In Big Software we underpinned our SSM with Enterprise Selling based on Advanced Selling Skills using VALUE CONSTRUCTION. If you do not have a SSM, you will lose, a lot, against IBM. They tested their Sales Process against those seven Characteristics.įrom 2003 on in Big Data Storage and Data Services which, compete head to head with IBM, we have used an SSM, underpinned by Consultative Selling Skills based on SPINFAB to successfully compete with IBM and its distributors.
What you may find interesting is his “Seven Characteristics of a Good Sales Process” page 217. The BUYING Cycle! And, Sales have to fit with that.īut then you knew that! Jill, you are the EloQueen. Rather Sales have an end to end process……. The KEY point is that Sales, unlike other departments, do not have clear boundary “handoffs”, where ‘lean’ improvements can be made. Rackham’s Process is described in Chapter seven “ Sales Process light in a long dark tunnel”, It is based on the process that Rackham had published several times, most specifically his 1999 “Rethinking the Salesforce”, accurately subtitled as: redefining selling to create and capture Customer value, which he co-authored with John De Vincentis. IBM drove it from Marketing, which gave SSM reach and funding. 2004 SSM is an elegant methodology which gives IBM and its Sales Channels a common language, allows for rapid scaling and experience sharing. The method is supported by a portal to allow IBM sales representatives to hone their selling skills and to help with soft-skills development, such as self-image and rapport-building, that is necessary for sales success. IBM has learned that the professionals who have trained on and use this method sell two to three times more than sales personnel who have not. “Over one-third of IBM’s employees use the IBM Signature Selling Method every day as they develop solutions to client problems. I did a number of lost business reviews, and we interviewed several job applicants from IBM Distributors. We were used to winning the lion’s share in this arena because it was not IBM, not IBM sales, not IBM process. I was consulting with Big Data Storage when we noticed an increase in sales being lost to IBM Distributors in the early 2000’s. IBM’s ‘Structured’ Sales Methodology (SSM) gave them significant Competitive Advantage, across multiple Sales Channels.
“ Do you think The Challenger Sale methodology is superior?” Winner of the 2013 Sales Representative of the Year – Stevie® AwardsĪsked me a simple, straight forward question: