Advanced Selling: High-Stakes Customer Dialogues

ADVANCED SELLING:
HIGH-STAKES
CUSTOMER DIALOGUES
JANUARY28
2019

SESSION
ROADMAP
What Does It Take to Win a Deal?
Defining a High-Stakes Dialogue
Uptier, Assert, & Align

WHAT DOES ITTAKETO WIN A DEAL?
Alignment across stakeholders takes two things:
They
decide to
buy from
you.
They
decide to
buy.
Copyright © 2019 Richardson. All rights reserved.

Do we need
to act?
What could
we do?
What should
we do?
Are we sure?
How do
we maximize
value?
Are we getting
the expected
value?
What’s new
or changing?
ALIGNMENT AS A PROCESS

• Build relationships with all stakeholders
• Understand business and individual needs
• Gauge interest, comfort level, agreement, and
alignment
• Assess the power structure
• Share insight about the issue and stakeholder needs
and perspectives to clarify thinking and align
perspectives
• Float ideas to gauge reaction and foster buy-in
• Uncover perceptions of risk and share perspective on
how to mitigate risk
• Synthesize the different perspectives and needs into
one cohesive case-for-change storyline
• Share insight about the issue, stakeholder needs,
and solution options to clarify thinking and align
perspectives
• Reinforce common ground
• Uncover and understand points of stakeholder
misalignment
• Share perspective and ideas to meet all needs
• Develop, adjust, and refine the solution based on
evolving requirements
• Address concerns over risk
• Reinforce common ground
• Address areas of misalignment
• Resolve late-stage concerns and reinforce personal
value
• Highlightthe risk of no change and delay in decision
to drive momentum
In the early stages, alignment is more
about learning and discovering.
THE MOREWE HAVE
ALIGNMENT,THEGREATER
LIKELIHOODWE’LL SUCCEED
The more up-front work done to foster
alignment in the early stages of the
Buying Journey, the more efficiently
the customer will progress through the
final stages of the Buying Journey.
ReinforceAreas
of Alignment
Providing validation that
others share a similar
perspective increases
confidence in making a
decision.
HolisticView
Raise awareness of the
impact of the issue and
needs of other functions
and stakeholders to help
stakeholders develop a
more holistic view of
the situation.

BUYING FACTORS
To thrive in today’s environment, you need to proactively
drive momentum by engaging in higher-stakes dialogues
around the customer’s Buying Factors.
The Buying Factors are the set of facts,
influences, and circumstances that all
contribute to the end result of a decision
to buy or to not buy. These factors are
dynamic and interrelated. Facts and
circumstances continue to evolve and
change as the customer progresses
through the Buying Journey.
Case for
Change
Strategy
Issue
Desired Outcomes
Solution Options
Value vs. Risk
Decision
Process
Momentum
Willingness to Invest
Funding
Procurement Process
Stakeholder
Dynamics
People
Power
Purpose
Alignment

DEFINING A HIGH-STAKES
DIALOGUE

WHAT IS A HIGH-STAKES DIALOGUE?
A high-stakesdialogue is a dialogue with the propensity for greater risk and reward.
HIGH REWARD
• There is existing conflict or the potential for conflict to
ensue.
• A customer can feel pressured, threatened, or at risk of
losing internal credibility or control.
• You may come across as self-serving or pushy, which will
erode trust.
• You may need to offer a perspective that the customer
doesn’t want to hear.
• Help customers clarify and align their thinking,eliminate
waste, make the best decision, and get to the business
outcomes that they need quicker and more efficiently.
• Create a differentiated buying experience, and position
yourself as a trusted advisor.
• Avoid unnecessary waste, stalls, and delays for the
customer and yourself.
• Steer thingsforward in a way that produces the best
outcome for the customer and yourself.
HIGH RISK

RESPONSETO HIGH-STAKES SITUATIONS

WHYWE STRUGGLE WITH HIGH-STAKES DIALOGUES
The perception that the deal or relationship is at risk
incites fear related to all three of these needs:
Self-determination
Theory
Human beings have three
fundamental needs for
personal growth and well-
being: Autonomy,
Competence, and
Relatedness
FEAR
Loss ofControl Failure
Damaging the
Relationship
Loss ofControl Failure
Damaging the
Relationship
OF
Autonomy
Fear of losing control,
which is related
to autonomy
Competence
Fear of not having the
skills to navigate the conversation
successfully and/or lose the deal,
which is related to competence
Relatedness
Fear of coming across as
pushy and damaging the
customer relationship,which
is linked to relatedness
You need the confidence, courage, and skill to
effectively engage in high-stakes dialogues as a
mutual business partner.
Regret Aversion
We are subject to the same
biases as our customers. Regret
Aversion is the tendency to
avoid taking action because we
feel greater regret for bad
outcomes from new actions
than for bad consequences of
no action.

HIGH-STAKES CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUES
A collection of dialogue models that apply a consultative approach and
advanced skills and techniques to engage in higher-stakes dialogues
needed to advance alignment, drive momentum, and win deals

14
HIGH-STAKES
CONSULTATIVE
DIALOGUES
• The Buying Journey is complex, dynamic, and plagued
with inefficiencies and waste. Customers need help
navigating it.
• Buying is emotional and so is selling. You must
navigate and manage a range of emotions.
• Engaging in high-stakes dialogues is risky and not
natural for many sellers.
• Authenticity fuels courage. Top sellers speak the truth
as a matter of integrity in doing what’s best for the
customer.
• Intentions show through. Customers know when you
have their best interests at heart and when you don’t.
CORE
BELIEFS

Framing Effect
The Framing Effect is a bias that reveals
that our decisions are influenced by how
information is presented. Customers can
have a significantly different response to
the same information if it is presented by
highlighting positive/attractive or
negative/unattractive aspects. Frame a
message by tailoring it to what is
important to the customer.
“Would you rather
eat a piece of meat
that is 95% lean or
5% fat?”
Weak Language
Avoid language
that suggests
that you are
subservient.
“Is it okay with
you if …?”
Not Stating Value to Both
Requesting the meeting
without positioning the
value to both the current
contact and the senior-level
contact
Avoidance
Many people are hesitant to ask
for access to senior-level
decision makers out of fear of
either upsetting or insulting their
current contact and/or lack of
comfort in meeting with senior-
level decision makers. As a
result, they avoid asking for the
meeting, leaving their destiny in
the customer’s hands.

UPTIER
Set the Tone for Mutual
Partnership
Your time is valuable. It is fair to expect
access to people and information so
that you can provide your best thinking
and solution. Project confidence and
conviction through your words and
actions. How you see yourself will
project onto the customer and
create norms for the relationship.
Subservient Behavior
A subservient mindset shows up in
behaviors that undermine your
value and credibility. Avoid
behaviors like overthanking the
customer or asking for their
permission to speak with other
stakeholders. Instead, confidently
position that you typically engage
with senior-level decision-makers as
a normal part of the process to
provide your best thinking.

OPPORTUNITIES TO INFLUENCE THINKING
Customer Scenario Why It’s Problematic What You Can Do
Customer cannot
articulate value. The
Decision process is
stalled as the customer
deals with concerns over
risk associated with
making the change. The
customer may be
unclear on how they will
cope with the transition
and see a lot of risk in
changing.
If they don’t see enough
value, there will not be
urgency to act. The
worst outcome for the
customer is for all of
their effort to end in no
decision due to decision
anxiety and internal
complexity in managing
the decision process.
Proactively uncover
perceived risk of change.
Educate on ways to
mitigate or avoid risk to
build confidence and
combat Status Quo Bias.
Drive momentum by
reinforcing the risk of
not changing and/or risk
of delaying the decision
while reinforcing
personal gains of taking
action.

Asserting before Understanding
Before you assert your perspective, be
sure that you have a strong, deep
understanding of the
customer. Asserting a viewpoint based
on assumptions can cause you to
appear arrogant, condescending, or
self-serving and erode trust.
If needed, ask more questions first
before asserting your viewpoint
so that you can be helpful
and credible.

When to Be Provocative
In somecases, you may want to make
a moreprovocative statementto get
the customer’s attention. Do this
with cautionand only when you know
the provocativestatement to be
true. Generally speaking, start with a
lower-risk strategy, and move toward
a moreprovocative approach if other
attempts to engage thecustomer
have not worked.
MindsetMatters
The goal of being provocativeis to
engage the customerin orderto
educateand prompt thinking. The
moreyou view the task as oneof
“persuading,” the moreapt you are to
comeacrossas pushyor self-
serving. Instead,have the mindset
that the goal is to educate so that the
customeris betterinformed and can
make betterdecisions.
NeutralPhrasing
A neutral statement is one that is
phrased to not support any sideor
position. Whilea provocative
statement has an implied challenge
or opportunity,it is best to state it
neutrally. Make your statement
withoutapplying judgment on
whetherit is good
or bad.
A current customer has been unwilling
to move away from the current product set,
which is becoming obsolete. The seller also
works with the customer’s competitors. To get
the customer’s attention, the seller might
acknowledge that the customer is successful
then make a provocative statement to raise the
topic by saying, “Your competitors’ profile is
different from yours.” Note that, while a
provocation has an implied opportunity or
problem behind it, the seller’s language
was stillneutral, non-judgmental,
and non-threatening.
TIPS: FRAMETHETOPIC

TIPS: ASSERTYOUR PERSPECTIVE
Strong Logic Path
The logic path that ultimately
flows from the issue to your action
and value must be crystal
clear. The exact flow or sequencing
of the elements of the message is
not important as long as the logic
path is clear and strong. The one
rule is that the customer’s issue or
need come before any solution
ideas.
Credible
Anchor your message into
something that gives it
credibility. Refer to a
trustworthy source, which can
be a person or an entity. Share
evidence based on your
experience.
Tone of Voice
Use non-hesitant speech;
energetic, strong vocal
projection; strategic use of
pauses; and change in
tempo to increase your
credibility.
Carefully Worded
It is easy to rub the customer
the wrong way if your viewpoint
challenges the customer’s
thinking. Use words that reflect
a strong customer focus and
respect for the customer’s
thinking. Avoid directives, such
as, “You should …” or,
“You must …”
Weak Phrasing
Avoid undermining
the value of your
insights by saying
things like, “It might
not be relevant to
you, but ...”
Overexaggerating
The fastest way to lose
credibility is to
overexaggerate. Avoid
using words like “everyone,”
“all of your competitors,”
“no one,” “nearly
everybody,”
and “always.”

TIPS: ALIGN ON ACTION

WHY MISALIGNMENT HAPPENS

WHERE MISALIGNMENT HAPPENS

KEY PRINCIPLES FOR ADVANCING ALIGNMENT

UNDERSTAND PERSPECTIVES
Questioning Approach
STARTWITH
BIG-PICTURE QUESTIONS,
THEN NARROW DOWNTO SPECIFICS
Ask bigger-picture,open-ended,
and neutral questions to uncover
the stakeholder’s perceptions.
Ask drill-downquestions to get the
stakeholder to expand on thinking or
clarify vague or ambiguous
statements.
Ask focused questions to direct the
conversation, learn, and help the
stakeholder self-discover.
Bigger-picture Questions
Drill-down Questions
Focused
Questions
“What’s your
perception of the
issue?”
“Based on our work
with other customers,
we often see that the
logistics team is also
impacted.To what
extent is that
happeninghere?”
“What leads you
to say that?”
“What else is
challenging?”
“As far as issueX
goes, tell me —
where do you see
the greatest
impact?”

ASSERT
PERSPECTIVE
SHAPETHE
SOLUTION
ELICIT
CUSTOMER
IDEAS
Positioning
Techniques
FloatIdeas
Positionand
Compare Options
Tell a Story
Use Questioning Skills
Ask open-ended
questions
Listen actively
Drill down to understand
Compare pros and cons
Positioning
Techniques
Value Statement
Contrast
TIPS: ALIGN ONTHE SOLUTION
Approachesfor Determiningthe Best-fit Solution

CONFIRM THE PLAN
• Summarize agreements
• Ask for commitment
• Agree on path forward
Send a Follow-up Communication
Follow up with stakeholders with a
conversation or email. Reinforce the
conclusions and agreements reached,
thank stakeholders for their input,
and offer to be available for any
future needs
or discussions.
Copyright © 2019 Richardson.All rights reserved.

HOWCANWE HELPYOU NAVIGATE HIGH-
STAKES DIALOGUES?
Richardson’s High-Stakes Consultative Dialogues program is a
blended offering that includes:
• Richardson’s Accelerate™ Digital Learning Platform for:
− Online assessment
− Pre-workshop learning
− Post-workshop sustainment activities
− Measurement tools and reporting
• Mobile mastery tool, QuickCheck, to drive knowledge retention
• Two-day, facilitator-led workshop with Digital Planning Tool
• Train-the-trainer option
www.richardson.com
215-940-9255
info@richardson.com
LET’S GET INTOUCH

Advanced Selling: High-Stakes Customer Dialogues

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