This document outlines 12 strategies for winning in a customer-driven world beyond just the sales process. It discusses engaging with customers before, during, and after each sale to gain their mindshare and preference. Key strategies discussed for the sales process include discovering customer drivers and needs, aligning internal and external teams, positioning your solution as the best fit, and differentiating your value proposition from competitors. The goal is to help customers achieve their objectives and address business challenges over the long term.

1. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
The Battle for Mindshare and Preference:
How Today’s Top Performers Win
in a Customer-Driven World
Steve Andersen &
Dave Stein
April 2016 To listen to the archive of this webinar,
register here:
http://topsalesworld.com/topsalesacademy/registration/

2. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
The Battle for Mindshare and Preference
• The Situation
– 2%
• The Reality
– Engaging too late
• The Problem
– Trying to capture mindshare and preference only
when your customer is buying—elusive
• The Opportunity
– Go beyond the sales process…and engage effectively
with your customers before, during and after each
sale
.

3. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Before the Sale
1. Research the Organization
2. Explore the Possibilities
3. Vision the Success
4. Elevate the Conversation
During the Sale
5. Discover the Drivers
6. Align the Teams
7. Position the Fit
8. Differentiate the Value
After the Sale
9. Realize the Value
10. Validate the Impact
11. Adapt the Approach
12. Expand the Relationship
The Opportunity to Go Beyond
BEYOND THE SALES PROCESS
12Proven Strategies for a Customer-Driven World

4. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Before the Sale
1. Research the Organization
2. Explore the Possibilities
3. Vision the Success
4. Elevate the Conversation
During the Sale
5. Discover the Drivers
6. Align the Teams
7. Position the Fit
8. Differentiate the Value
After the Sale
9. Realize the Value
10. Validate the Impact
11. Adapt the Approach
12. Expand the Relationship
Driving Success…During the Sale
BEYOND THE SALES PROCESS
12Proven Strategies for a Customer-Driven World

5. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Driving Success…During the Sale
Strategy 5: Discover the Drivers
– Understanding what matters most to your customer
• External Drivers
• Business Objectives
• Internal Challenges
• Success Criteria
– Asking value-focused questions
• Not through the lens of your product or service
• The focus is on value to your customer
– Establishing credibility and building trust
• What they care about vs. what’s most important to you
– Data  Information  Insight  Actionable Awareness
• What will you do with what you now know?
.

6. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Driving Success…During the Sale
Strategy 6: Align the Teams
– Relationships matter/just ask customers (we did)
• Vendor  Preferred Supplier  Planning Partner 
Trusted Advisor
– Dimensions
• Relationships
• Solutions
• Footprints
• Cultures
• Business Objectives
– Primary goal of external alignment
• Developing customer sponsors and supporters
– Sometimes the most difficult alignment is internal!
.

7. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Driving Success…During the Sale
Strategy 7: Position the Fit
– Competing for customer mindshare
• You’re either positioning or being positioned
– Start with your customer, not with your product
– Your effective discovery and alignment, as well as your
engagement before the sale, provides the foundation
– Core components of positioning
• Products
• Resources
• Expertise
• Service
• Customer Experience
• Brand/Reputation
.

8. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Strategy 7: Position the Fit
Testing Your Effectiveness
1. Does your customer perceive that your solution
provides a strong fit for their needs and requirements?
2. Do you have, or can you develop, competitive
advantage within this opportunity?
3. Does your customer have a vision of a solution, and
does that vision include you?
4. Do you have resources available that will enable you
and your organization to meet your customer’s
requirements and exceed their expectations?
5. Have you developed an effective proposal that will
solve your customer’s business problems and deliver
real value?
6. Does your customer recognize your solution and
business value beyond product features and pricing?

9. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Driving Success…During the Sale
Strategy 8: Differentiate the Value
– Competing for customer preference
• Impossible to do without first capturing mindshare
– Key areas for creating customer preference
• The fit of your solution against your customer’s req’ts.
• The uniqueness of your business value to your customer
• A partnership with your organization
– Planning to win is about helping your customer see greater
value in what you have to offer
– Your value edge creates space: you and your competitor
• The difference between the value you propose to deliver to
your customer and what your competitor proposes
• Without a value edge…there’s risk, commoditization, losses
.

10. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Driving Success…During the Sale
Strategy 8: Differentiate the Value
– Value articulation and communication
A Framework for Communicating Your Unique Value
Customer’s
External Drivers
What external drivers and pressures are impacting your
customer’s business?
Customer’s
Business Objectives
What is your customer doing to address their external
drivers and pressures?
Customer’s
Internal Challenges
What could prevent your customer from meeting their
business objectives?
Your
Solutions
How will you work together with your customer to resolve
their internal challenges?
Your
Advantages
How are you different from your competition in resolving
these internal challenges?
Your
Successes
Which other customers have you helped resolve similar
internal challenges?
Your
Unique Value
How have you created/will you create value to help the
Customer achieve their objectives and address their drivers?
.

11. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Strategy 8: Differentiate the Value
Testing Your Effectiveness
1. Are you better positioned with your customer’s
approvers, decision makers, recommenders, and
influencers than your competition?
2. Does your customer believe that you offer a stronger
solution fit than your competitors?
3. Have you provided your customer with proof of your
ability to create and co-create measurable business value?
4. Have you developed and validated your customer-specific
value proposition with your customer?
5. Are your customer sponsors and supporters able to
articulate your unique value within their organization?
6. Does your customer’s vision of meeting their objectives
align with your value/unique value?

12. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
Before the Sale
1. Research the Organization
2. Explore the Possibilities
3. Vision the Success
4. Elevate the Conversation
During the Sale
5. Discover the Drivers
6. Align the Teams
7. Position the Fit
8. Differentiate the Value
After the Sale
9. Realize the Value
10. Validate the Impact
11. Adapt the Approach
12. Expand the Relationship
Winning in a Customer-Driven World
BEYOND THE SALES PROCESS
12Proven Strategies for a Customer-Driven World
.
Discovery  Alignment  Positioning  Differentiation 
Differentiation  Positioning  Alignment  Discovery 

13. © 2016 – Beyond the Sales Process, LLC BeyondTheSalesProcess.com
The Battle for Mindshare and Preference:
How Today’s Top Performers Win
in a Customer-Driven World
Steve Andersen &
Dave Stein
April 2016