Geoffrey Moore Presentation

A couple of months ago, we published "Only Got Time for the Pain - Marketing and Selling to Enterprises in a Downturn".

There was such an interest in this document that I decided to feature it again in this July Newsletter. Click here to download it. Whether you are selling to an enterprise whose business is down, or if you are one of these companies, this information is essential.

Do you know with confidence where your business will come from during the second half of 2004?

How confident are you in your sales people's forecasts as you enter the second half of 2004? For that matter, how close were your first two calendar quarters' sales actuals to your sales people's forecast? Did they deliver at least 50% of what they said would close both in revenue and at the opportunity level? Were you able to systematically and repeatedly audit their activities without relying on their words?

How confident are you in your pipeline grading system and its reliability and accuracy? Do you have to defend your revenue projections month after month to your management and Board of Directors?

In our conversations, sales executives continually complain to us about the following:

• "We continue to lose many good opportunities, after long and expensive sale cycles, to 'no decision' rather than to any single named competitor!"
• "My sales people effectively call on technical and end- users, but are unable to converse effectively with the 'C' level executive who has the authority to purchase our products and services."
• "Our sales results are typically 50% less than what the sales organization originally forecasted. Our sales people can't produce an accurate sales forecast.

Could you improve the accuracy and reliability of your pipeline and forecast if:

• Prior to having the opportunity enter the pipeline, your sales managers could audit the sales person's correspondence to verify that a prospect's solution is consistent with what you can deliver?
• After gaining access to key decision makers and the evaluation committee, your sales people could negotiate and document a sequence of events containing agreed upon steps leading to a buying decision with a mutually agreed upon estimated close date?
• When measuring the progress of an opportunity through its sales cycle, you and your management could rely on standard, company-wide, and auditable milestones you could trust, and no longer believe in the words of your sales people?

If your sales people had these capabilities, could they sell more effectively, eliminate delayed purchase decisions, and generate a pipeline that you and your management could audit and therefore trust?

If they could, then call us at 415-229-9226 or email us at plavie@keyroad.com to evaluate how we can assist you in bringing these skills to your people.

If you want to experience first hand how we can assist you, register for the Boston Open workshop we are conducting August 16th-19th. Register Here.

When registering, please indicate that Philippe Lavie or KeyRoad Enterprises is the referring party, so that I get notified of your registration.

McGraw Hill Best Seller Have you purchased and read the new McGraw Hill best seller: CustomerCentric Selling®, written by Michael Bosworth and John Holland. Click on the book icon to order it now and start reading about: How to integrate sales & marketing How to develop Sales Ready Messaging™ How to clone your top salespeople

Pitch of the Month Many of our buyers have heard of a rebound in sales although most of them believe it is happening to their competitors. Most have cut cost to the bone and have secured the best possible sales force. Unfortunately it also looks like their organization is not prepared to move to the next level, nor meet and exceed their sales quota. Some are considering changing their sales force (again) although many are now considering (finally) providing the necessary tools and support sales people need to be successful. As these Testimonials and Success Stories will show, some of our customers were faced with the following challenges: Pipeline accuracy and reliability Prospecting more effective to build qualified leads into their sales funnel Managing the buyer's evaluation process to avoid ending up in a no decision situation or losing to a competitor. By working with us, they have been able to address some of these challenges and we would like an opportunity to share with you how. Please give us a call at (415) 934-1449 or email us at plavie@keyroad.com to set up a time to talk. We offer the following services: How to better use the telephone for success Organizational sales process definition Sales Ready Messaging® Performance sales skills development workshops Sales advisory services Check out our service offering...

White Paper of the Month

Don't forget to check our newly published white paper:

"Integrating resellers and other channel partners into your sales strategies", courtesy of Steve Cross, author of "Changing Channels".

Good Selling,

Philippe Lavie
KeyRoad Enterprises™, a CustomerCentric Selling® Affiliate

For more information or to arrange for an onsite Executive Overview, contact Philippe Lavie via email at:
plavie@keyroad.com