proposition
What is selling about?

Selling is helping the customer to buy
Helping the customer to make up his mind based
upon the satisfaction of his/her needs
Selling is about going for a win-win for you
and the customer
Selling is not so much about shifting product as
making... customers

Successful selling is about
asking questions and listening to
the answers
Customer orientation is a vital
concept in selling

Focus on the customer NOT the company!...
Know that customers buy to satisfy needs...
Recognise needs are fulfilled by benefits
derived from features...
Deliver desired outcomes

How customer orientation works!
Need Benefit Feature
Reliable off grid power
generation that helps its
customers manage/
eliminate their challenges
and deliver their projects
on time and within budget
and that yields a strong
return on investment
Provides reliable, silent and
emission free power
generation solutions that
eliminate challenges faced
by users helping them
reduce costs and for Speedy
Hire improve profits
Firefly designs and
manufactures off-grid,
portable and permanent
solar-powered generators
for a wide range of
applications from festivals
to construction site offices
A UK based manufacturer of solar powered generators An equipment rental and support services supplier
Customer orientation drives sales
Understand the selling process

A communication and learning experience
Salesperson learns the needs of the customer
and the customer learns whether the product
will meet needs
Characterised by nine activities that are
directed at winning customers
Successful management of the selling process
requires good analytical, communication,
decision making, and organisational skills
Engaging the selling process
1. Prospecting: generating leads
2. Classifying leads: identifying leads with largest revenue potential
3. Developing a sales plan: setting objective and defining how to achieve
4. Making the approach: reaching out and establishing contact
5. Presenting (critical hour): pitching your sales value proposition
6. Trial closing: Early attempt to close sale
7. Overcoming objections: Removing barriers to making a sale
8. Closing: Asking for the order
9. Following up: Delivering product and supporting customer
Prospecting

About identifying potential new customers and
generating sales leads...

Essential in a dynamic and changing market

Must allocate time to generating quality leads
Ten ways of generating sales leads
Ways of generating leads
1. Seek referrals from present satisfied users e.g. Balfour Beatty, Coca Cola Enterprises
2. Ask channel partners e.g. Speedy Hire
3. Attend conferences and exhibitions e.g. Renewable UK Annual Conference
4. Engage web marketing and social media
5. Register and advertise with trade associations e.g. Construction Plant Hire Association
Ten ways of generating sales leads
Ways of generating leads
6. Publicise your business via news media e.g. Forbes, Guardian, Telegraph, Evening
Standard, City AM; retain a PR firm - check out www.prweek.com
7. Post offers of information/product trial for limited period on your website
8. Personal visits/cold calls to potential customers e.g. Brandon, HSS
9. Partner with a plant hire firm to stage promotion events
10. Engage Telemarketing e.g. The Telemarketing Company
Be imaginative
in finding ways
to generate
leads
Use own networks
Simple ways to generate leads on
LinkedIn
Join (or start) a group
Find top groups where suspects/customers spend time e.g. ERP
Post discussion and participate in Q&A and position yourself as an expert
Seek replies and elicit contact details
Post links to content of value to potential customers
Become a source of business information and attract connections
Add value to each conversation
Build and manage your LinkedIn company page to be seen
Write your company description to include keyword rich text that resonates
with products and contributes to network search visibility
Refresh page and add regular (daily/weekly) postings (of testimonials, news
and features) to get into network updates and grow brand awareness
Follow pages of (prospective) customers e.g. Ashtead

Remember posting is important but engaging is vital
Comment around the most relevant conversations; reply to CEO blogs
Offer ways to help customers with their business
Presenting

A crucial step in the selling process
Beginning of a two-way communication between the
salesperson and the customer
This is the pitch to capture attention, develop interest of
the customer, raise desire and evoke action
The selling model
A Attention
I Interest
D Desire
A Action

Aiming to win customer acceptance of the
sales value proposition
Selling benefits is what moves the
customer to buy
The sales value proposition must feature
prominently in the sales strategy
Applying the AIDA selling model


State of customer
engagement
What you might say
A Attention Winning more customers would grow your
business *address the painneed+
I Interest How would it be if Firefly enabled you to win
more customers *likely replytell me+
D Desire Let me show you how Firefly can do this
[present sales value proposition]
A Action Let me arrange a demonstration or hire a unit
for 6months and see the results *trial close+
Sales Value Proposition


A benefits statement
Differentiates product/service from competition
Dramatically improves marketability of product/service
A powerful branding tool that supports the sales strategy
through marketing communications e.g. advertisements,
website, social media
Forges a lasting reputation that allows realisation of sales
and raises customer awareness


A winning Sales Value Proposition
Cygnus delivers reliable off grid power,
reduces pollution and saves money for the
user whilst improving revenue and
profitability for the plant hire firm more
than any other generator...
How to build a successful
sales strategy?
Step 1
Engage the
customer
facing
team
Step 2
Describe the
current
situation

Step 3
Create the
Sales
Strategy
Canvas
Step 4
Prepare
sales
strategy
document
Step 5
Launch/
review
progress
and adapt
Sales Strategy Canvas
A UK based manufacturer of solar powered generators
Products/Services
- Cygnus range
- Sale/rent/lease
- Sales Value Proposition
Target Market (Customer)
- Construction , Events and International
- CEO/FD/PM
- Seeking an economic return
Competitive Advantages
- Easier installation
- Remote monitoring
- Lower maintenance
Route
- CEO
- Sales team (5)
- Distributors
Sales Goal
- Year: Xm
- Q: ym/zm
- Month by person
Selling
- F2F (critical hour)
- Exhibitions
- LinkedIn
Resources , skills
- Time and money
- Marketing collateral
- Skills training
Sales Management
- Meet Monday (9-10.30am)
- Weekly reports submitted
- On the job coaching
Meet the panel

Nitzan Yudan
CoFounder and CEO
FlatClub

Chris Floyd
Co-Founder and CEO
Cranworth Medical

Jonathan Smith
Co-Founder and CEO
LendMeYourLiteracy

What is your sales strategy?

What was/is your biggest challenge about selling?

What surprised you most?

What has been your learning experience?

What are your top three tips for someone developing
a sales strategy
Asked the panel to address five
questions...
What would you suggest Aoife Mhuiri,
CEO of Sports Clinic Plus might do to
sell its services?
Where to go to find out more
about sales strategy further
reading
1. How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life: Revised and
Updated for the Digital Age by Michael Le Boeuf (August 2000)

2. High Performance Sales Strategies: Powerful Ways to Win New
Business by Russell Ward (Oct 2013)

3. Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in by Roger
Fisher and William Ury (Jun 2012)

Jurek Sikorski
Email: j.sikorski@btinternet.com
Mob: 07889 720735
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jureksikorski