It is difficult to become a true strategic business partner when the training function is entrenched in a transactional relationship with stakeholders. Although a full transformation takes time to occur, learning leaders and practitioners can take initial steps by developing sales competencies to employ in needs assessments and stakeholder communication. This session will review modern sales techniques and provide actionable guidelines on how to influence change within your organization and build a learning culture.    

1. Apply Sales Competencies to Evolve
Beyond a Transactional Partnership
Chris Cassell, CPTM
Align Technology | Manager, Sales Training Operations

2. Business Acumen
Industry Knowledge
Financial Acumen
Customer Insights
Analytics
Territory Management
Communication &
Organization
Relationship Management
Difficult Dialogue
Organizational Skills
Resource Utilization
Teamwork
Sales Effectiveness
Opening
Clarifying Customer Needs
Influencing/Storytelling
Objection Handling
Offering Solutions/Closing
Applied Product Knowledge
Competency
A cluster of related abilities,
commitments, knowledge, and skills
that enable a person (or an
organization) to act effectively in a job
or situation.
Skill
Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is
acquired or developed through training
or experience.

3. Outcome Based Training
Request for
training
Negotiation
on training
goal
Identification
of standards
Final
stakeholder
agreement
Design of
learning units
Development
of learning
units
Training
event or
campaign
Evaluation of
results

4. Accountability Model
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5. Know the
business
Data
Feelings
▪ Strategic imperatives
▪ Key initiatives
▪ Strategic & operational KPIs
▪ Market insights
▪ Business results
▪ Business problems
▪ Systems problems
▪ People problems

6. Ask the
questions
Why?
How?
▪ What is the current state?
▪ Why the need for change?
▪ What has worked in the past?
▪ What has not worked in the past?
▪ How do we know?
▪ What is the standard?
▪ What behaviors need to change?

7. Fundamentals of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended

8. Fundamentals of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
▪ Questions that allow the
customer to speak freely
▪ Questions that drive the
customer to make a choice

9. Fundamentals of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
Use for:
▪ Clarification
▪ Expansion on a topic or thought
▪ Uncovering needs
▪ Uncovering motivation
▪ Uncovering feelings
Use for:
▪ Confirmation of
understanding
▪ Commitment to action
▪ Choices
- Binary (one or the other)
- One out of three or more
- Single priority
- Top three priorities

10. Fundamentals of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
▪ Open and closed ended questions are used
together and in any order needed to clarify
customer needs
- No formula
- Do not have to start with open
- Do not have to start with closed
▪ Conversation should be as linear as possible
- Erratic questioning causes confusion
- Erratic questioning causes disengagement
▪ Go back if needed to expand on an earlier
cue or uncovered educational opportunity

11. Process of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
Deep Dive
▪ Stick to a linear flow
▪ Start with a general question
▪ Follow with more specific questions
▪ Example:
- What are your top three business goals?
- Why are those your goals?
- What is your strategy for attainment?
- How is the strategy working?

12. Techniques of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
Socratic Questions
▪ Explore complex ideas
▪ Get to the truth
▪ Open up underlying issues
▪ Uncover bias and thought inconsistencies
▪ Socratic Question types:
- Clarifying thinking and understanding
- Challenging assumptions
- Examining evidence and rationale
- Considering implications and consequences
- Considering alternative perspectives
- Questions about the question

13. Techniques of Asking Questions
Open
Ended
Closed
Ended
Root Cause Analysis
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?

14. Handle the
objections
Why?
What?
▪ Take responsibility
▪ Actively listen
▪ Understand
▪ Find root causes
▪ Educate
▪ Play the long game
▪ Be professional

15. Objection Handling Process
A
• Acknowledge
the Objection
I
• Interview for
Understanding
R
• Respond

16. Objection Handling Process
A
• Do:
• Handle now
• Acknowledge feelings
• Frame it as a solvable
problem
I
• Do:
• Ask why
• Ask Socratic questions
• Get to the root cause
• Actively listen
R
• Do:
• Respond with a
tailored solution
• Ask for level of
satisfaction

17. Objection Handling Process
A
• Do Not:
• Ignore the objection
• Agree with the
customer
I
• Do Not:
• Ask questions to
buy time to create a
response
R
• Do Not:
• Respond without
understanding root
causes and
motivations

18. Objection Root Causes
Cost Clinical Compliance Competition Complacency

19. Close for
action
Me
You
▪ What are my action items?
▪ What are your action items?
▪ Create the project charter
▪ Set up a RACI matrix
▪ Get the right core team
▪ Communicate
▪ Drive results

20. Session Debrief
▪What did we learn?
▪How can this make us a better business partner?
▪What action can we take immediately?

21. Thank You! Apply Sales Competencies to Evolve
Beyond a Transactional Partnership
Chris Cassell