Helping customers achieve outcomes from the products they buy from us is what services teams do. “Now...sales teams have to get on board with that,” says Steve Frost, vice president and managing director of revenue research and advisory for TSIA. “With all the uncertainty we are experiencing now, it's kinda hard to introduce something new to a prospect or customer. You’ve gotta provide some help and some guidance and value to the equation.”
Steve explains that services team have been on this path for a while now, and it’s more important than ever that sales teams embrace this philosophy of providing help, guidance, and value.
Easier said than do, sure. But it’s not like we have a choice any more. The way 2020 is turning out, it’s more important than ever to double down on helping our customers.
There is no one more suited to help us figure this out that Steve Frost. Here are three things I learned from him to help us come out of this crisis stronger than before:
Refocus resources to market segments scrambling to deal with the crisis
We talked about this also with Keri Keeling (Ep. 194) that we need to look at customer segments that are struggling to deal with the current economic crisis and figure out how to help them. Steve is suggesting our services teams might be more naturally inclined to do this. But sales can do this too, and it’s about time they do. They can call prospects in the pipeline and change the tone of the discussions with an offer to help. They can call existing customers and ask how else they can help, even if it means not selling them anything new. It might just mean sharing learnings from other customers.
Engage services in the sales process
A first step in sales getting on board with this approach to helping, guiding, and adding value is to bring services team members into these conversations. A sales person could call a prospect (or customer) and say something like, “….in our meeting, I’d like to bring in one of our customer success managers, who specializes in your industry, to share with you what some of our other customers are doing right now….”
Simple as that.
What customer wouldn’t want to take you up on that offer?
You are not selling anything. You are offering to help, providing guidance, and adding value.
Enable your sales team with outcome selling skills
I might be taking this a bit too far, but now might be the time to start selling money, not products or services. “You pay us $50,000, and we’ll give you $500,000.” Maybe I’m not taking this too far.
When Steve talks about outcome selling skills, he is taking about helping customers realize value when they use your service. And the value has to be in hard numbers. “Our typical customers increases revenue by $500,000 (or reduced costs by $500,000 or saves $500,000 worth of time from automation) during the first year using our product. Our product costs $50,000 per year. We can help you achieve these numbers, too.”
I am simplifying this to be sure, but this is a much different conversation and explain why your product is so good.
That’s the conversation I want to have.
Don’t you?
More about Steve
Blog number one we talked about: Now more than ever, helping will sell, but selling won’t help
Blog number 2 we talked about: Spring cleaning for sales: Using the pandemic slowdown to make yourself better
Blog number 3 we talked about: How sales and customer success can come out of the crisis stronger
196 Steve Frost Now more than ever, helping will sell, but selling won’t help