Build a Successful Sales

Strategy
Presented to KCL
by
Jurek Sikorski
Entrepreneur in Residence, LBS
Independent Business Advisor
Business Mentor
Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Coming up...
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
Build a Successful Sales Strategy

What is a sales strategy?...

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 does a sales strategy do?

Defines the selling activities and

allocates resources to deliver the
sales goal of the business

Build a successful sales strategy

Why have a 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

Build a successful sales strategy

A sales strategy addresses common

business challenges
Slow, stagnant or declining sales revenues
Merger of sales forces after an acquisition
Start-up of a new venture
New product introductions
Launch of a new competitor
Expansion to new markets
Build a successful sales strategy

Key elements of a sales strategy?

1. Goal and Objectives
What is the goal of your business? e.g. We want to become the UKs leading
supplier of hybrid power generators by sales within 3 years
What are the objectives that when achieved will deliver the goal?

2. Target Market
Who is your target customer group?... What /How/Why do they buy?
Who is the person you are selling to? What are the specific needs?

3. Products/Services
What are you selling to the target market? Why would the customer buy?
What is your sales value proposition?... Customers buy only two things

4. Competitive Advantages
Who are your competitors? What are their strengths/weaknesses?...
What are your competitive advantages ? How are you better, cheaper, faster?

Build a successful sales strategy

Key elements of a sales strategy?

5. Route to market
How will you reach the customer? e.g. direct and/or channel partners
What direct route will you use? e.g. sales, telesales, trade shows, internet

6. Selling Process
What are your selling activities? e.g. prospecting, engaging/presenting
How will you maximise success during the critical hour in front of customer?

7. Resources, Skills and Capabilities

What resources (e.g. sales time, money), skills (i.e. selling) 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

Build a successful sales strategy

What is selling about?...

Helping the customer to buy

Helping the customer to make up his mind
based upon the satisfaction of his needs
Selling is about creating a win-win for
you and the customer
Selling is not so much about shifting
product as winning customers

Successful selling is about asking

the right questions

How customer orientation works!

HomeTouch
In the UK over 700k older people live in
need of domestic help

An online introductory care services agency

Need

Benefit

Feature

Seek help with everyday

tasks such as washing,
cooking and shopping and
also find relief from
loneliness and isolation

Offers help to elderly

people who struggle with
everyday tasks around the
home enabling them to
remain independent and
relieving isolation and
loneliness

HomeTouch is an on line
care services agency which
enables elderly people
living in London and
needing help with domestic
tasks to find and book
trusted carers

Dont sell me a care service help me with my washing,

cooking and shopping help me live independently

Selling is a key activity of

your business model...
Off grid solar/hybrid power generation industry
Key Partners

Key Activities

Value Proposition

Customer Relationships

International resellers

Designing, manufacturing
and supplying generators

Range of peak power

outputs

Personal

Plant and hire firms

Marketing and selling

Reliable power delivery

User network

Battery and power inverter

suppliers

Recruitment and training

of resellers

Silent operation

Electronic circuits suppliers

Key Resources
Working capital

Investors
Facility landlord

Technical/commercial staff
develop and market
Knowledge and expertise

Cost Structure

Zero/reduced CO2
pollution

Co-development

Channels

Portable

Sales team

Simple
installation/commissioning

Resellers

Range of purchase options

DFID, Aid Agencies

Customer Segments
Construction and Plant
Hire firms need to
service client projects
Event and Broadcast
organisers need a
source of reliable power
that is non polluting at an
affordable cost
International Aid agencies
Need robust power
generation solutions at a
low cost

Revenue Streams

Cost of sales (<50%)

Facility (xk pa)

Price set at x FOB

Salaries (zk pa)

Marketing (yk pa)

Revenue 1.8m rising to

over 25m by year 5

Business Model Generation: Alexander Osterwalder & YvesPigneur

2010

Gross Margin: min. 50%

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...

The activities of the selling process

1. Prospecting: generating sales leads
2. Classifying leads: identifying leads with largest revenue potential
3. Developing a sales plan: setting plan for a specific customer
4. Making the approach: connecting via intros, invites and cold calling
5. Engaging the customer: pitching your sales value proposition
6. Trial closing: Early attempt to close a sale
7. Overcoming objections: Removing barriers to making a sale
8. Closing: Asking for the order
9. Following up: Delivering product and keeping the customer happy

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 networks
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. Visit potential customers (e.g. Brandon) and influencers
9. Partner to stage promotion events e.g. Speedy Hire
10. Engage Telemarketing e.g. The Telemarketing Company

Be imaginative
in finding ways
to generate
leads

Engaging the Customer

A crucial step in the selling process
Beginning of a two-way communication between the
salesperson and the customer critical hour
This is the pitch to capture attention, develop interest
of the customer, raise desire and evoke action
Aiming to win customer acceptance of the
The selling model
sales value proposition
Selling benefits is what moves the
A Attention
customer to buy
I Interest
The sales value proposition must feature D Desire
A Action
prominently in the sales strategy

Sales Value Proposition

A benefits statement that fulfills the needs of
customers and creates value - needs to answer the key
questions...
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 raises customer
awareness... and enables sales

A Winning Sales Value Proposition

Cygnus is a clean energy storage
solution that delivers dependable off
grid power, reduces emissions and
saves fuel and logistics costs...

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
statement

Step 5
Launch/
monitor
progress
and adapt

Sales Strategy Canvas

Sales Goal

- Year: Xm
- Q: ym/zm
- Direct/Distributor

Target Market (Customer)

- Construction firms, events organisers, aid agencies

- CEO, FD, PM
- Customer seeking dependable power and lower costs

Route

Competitive Advantages

Selling

Resources and skills

- CEO
- Sales team (5)
- Distributors

- F2F
- Exhibitions
- Web marketing

- Reliable power delivery

- Reduced pollution
- Lower fuel & logistics costs

- Time and money

- Marketing literature
- Skills training

Products/Services

- Cygnus range
- Sale/rent/lease
- Sales Value Proposition

Sales Management

- Meet on Monday (9-10.30)

- Review key sales metrics
- On the job coaching

A UK based manufacturer of hybrid power generators

Sales Strategy
Reach 200m in sales by 2020
- continuing to deliver a strong sales value proposition that is based on a customised service for
both retailers and shoppers
- building direct channels and personal relationships with an expanded number of top tier
national retailers
- creating a shopper community and become more engaged with shoppers through its fashion
blog and shopper events
- establishing new customer acquisition channels and leveraging existing channels in particular
social media to attract shoppers to its website
- building automated services for retailers and shoppers via its website
- opening new revenues streams including subscription fee based premium
services for shoppers
- accessing new geographical markets including North America and Middle East

Meet the panel

Nitzan Yudan
CoFounder and CEO
FlatClub
Tim Brownstone
Founder and CEO
KYMIRA
Jonathan Smith
Co-Founder and CEO
Pobble Education

Asked the panel to address five

questions...
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

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)

4.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin (November 2009)

5.

Traction: A start-up guide to getting customers Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
(August 2014)

6.

Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into a Sales Machine with the $100 Million
Best Practices of Salesforce.com by Aaron Ross and Marylou Tyler (July 2011)

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