Value-based selling programs must be prepared carefully with the right objectives in mind and the right content. In this department, content is key. I often get the question of who is responsible for putting together the overall value playbook supporting the value-based selling curriculum. My response is simple - Marketing is in charge and must pull information from various departments such as market intelligence, customer success, strategy, pricing, and more. Marketing leaders often forget that they are the R&D of sales. They must work hard in preparation for these training events. And first impressions matter.
After decades of experience in value-based programs, I have been exposed to, used, and created many value tools that are used by marketing and pricing professionals to train the salesforce on how to become value champions. I created a list of fifty-five value tools that are commonly used in value-based strategies to advance the customer value agenda. [1]
I do not recommend the use of all these tools. Pick the five or six most relevant ones to support your training and learning agenda. The most used tools are listed in the visual below:
I would recommend selecting these seven tools and including them in your value toolbox. These documents need to be prepared in advance using a multi-functional approach with input from sales, marketing, pricing, services, customer success, and others. They need to be battle-tested before being used in value-based training sessions. Make sure the content and the value numbers are credible or you will have an adverse reaction during the training. Value-based selling challenges teams and takes them out of their comfort zone. Do not give them a chance to cop out because the documents are improvised, unprofessional, or not credible. Preparation is key.
In the first blog of this series, we talked about some of the considerations to design and deploy your value-based selling programs. This second blog focuses on the value toolbox and the selection of the right value tools to support your training and learning agenda. In the next blog, I will focus on designing your value-based selling training program for success. It is not business as usual, and you need to work with your training and development team. Finally, you need to be creative and adapt to your learning culture. More on that topic in the next blog.
Bio
Dr. Stephan Liozu (www.stephanliozu.com) is the Founder of Value Innoruption Advisors (www.valueinnoruption.com), a consulting boutique specializing in industrial pricing, digital business, and value models, and value-based pricing. Stephan has 30 years of experience in the industrial and manufacturing sectors with companies like Owens Corning, Saint-Gobain, Freudenberg, and Thales. He holds a Ph.D. In Management from Case Western Reserve University, and has written several books, including Dollarizing Differentiation Value (2016) and Value Mindset (2017).
[1] Value Mindset: Accelerate Your Value Transformation by Changing Your Mindset: Liozu PhD, Stephan M.: 9781945815027: Books - Amazon