Strongman Solutions Sales Model
Selling solutions is complex and very exciting. Whether you’re selling Business Process Automation (BPA) or another form of solution, you probably have a tough job that involves a lot of complexity.
This is chess; they are not ladies
There may be dozens of decision makers, and while not all of them may be required to say “Yes,” the chances are that ANY of them can say “No.” You could be faced with all kinds of competitive projects across the company, and the political and financial landscapes can change quickly.
STRONGMAN offers a compelling blueprint and a simple acronym to help you succeed in selling your solution.
I’ll spell it out and then I’ll talk very briefly about each key area.
STRONG MAN
S is for solution
T is for timeline
R is for review
Or is it for Options
It’s not out of necessity
G is for galvanizing
my for money
A is for Authority
N is for negotiation
These are critical areas to address in your sales cycle.
Yes, Solution.
Whether or not the prospect is totally on board at the start of the engagement, you need to be sober in your assessment of whether or not you have a legitimate, bona fide solution for them. Otherwise, why bother?
T, time line.
If the client has a legitimate project that you are selling to, what is the exact timeline? The implementation schedule? Is there a compelling event or deadline that drives this project forward?
A. Review.
Forget entertaining and servicing a potential client who isn’t actually reviewing the project. If they’re just in research mode (vs. review mode), I suggest you balance this project with opportunities later in your pipeline to increase your sales success.
And, Options.
What options are there for your customer? Most likely, there are at least five options:
1.Your solution
2. The solution of your competition,
3. Build it themselves or develop it in-house
4. Do nothing
5. Improve or update your existing process (perhaps by adding resources or conducting training). You need to be able to sell against your available options, especially the option that most companies choose, which is to “improve or upgrade existing processes.”
No, need.
Is there a need, do you understand the need, and does the customer agree with you on what their need is?
G. Galvanizing.
This is my favorite. Remember, you are not in sales to entertain and serve, at least not entirely. If you’re working with customers who don’t return your calls promptly, don’t bring other key contacts to meetings, don’t expose you to post-purchase processes, or show other key indicators that they aren’t as active and engaged in the sales process like you. , you must get their commitment or move on.
M, Money.
If there is a project underway, is the project financing pre-approved? Does that funding cover the cost of your solution and all related costs, such as the staff the prospect will need to dedicate to implementing your solution? Are you sure about tax cycles? Does funding come from resources such as:
1. Project budget,
2. Cap Ex (capital expenditures that require high-level approval),
3. OpEx (operating expenses)
4. Departmental Budget
And keep in mind that most companies have the ability to overspend on budgets, or borrow from other budgets, at about the same rate as my wife, which means they can, so never let a negotiator reduce it. only for a specific budget.
Ah, Authority.
A Champion is one thing, an Authority is another. Is the senior executive aware of the project? Who is the specific authority related to: contract signing, purchase order production, legal document review, training program development and implementation, technical review and implementations, user acceptance, etc. .? If you’re selling solutions, you better be exposed to a variety of people with legitimate authority over each.
No, negotiation.
Many times the actual sale does not begin until it is time to negotiate. But you want to hear the saddest piece about solution selling: The negotiation process is usually when the sales rep gives up most concessions, and it’s also the point at which, in most cases, the customer is already gone. He has made the decision to move on. They are exposing the sales rep to resources that are post-purchase resources (such as legal people, technical implementation, training, purchasing) and somehow the sales rep feels compelled to start working with their own proposal. it’s crazy
That’s STRONGMAN. I have used it for almost ten years in my own business and as a tool to improve sales training. I hope you find it an effective model for success in selling your solution.