sales_pocket_guide.

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1/18/2007

10:15 AM

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Four Critical Buying Roles

Pain/Gain Questions

Building the Gain

Economic Buyer (Center of Power*) Gives final approval, typically

one person who owns the budget.

Pain/Gain Questions are questions that we would ask Key Decision

Makers (EB, UB's, TB's). Building Pain/Gain for the EB by asking more
Strategic and Personal questions; Building Pain/Gain for the TB by asking more Tactical/Political and Personal questions: Building Pain/Gain
for the UB by asking more Political and Individual questions.

Strategic

User Buyer (Center of Receptivity*) The individuals that use your

solution. Could be several different people or departments. Their personal success is tied directly to the success of seller's solution.

Building the Pain

Technical Buyer (Center of Dissatisfaction*) Individuals that set

technical specifications. Could be several individuals from different
departments. Screen possible suppliers.

Strategic
1) If competitors solve this problem before you do, what could that
mean?
2) If this problem worsens, how would this impact your key customers?
3) I can see that this issue creates a lot of internal frustration, but
doesn't it also have an impact on key customers?
4) It might not be your highest priority now, but if it goes unsolved for
another six months, what will be the impact?
5) If you see overall industry quality/environmental/EHS etc. standards improving, what will happen if you fall behind?

Coach Leads you to other buyers and provides information

14 Strategic Behaviors

Has a single sales objective

Covers all the bases
Develops strong coaches
Understands account's
buying process
Gets past screens and
roadblocks
Plays win/win
Plans (account and sales
calls)

Identifies buying influence

modes
Uses ideal customer profile
Win results
Maintains a balanced sales
funnel
Seeks help early
Identifies buying influences
Identifies and gets to the
economic buying influence

Strategic Selling
Strategic Analysis
Date

Red Flags

Uncovered Base, New Players/Reorganization, Uncertainty/Lack

of Data

Strengths

Areas of differentiation; Opportunities to improve your position

Tactical
1) How does this delivery issue impact your customers?
2) Dows the way it's working now prevent you from going after new
business?
3) Does that mean that you are also forced to make manual corrections later in the cycle?
4) From what you are saying, isn't this slowing down the operation?
5) But doesn't that make the present system very inefficient?
6) Does that hurt output?

ADEQUACY OF CURRENT POSITION (Enter in cell to the right)

Last Updated

Salesperson

EUPHORIA

GREAT

SECURE

COMFORT

OK

CONCERN

DISCOMFORT

WORRY

FEAR

PANIC

Political

Account/Prospect
Total
Potential
Volume

Current Volume

COMPETITION
Competition Type

1.

Specify Competitor(s)

2.

Product/Service

My Position vs. Competition

3.

Sales Revenue/Units

Place in Sales Funnel

4.

Close Date

Timing for Priorities

5.

SINGLE SALES OBJECTIVE

BUYING INFLUENCES INVOLVED

Name, Title, Location

Role

Degree
of
Influence

Match to
Criteria
(-5 to +5)

IDEAL CUSTOMER CRITERIA

1) sounds like you are being blamed for this problem?

2) So, if it's slowing down production, don't they get frustrated, too?
3) What kind of pressure does that create from other departmental
heads?
4) I imagine that puts you in a bad position with design if you ever
need a favor from them.
5) And how will they react if this problem drags on?
6) Does that mean your people are getting heat from Marketing/
Engineering/Operationsetc?

HOW WELL IS BASE COVERED?

BUYING INFLUENCE'S KEY WIN-RESULTS
Mode

SUMMARY OF MY POSITION TODAY

A short statement of the personal Win that a Buying Influence attains when important measurable
business Results are delivered.

Rate how well your base is covered with each Buying Influence for this sales objective.
Drag and drop Red Flags & Strengths from above.

Rating
(-5 to +5) Evidence to support your Rating

POSSIBLE ACTIONS

BEST ACTION PLAN

A good sales strategy leverages Strengths

and reduces or eliminates Red Flags.

What

RED FLAGS

Information Needed

* Terminology from CCV

Who

When

From Whom

2005 Miller Heiman, Inc. All rights reserved. (US.Blue Sheet.0601_v.2)

STRENGTHS

Individual
1)
2)
3)
4)

Doesn't that make you feel anxious?

What kind of pressure does that put on you?
Isn't that eating up a whole lot of your time?
If you are spending two hours a day on this, what other parts of
your job are suffering?
5) Isn't that driving you crazy?
6) Doesn't it upset you for the rest of the day when that happens?

1) How could this solution help you compete better?

2) If this gets you to market ahead of the competition, what's it worth?
3) Would your customer service levels benefit if we could help with
the issue?
4) It is easy to see how this improved operation helps your production
effort, but wouldn't it have an even more important impact on your
image?
5) If we fix this tough issue now, how will it help your strategic plan
down the road?
6) How will this solution strengthen your position if the market consolidates in the way you predict?

Tactical
1) If you could cut the time for this operation, how would that help you
with your staffing shortage?
2) Wouldn't the new system also free you to do more custom work?
3) Couldn't easier operation also let you run with less skilled people?
4) Will this purchase let you reduce your operating costs?
5) How will this help you increase output?

Political
1) So, if you had a solution, would that make the Finance/
Engineering/Operation etc. Department happy?
2) Then, by changing suppliers, you'd get Purchasing/Operation/
Engineering off your back?
3) Would a successful implementation give your department an organizational boost?
4) Would that increase your influence with senior management?
5) How would your boss feel if you could save 10% on operating cost?
6) So you think that this will make them really happy?

Individual
1) What difference would it make to you personally if we could make
this problem go away?
2) What could you do with the time that this solution will save you?
3) Is there another area of your job that could benefit from the extra
time investment?
4) If we could fix that problem, would that be a load off your mind?

GE
Water & Process Technologies

Sales Process
Pocket Guide

The eight steps detailed in this guide make up the GE Water & Process
Technologies growth sales process stages. While each step is important and is comprised of its own activities, the growth sales process
can be thought of in terms of three larger phases: Opportunity
Identification (includes Prospecting and Qualifying), Solution
Creation (includes Discovery, Solution Generation, Validation, and
Proposal), and the Deal Closing (includes Negotiating and Close.) In
each selling situation, the salesperson will have to be flexible with this
process in order to be sensitive to the buying cycle of the customer.
Also, in our professional selling environment, it is important that every
customer interaction is treated like a business meeting.
1) Prospecting Preparing for and meeting the customer for the
first time
2) Qualifying - Making sure an opportunity (with a budget) exists
and is timely
3) Discovery - Truly understanding customer's needs and thinking
through all the ways that GE Water & Process Technologies can
address their challenges
4) Solution Generation - Creating a customized solution for the customer
5) Validation - Gaining agreement from customer on the GE Water
& Process Technologies solution
6) Proposal - Offering price for our solution and beginning to solidify deal
7) Negotiating - Working out terms, conditions, and details of solution. Use your Negotiation Planner to construct a deal that's
good for the customer and good for GE
8) Close - Indication that GE has won the opportunity

Company Confidential
For use by GE Water & Process
Technologies personnel only.
Do not duplicate or distribute.

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Sales Process Summary

Opportunity Identification

Prospecting

Research
Pre-Call Planning
Value Proposition
Strategic Call Opening
Sales Call Execution
Post Call Follow Up

Qualifying

Identify the Buying Cycle

Identify Key Decision Makers
Understand project funding
Questioning Strategy
Ask Broadening Questions
Initiate Strategic Plan

Deal Closing

Solution Creation

Discovery

Plant Audit/Survey
Meet with TB/UB
Needs Assessment (Business,
Technical, Personal)
Identify ROI potential
Identify Customer's Pain
Ask Broadening Questions
Assess competition
Identify Buying Criteria

Solution
Generation

Differentiate GE Solution
Establish firm ROI
Develop budgetary quote
Present Solution to the Key
Decision Makers
Reinforce your Sweet Spots

Validation

ACTIVITIES
Validate solution with buying team
Validate solution with EB
Strategic Focus
Business Focus
Trial initiated (if required)
Confirm how our solution
compares to other options being
considered

Does this prospect match my

Strike Zone?
Have we established credibility
with the customer?
Is Customer willing to invest time
and resources?
Price Buyer or Value Buyer?

Does the customer understand their

needs?
Does the customer have a budget
for this project?
Who influences the buying process?
Has the Single Sales Objective been
identified?
Identify relevant capabilities?

Do you understand the

customer's Buying Criteria?
Do you understand the
customer's Pain Points?
Do you understand the
competitive situation?
What alternatives is the
customer considering?

KEY QUESTIONS
Does my solution address all
Has the customer's buying criteria
identified customer's needs?
been met?
Have we asked for feedback
Have we reviewed our competitive
regarding our solution?
advantage with the buying team?
Anticipate concerns
Has the EB agreed with our solution?
regarding your solution.
What are our Value Winners/Value
Killers?

Corporate Sales

Technical Marketing

CommOps
Value/Growth Team
Application Engineering
Technical Marketing

FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT
CommOps
CommOps
Value/Growth Team
Corporate Sales
Application Engineering
Technical Marketing

Proposal

Negotiating*

Close

Follow your negotiation plan

Use your list of elegant
negotiables to protect price
Provide references
Alleviate risks
Final scope details
Final T&Cs through legal
Negotiate WIN/WIN

Get the signed documentation

with customer
Project start and kickoff
Transition to Value Team
Communicate to all Key Buying
Influencers
Thank them for the business
partnership
Finalize the VGP

What follow up is required

after presentation?
Is there anyone we need to
meet with?

What is our Concession Plan?

What negotiables are we
willing to give up to protect
price?
What are we going to ask the
customer for in return?

What problems are we having

during start up?
Are we communicating
success and issues of the
transition plan?
Are we positioning for future
opportunities?

CommOps
Application
Engineering
Legal

CommOps
Management

Value/Growth Team
Customer Support Center
Field Service Team

Present final proposal

Cost and timing
Initial T&Cs
Risk mitigation plan
Follow up with EB & decision makers
Transition Plan
Communicate differentiation
Reinforce strategic, business, technical & personal value of our solution

Value/Growth
Team
Corporate
Sales

PROCESS CHECKS

Did we overcome customer's

indifference, and gain commitment
to move forward?
Check history we have with this
Customer/other GE businesses?

Gained agreement to move forward? Have you developed a COACH?

Verbal commitment that project is
Have we identified the Sweet
funded
Spots?
Value Proposition is articulated to EB
Search for similar industry
Audit Information reviewed
PROMOTERS
Identify the Audit Team
Upload opportunity in the QMI

Have we identified all the key

players for this deal?
Have we differentiated our
solution versus other options?

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Sales Call Planner
Telephone Research Tool
Probing Questions

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Sales Call Planner
QMI Tool
Strategic Planner
Probing Question
Pain/Gain Questions
Value Hypothesis Tool
Capabilities Matrix

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Sales Call Planner
Audit Tools
CCR Bankbook
Pain/Gain Question
Assessing Buying Criteria Planner
Strategic Planner

Have all Key Decision Makers

confirmed their attendance?
Have all concerns been addressed
with the Key Buying Influencers?
Have we set pricing based on
value delivered?

SALES TOOLS - Locat ed on the Sales Portal

Pre-Call Planning Tool
Pre-Call Planning Tool
Sales Call Planner
Sales Call Planner
Capability Matrix
Alleviation of Risk Tool
Pain/Gain Questions
Strategic Planner
Assessing Buying Criteria
Pain/Gain Questions
Planner
Strategic Planner

Have we addressed anchors

that would prevent us from
winning?
Do you have a Negotiation
Plan?

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Negotiable List
Negotiation Planner
Sales Call Planner
Strategic Planner

Note: All Sales Tools are located on the Sales Portal http://water.infrastructure.ge.com/portalWebApp/index_sales.jsp

New Business Transition

Do we have a written
transition plan?

Has customer issued

Purchase Order?

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Value Generation Plan
Sales Call Planner

Pre-Call Planning Tool

Negotiation Planner
Negotiable List
Sales Call Planner
Strategic Planner

* Negotiating continues
throughout the entire process