Methodology: A Step-by-Step Walk-Through
Transcript of Methodology: A Step-by-Step Walk-Through
CONSULTATIVE SELLING
Baseline SellingMethodology:
A Step-by-StepWalk-Through
STRUCTURE
CHAPTER ONE
In recent years, interest in consultative selling has not
waned. It’s not because of the methodology’s novelty, but
because it’s adapted to the new behaviours of today's
decision-makers and buyers.
There are different consultative sales methodologies, from
the simplest to the most complex. Naturally, complexity
means challenges in adoption. That's why Prima Resource
has embraced simplicity by choosing Baseline Selling
Methodology. Baseline Selling is the most straightforward
methodology and the easiest to execute.
It is also important not to forget managers and sales
leaders who must track indicators, the pipeline and
provide sales forecasts to upper management. The
Baseline Selling methodology aligns execution, monitoring
and forecasting of sales.
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INTRODUCTION
Important Prima Resource is the only firm in Canada that holds the
rights of use, training and all the tools related to the
Baseline Selling Methodology.
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CHAPTER ONE
1. Difference Between Sales Methodology and Sales Process
2. The Most Popular Sales Methodologies
3. Problems with Traditional Sales Approaches
4. Why Is Baseline Selling Different?
5. Baseline Selling: A Step-By-Step Explanation
Conclusion
Next Step
Contact Prima Resource
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INDEX
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CHAPTER ONE
To understand how to use a sales methodology and a sales process,
one must know what their respective functions are.
Sales Methodology: The HowIt is the foundation that defines both the essential steps and the
criteria included in the sales process.
A sales methodology will generally cover several critical phases of
the sale, however very few go from the pre-prospecting stage to the
post-closing stage. Among the most used methodologies, only
"Baseline Selling" covers the full spectrum.
Sales Process: The WhatIt is about the conversation and the specific actions that must take
place to create opportunities, close sales and develop accounts. In
concrete terms, the sales process describes what needs to be done
to sell accurately and provides all the questions and techniques to
execute the sale.
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1. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES METHODOLOGY AND SALES PROCESS
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Baseline Selling
A consultative sales approach created by Dave
Kurlan in 2005 to overcome the difficulties of
learning overly complicated traditional
methodologies. It uses a baseball diamond to
illustrate the approach.
Strengths:
• Conversation-based method
• Covers all phases of a sale
• Adapted to the needs and behaviours of today's decision-makers
• Focus on value selling
Weakness:
• Long to fully implement as it covers all sales
stages
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Challenger Sale
The Challenger Sale is the most recentconsultative sales methodology. It deciphersthe different sales profiles and what the mostsuccessful salespeople do, i.e. the Challenger profile.
Strengths:
• Good consultative approach
• Helps sell value
• Identifies the why behind the need
• Allows salespeople to open their customers' eyes to their issues through questions
Weakness:
• Covers only a tiny part of the sales process
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Miller Heiman Methodology (Strategic Selling)
It is the methodology that popularized the
concept of a win-win relationship as early as
the 1970s. It aims to break down complex
sales situations into simpler sub-elements to
facilitate progress.
Strengths:
• Very detailed approach
• Tools available to help use the methodology
Weaknesses:
• Is complex to use
• Increases the length of the sales cycle
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Solution Selling (SPI)
SPI is the Xerox methodology pioneered by
Mike Bosworth. The approach is famous
because it's based on the behaviours of the
company's best salespeople. SPI is primarily a
transactional approach.
Strengths:
• Flexible approach
• Integrated sales system
Weaknesses:
• Not well suited to sell value
• Too centred on solutions and education for today's decision-makers
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Spin Selling
Spin Selling is the sales method modelized by
Neil Rackham in 1988.
Structured around four steps to identify the
client's real need: situation, problem, indications
and need; hence the acronym SPIN.
Strengths:
• Good consultative approach
• Helps representatives to ask more questions
• Allows to structure the order of questions logically
Weaknesses:
• Covers only a tiny part of the sales process
• Complex to use
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CHAPTER ONE
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2. THE MOST POPULAR SALES METHODOLOGIES
Summary table of sales methodologies
Methodology Founder(s) History Typical Use StrengthsPeople
Trained
Miller-Heiman
(Strategic
Selling)
Bob Miller
and Steve
Heiman
Method founded in 1978 to
sell IBM products and based
on logic and analysis to
generate win-win sales.
Complex sales in
all B2B industries
Separates complex
situations into simpler
sub-elements.
Around 2
million
worldwide
Solution
Selling
Mike
BosworthThe method was developed
by analyzing the behaviour of
Xerox's best salespeople.
All industries
(except
government),
including utilities.
Part of an integrated
sales system.
More than
one million
worldwide
SPIN Selling Neil
RackhamFollowing a study of 35,000
sales conversations in 17
countries, Neil Rackham
identified the specific
behaviours of the best
salespeople.
Complex sales in
all B2B industries
Good consultative
approach
Allows to structure the
order of questions
logically
Several
hundred
thousand
around the
world
Baseline
Selling
Dave Kurlan Based on the baseball
analogy, this approach
simplifies sales to increase
adoption by representatives.
An ideal method
for companies with
sales forces up to
about 100
representatives
from all industries.
Simple and visual
approach
Conversation-based
instead of complicated
sales techniques
Covers all stages of the
sale (before prospecting
and after conclusion)
Several
hundred
thousand
around the
world
The Challenger
Sale
Matt Dixon
and Brent
Adamson
Methodology created in
response to new, more
informed customers for whom
the traditional selling solution
approach no longer works.
No information
available
Helps sell value
Identifies why behind the
need
Help salespeople to
open their customers'
eyes to their problems
through questions
Unknown
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CHAPTER ONE
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3. PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL SALES APPROACHES
When we look at the stages of the majority of sales methodologies,
several common points stand out. It turns out that among these,
several are factors that can hinder the speed of the sales cycle and
the conclusion of opportunities.
1. Move too quickly to the proposal stage
Moving too quickly to the proposal stage is the
most common problem in sales and creates
significant performance gaps. When executing
the sales process, representatives are used to
getting to the submission or product
demonstration stage as quickly as possible.
In other words, this step comes at a point in the
process when representatives have not been
able to identify a compelling reason to buy or
communicate the value of their solution.
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The result is a loss of control over the sale.
Once the prospect has obtained your price or a demonstration,
he/she can compare the offer on characteristics and a sum to invest
with other suppliers. By "stealing 2nd", representatives lose all equity
built between the 1st and 3rd steps of the process.
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3. PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL SALES APPROACHES
2. Qualifying too early
Strategic sales, among other things, advocate for
qualifying prospects early in the process. In fact,
the prospect has no reason to answer questions
and let him or herself be qualified when it is too
early to provide essential information to the
representative.
In a way, the sales representative must first invest
time in the sales conversation, look for the potential
customer's incentive to take action and qualify only
afterwards, that is, getting to third base.
3. Center the sales process on the presentation
Representatives often feel most comfortable
when they're presenting and this is a focus of
non-consultative methodologies. For decades,
companies have worked hard to get all the
information and sales tools into the hands of
representatives so that they could sell.
Even today, many salespeople still think that
marketing materials are needed to sell. It is
precisely this preconceived notion that pushes
salespeople to present rather than sell.
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CHAPTER ONE
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3. PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL SALES APPROACHES
4. Underestimate the importance of the key decision-maker
Traditional sales methodologies make
representatives work up the decision-making
chain, i.e. they encourage contacting
prospects who are at the bottom or middle of
the hierarchy first. This approach might
facilitate the early stages of the sale process,
but make the later stages get more stringent
because to obtain a decision it is then
necessary to go through a committee or go
up in the hierarchy.
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Conversely, the Baseline Selling methodology advocates a top-
down approach. Thus, even if more effort is required at the
beginning of the process to reach the decision-maker, the
conclusion then becomes a natural extension of the other sales
steps because there is no need to climb one or more rungs to
obtain a decision.
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3. PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL SALES APPROACHES
The sales relationship must be balanced, and
the representative must not be the only one
giving. A good sales methodology must create
this win-win climate between the parties.
However, salespeople usually provide quotes,
delivery times and product demonstrations
without asking prospects for anything in
return. It is not a question of negotiating, but
of trading.
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In Baseline Selling, at each critical step, the representative and
prospect must commit to a next step. Committing guarantees the
progress of the opportunity with the agreement of both parties.
These transitional agreements then allow prospects to be asked
to commit to a decision in exchange for a bid.
5. Not demanding anything from prospects
CHAPTER ONE
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4. WHY IS BASELINE SELLING DIFFERENT?
Complete It covers all components of a sale.
Simple
It takes just a few minutes to memorize the
steps. The more straightforward the
methodology, the easier the sales process will
be to execute in the field.
Conversational
The entire approach is based on the natural
course of the conversation instead of being a
sequence of sales tactics and techniques.
Visual
It is easy to remember because everyone
knows the shape of a baseball field. The
baseball diamond representation makes it
easy to visualize the progress.
Structured
Baseline Selling compensates for some gaps
in selling competencies and does not require
negotiation skills, as may be the case with
more complex methodologies.
RepeatableIt can be used with all types of customers
(B2B or B2C).
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CHAPTER ONE
Methodology’s Steps & Milestones
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
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CHAPTER ONE
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
The baseball field's four milestones
At its core, the Baseline Selling methodology uses a series of
specific steps which each contribute to increasing the probability of
closing the sale. Each action has a percentage associated with it,
and everything is continuously cumulated. The progressive
validation of these points, thus, provides a reliable indicator to
make objective sales previsions.
Getting to 1st Base - "Suspect" Stage:
At this stage, representatives do
whatever activities allows them to
get a face-to-face, telephone or
virtual sales meeting:
• Prospecting calls
• Requests for references
• Activities on LinkedIn and
other social networks that
facilitate prospecting
• Lead management provided
by marketing or partners
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For a salesperson to get to first base, two elements are essential:
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
1. Engaging the client
The first contact(s) should allow representatives to capture the
attention of potential clients (called "suspects" at this stage)
effectively and uniquely using what is called a positioning
statement. In summary, it is an introduction that describes the
problems that a representative helps to solve by adding an
emotional link.
2. Identifying a problem
Using the positioning statement, salespeople can identify a problem
experienced by potential customers. Identifying their problem(s)
opens the door to request a meeting and thus reach the first goal.
Getting to 2nd Base – "Prospect" Stage:The Prospect Stage is a critical step
in sales, as it is at this precise
moment that representatives must:
1. Identify the real need of the prospect
Just because the client says he has
a particular need doesn't mean it's
the case. Therefore, the baseball
sales methodology advocates a
problem and symptom approach.
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CHAPTER ONE
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
2. Discover the compelling reasons to buy
It is the real incentive that motivates the customer to initiate a
purchasing process and to bring it to fruition. These reasons are
difficult to identify because a salesperson must first establish a
sufficiently strong relationship with the potential client and know
how to ask the right questions.
A compelling reason arises when a prospect will likely suffer
consequences if he or she does not solve the problem. The effects
can be:
• Financial
• Professional
• Operational
• Personal
The consultative sales approach aims to make prospects verbalize
the dangers of their inaction to get them to buy. It is not a question
of providing them with external reasons, but instead of bringing out
their own.
3. Differentiating oneself from competitors
In Baseline Selling, this step is called getting speed on base. It is
not a particular sales technique that allows representatives to
differentiate themselves, but their approach, their ability to ask the
right questions, to challenge potential customers and their sales
posture.
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CHAPTER ONE
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
4. Quantify the cost of the problem
When potential customers understand how much their problem is
costing them, they have a reason to act and invest in a solution that
will reduce this unnecessary cost.
Again, it is through questionning that salespeople can help their
prospects make rough calculations. It is not necessary to use
complex analysis, because the goal is for the prospect to estimate
the cost himself or herself to create a sense of urgency.
Getting to 3rd Base –"Qualify" Stage:
As its name indicates, the Qualify
Stage is about qualifying the
potential customer by relying on
key elements for the sale:
1. Validating the commitment to act
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The potential client must be ready to solve their problem
immediately for the representative to continue giving them his or
her time. This commitment to act is essential to ensure that the
sales process is executed within an optimal timeframe.
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
2. Ensure that the decision-maker is included in the process
At this stage, the key decision maker is part of the discussion. If
this is not the case, a plan must be put in place to include him and
start the sales process over.
3. Understand the decision-making process and criteria
To be able to move the opportunity forward, all the decision-making
criteria must be identified. It is, therefore, necessary to know when
the decision will be taken, by whom (sole decision-maker,
committee, ...) and the information required.
It is also the best time to discuss the competition or existing
suppliers. The objective is to gather the information that will allow
you to eliminate rivals during the following steps of the process.
4. Quantify the amount to invest
This step is the counterpart to the quantifying the cost of the
problem step. Based on the estimated cost, the representative can
give an investment range required to solve the prospect's problem.
At this stage, it is not a question of making a bid, but of merely
providing an estimate verbally.
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CHAPTER ONE
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
Getting to Home: Conclusion StageWhen entering the conclusion
stage, a salesperson needs to set
guidelines with the prospect.
Concretely, before presenting the
solution, it is essential he or she
ask the potential customer to give
a decision once the information is
shared.
1. Presentation of the company
No need to make a classic presentation of your business. A
salesperson needs to focus on the company's success in solving
problems similar to those of the potential customer. Using concrete
examples will resonate with the prospect and his or her situation.
2. Present the offer
At this stage, it is not necessary to have a formal estimate or any
visual support. The primary objective is to explain how the sales
rep will solve the prospect's problem. Technical details on the
implementation are not necessary. First and foremost, the
representative must showcase the offer's value.
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In essence, a sales representative makes a moral agreement with
the prospect for him or her to say if the company wants to do
business with the salesperson following the presentation of the offer. To execute the conclusion stage, the key actions are:
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
3. Validate the alignment between the offer and the needs
This step sets the stage for the conclusion and validates that the
proposed solution and the required investment meet the potential
client's needs. This step should be done verbally, and it is not
necessary to have a written submission. You can use the price
range mentioned in step "Quantify the amount to invest" and relate
it to the cost of the potential customer's problem.
4. The inoffensive close
The previous step facilitates the conclusion. The inoffensive close consists of using a series of 3 questions to validate the followingpoints :
• The prospect feels that the salesperson has understood his or her problem
• The prospect is convinced that the sales representative has the expertise to help them
• The prospect wants to do business with the sales rep.
This approach is inoffensive because it does not involve a signature. It is a moral commitment.
Two additional optional steps :
Depending on the company's sales context, two additional steps
can be added to the four primary ones:
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CHAPTER ONE
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5. BASELINE SELLING: A STEP-BY-STEP EXPLANATION
The on-deck circle:
Scoring:
For these companies, opening an account or adding a distributor
to the network does not mean generating sales. The scoring stage,
therefore, consists of putting in place the conditions needed to get
the new indirect sales point " to generate results ". Too often this
crucial step is underestimated, and companies find themselves
with a vast indirect sales network, but only a few genuinelysuccessful resellers.
This stage is before a
salesperson sets out towards 1st
base. It's generally a strategic
phase and consists in defining
how to approach potential
customers:
• Profile
• Where to find them?
• How to connect?
After the close, this step is
present for companies that have
to make budget proposals before
final proposals or those that
develop reseller networks who, in
turn, have to generate a
particular sales volume.
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CHAPTER ONE
The Baseline Selling methodology adapts to all B2B sales
contexts, in all industries. With this guide, you now have
the essential information needed to understand
consultative selling and the visual approach.
Now, to contextualize everything to your business, you
need to adapt your sales process. It is this process that
will allow your team to execute the methodology's steps in
the field and win value-added sales.
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CONCLUSION
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