Building a scalable B2B customer factory - FOM 2014

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scalable

predictable

repeatable:

Building a customer factory

B2B

Bob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2B

2 Bob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2B

Bob Apollo

Chief Disruption Officer

Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners

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The factory as metaphor


High quality materials

Repeatable processes

Predictable outcomes

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The 50% problem


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The 42% opportunity…


42+ %

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What do we need: Art, Science or Engineering?


Art SCIENCE ENGINEERING

Creativity DISCOVERY PRODUCTIVITY

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Zen and the “Art” of the Buying Journey

First, there is no problem

Then there is awareness

Then there is concern

Then there are choices

Then the path is chosen

Then all are agreed

Then the road is followed

Then the destination is reached

Then there is no problem


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The B2B buyer’s journey as an engineering process

Your prospect has

a passive interest

in issues that may

affect their

business but as

yet sees no need

to do anything

ABSORBING

Your prospect is

aware of an issue

and has an active

interest in their

options – and

whether a case

for change exists

INVESTIGATING

Your prospect is

evaluating their

options, defining

their decision

criteria and

choosing their

preferred solution

SELECTING

Your prospect is

validating their

decision,

negotiating terms

and confirming

internal approval

for the project

APPROVING

Your customer is

implementing

their chosen

solution and is

looking forward to

realising the

projected benefits

RESOLVING


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The B2B buyer’s journey … in practice

Your prospect has

a passive interest

in issues that may

affect their

business but as

yet sees no need

to do anything

ABSORBING

Your prospect is

aware of an issue

and has an active

interest in their

options – and

whether a case

for change exists

INVESTIGATING

Your prospect is

evaluating their

options, defining

their decision

criteria and

choosing their

preferred solution

SELECTING

Your prospect is

validating their

decision,

negotiating terms

and confirming

internal approval

for the project

APPROVING

Your customer is

implementing

their chosen

solution and is

looking forward to

realising the

projected benefits

RESOLVING


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The sheepdog’s challenge

Bob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2B10

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Critical gates in the B2B buying process

ISSUE ADDRESSEDTRIGGER EVENT CASE FOR CHANGE PREFERRED SOLUTION ORDER PLACED

ABSORBING

Your prospect has

a passive interest

in issues that may

affect their

business but as

yet sees no need

to do anything

INVESTIGATING

Your prospect is

aware of an issue

and has an active

interest in their

options – and

whether a case for

change exists

CHOOSING

Your prospect is

evaluating their

options, defining

their decision

criteria and

choosing their

preferred solution

APPROVING

Your prospect is

validating their

decision,

negotiating terms

and confirming

internal approval

for the project

RESOLVING

Your customer is

implementing

their chosen

solution and is

looking forward to

realising the

projected benefits


Critical gates

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Guiding the prospect through the gates

TRIGGER EVENT NEED ACKNOWLEDGED TERMS AGREED ISSUE ADDRESSED

CASE FOR CHANGE PREFERRED SOLUTION ORDER PLACED

INVESTIGATING

Buyer: could this issue

represent a problem or

opportunity for the

business?

Seller: is this an issue

that our organisation is

*really* good at

addressing?

ACTIVE INTEREST

Buyer: how important is

the issue? What would

happen if we chose to

ignore it?

Seller: is the case for

change strong enough -

or will they stick with the

status quo?

INTENTION

ABSORBING

Buyer: what are the

issues that matter –

inside and outside the

business?

Seller: how can I disrupt

the prospect’s thinking

by challenging the

status quo?

PASSIVE INTEREST

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DECISION CRITERIA

Buyer: is the decision

making group able to

agree on a single

preferred solution?

Seller: how can we

persuade the prospect

to select our solution

above all others?

SELECTING

CHOOSING

Buyer: what are our

options – and how are

we going to choose

between them?

Seller: how can we

influence the prospect’s

decision criteria in our

favour?

DEFINING

Buyer: what else do we

need to do before we

can place an order and

start implementing?

Seller: what else has to

happen before we can

receive an order and

start implementing?

CONFIRMING

APPROVING

Buyer: have we

eliminated all remaining

risks and secured the

best possible deal?

Seller: have we

eliminated all remaining

risks and agreed a deal

we can live with?

VALIDATING

RESOLVING

Buyer: have we

addressed the issue

and achieved all the

benefits we hoped for?

Seller: are they a happy

customer and can we

leverage more

revenue?

IMPLEMENTING


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Sometimes the herd goes astray…

Bob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2BBob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2B13

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The three critical foundations

Engage

Persuade

Replicate

Implement

highly repeatable,

scalable processes

Target the right

issues, organisations

and stakeholders

Convert

well-qualified

prospects into

customers


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Target the right issues, organisations and stakeholders…

Engage

Engage

Manage

Ideal

Customers

Catalysts

for Change

Channels of

Communication

Critical

Issues

What are the critical issues we

can address better than any other

option?

Which organisations, and which

stakeholders, should we be

targeting?

Who are the most effective ways

of reaching and engaging with

our prospects?

What are the catalysts that cause

prospects to recognise the need

for change?


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Target

Convert well-qualified prospects into customers…

Persuade

Repeat

Disruptive

Insights

Directed

Exploration

Intelligent

Answers

What insights can we share that

will disrupt our prospects thinking

and challenge their status quo?

What questions should our sales

people be asking to shape the

direction of the sales conversation?

How can our sales people

respond most effectively to their

prospect’s predictable questions?

How can we prove our value to

our prospects – and persuade

them to act?


Proof of

Value

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Implement repeatable, scalable systems…

Target

Convert

Replicate

Consistent

Process

Proactive Pipeline

Management

Sales

Playbooks

Develop

Prowess

How can we get every sales

person to adopt a consistently

effective sales process?

How can we proactively manage

our sales pipelines and revenue

forecasts?

How can we systematically

develop the prowess of our sales

people and sales managers?


How can we equip every sales

person with the latest best

practices?

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Blueprints for the “flexible factory”…

Engage

• Critical Issues

• Ideal Customer profiles

• BuyerSphere map

• Trigger Event list

• Opportunity Scoring

• Target database building

• Trigger event monitoring

Persuade

• Conversation planners

• Actionable Insights

• Directed Questions

• FAQs and TAQs

• Value Justification

• Anecdotes database

• Message development

Replicate

• Sales Process definition

• Qualification checklists

• Pipeline management

• Sales Playbooks

• Skills Development

• Sales metrics

• Sales analytics


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Progressive reinforcement…

Engage

Persuade

Replicate

Reinforce

• CRM

• Marketing Automation

• Meaningful Metrics

• Continuous Improvement

• Breakthrough Programmes

Reinforce


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Art, Science or Engineering?




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My

Personal

Conclusion…


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Art, Science or Engineering?




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My personal conclusion:


A little less

ballerina…

…and a

little more

Brunel

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scalable

predictable

repeatable

flexible

Building a customer factory

B2BBob Apollo @bobapollo #FoM14 #B2B

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Thank you

www.inflexion-point.com

[email protected]

07802 313000


Transforming sales performance

B 2B

Building a scalable B2B customer factory - FOM 2014

Sales

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