Getting in Early: Shaping Demand Though Pre-Funnel Engagement

From the SALES EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ®
of the SALES, MARKETING,
AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE
www.sec.executiveboard.com
© 2012 The Corporate Executive Board Company.
All Rights Reserved. SEC2936212SYN
1
Getting in Early:
Shaping Demand Through
Pre-Funnel Engagement

2
GETTING IN EARLY: A DISCUSSION
Critical Questions to Answer
Three key questions
frame our discussion.
1. How important is it for your sales organization to “get in earlier?”
2. What commonly prevents your salespeople from getting in earlier?
3. How has your salespeoples’ ability to get in early changed across the last
several years?
Source: Sales Executive Council research.

3
FINDING A READY CUSTOMER
Customer Purchase Experience
Illustrative
Sales organizations
ideally seek to engage
customers with clear
needs, who are ready
to buy.
■ The primary commercial
objective has been to
engage an opportunity at
the earliest moment business
needs require action.
Predominantly
Marketing
Predominantly
Sales
■ Listening for new
ideas
■ Evaluating current
approaches
■ Deciding to take
action
■ Clarifying needs
■ Searching for
solution
■ Evaluating vendor
capability
■ Creating vendor
short-list
IV.
Make Decision
■ Vendor selection
■ Settling pricing
and terms
I.
Learn
II.
Defi ne Needs
III.
Assess Options
Sales targets and
pursues customers
with clear needs who
are motivated to buy.

4
A SHIFT IN BUYING: RELEGATED TO FULFILLMENT
Customer Progress in Today’s Average B2B Purchase Experience
Learn Defi ne Needs Make Decision
Information proliferation
has enabled the customer
to more thoroughly
assess needs and options
without supplier support.
■ This information proliferation
has resulted in customers
gaining price leverage as
they are simply looking for a
supplier to fi ll their needs in
a relatively low-cost way.
■ Most consumers purchase
automobiles in a similar
fashion today. Few go to a
dealership without having
done research, determined
options, and knowing the
price they are willing to pay.
■ This trend underscores how
customers will (and always
have) engage suppliers as
late as possible.
■ This alarming trend raises
a clear question—how does
Sales get in early with a
more informed customer?
The average B2B purchase decision
is 57% complete, and more than 10
information sources have been consulted,
by the time a supplier is engaged.
Key Question: How does
Sales get involved with
customers here?
Predominantly
Marketing
Assess Options
Predominantly
Sales
n = 1,460 customers.
Source: 2011 MLC Customer Purchase Research Survey; Sales Executive Council research.

5
IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS
Research Overview
SEC conducted extensive
research to identify what
separates core and hi-per
approaches to pre-funnel
selling in today’s buying
environment.
■ SEC surveyed more than
a thousand reps across
a variety of companies,
representing multiple
industries, across nearly
100 variables.
■ The use of careful control
variables ensured data
validity.
■ Interviews were conducted
with high-performing and
core-performing reps
at numerous member
organizations.
■ Interviews were conducted
with sales leaders across
the globe.
■ This research was confi ned
to pre-funnel sales activities.
■ A variety of pre-funnel sales
behaviors, environmental
factors, and various control
measures were surveyed.
Quantitative Rep Survey
■ 1,078 participants from 23 companies
■ Questions on pre-sales activities, and company
and manager support of such activities
■ Analysis conducted against rep performance data
Sample Participating Companies
Sample Variables
■ Sales Rep Behaviors
– Infl uence-building behaviors
– Customer-indentifi cation behaviors
– Account-planning behaviors
– Competitive analysis behaviors
– Internal-outreach behaviors
– Demand-orietation behaviors
■ Environmental Measures
– Manager Support
– Support resources
■ Control Measures (industry, channel, etc.)
Structured Sales Rep Interviews
■ 60–90 minutes interviews
■ High-performing and core reps/account managers
■ Questions on pre-sales activities, opportunity
selection, research on opportunities, and
information gathering channels
Sample Participating Companies
®
Structured Sales Leader Interviews
■ 54 companies
■ 60–90 minute interviews
■ Head of Sales and Sales Enablement
Source: Pre-Sales Diagnostic; Sales Executive Council research.

6
GATHER DEEP INTELLIGENCE
Improvement in Probability of Being a High Performer
n = 1,078.
What this entails: Surfacing in-depth information about opportunities from outside experts, subject matter experts,
operations teams, other sales people, partners, even customer employees, etc.
What this is not: Determining basic information about opportunities from sources such as public fi lings, company
overviews, traditional opportunity fi t scores, or brief conversations with peers.
Example: Gen-i built formal communication channels between operations and sales teams to coordinate
information sharing on growth opportunities within accounts.
Representative Quote:
“I try to triangulate my info sources for any prospect. The info I need is out there, you just have to be creative
to get it.”
Star Performer, Business Services
Hi-pers conduct much
deeper due diligence on
opportunities using a
variety of non-traditional
information sources.
■ The information sources
most commonly leveraged
are those which are very
closely associated with the
customer organization.
■ Interviews with core and
hi-pers surfaced tremendous
diff erences in the
information sources most
commonly leveraged.
■ Hi-pers heavily relied on
people close to the customer
organization, including
partners, SMEs, consultants,
customer employees, and
social media sources for this
deep intelligence.
■ It was evident that many
core performers quickly
assessed opportunities, but
did not probe or search for
further information. Their
searches were often limited
to simple internet research.
6.20%
Change in Probability Going
from 25th Percentile to 75th
Percentile Performer
Conducts Non-
Traditional
Customer Due
Diligence
■ Brainstorm with others to
think of ways to approach
customers
■ Network with internal
subject matter experts
to learn about diff erent
customers
■ Understand the concerns
of the buying group
Source: Sales Executive Council Pre-Sales Diagnostic; Sales Executive Council research.

7
OWN LEAD GENERATION
Hi-pers build their own
pipeline—self-generating
leads and not overly
relying on Marketing
for lead generation.
■ Interviews showed
considerable diff erences
between core and high-performers
within the same
companies regarding lead
generation.
■ High performers devote
signifi cant attention to
independently developing
their business pipeline.
10.00%
6.20%
Personally Owns
Lead Generation
Conducts Non-
Traditional
Customer Due
Diligence
■ I devote considerable
personal time to
fi nding and nurturing
leads
■ Working with
Marketing falls within
my core responsibilities
■ I always customize
collateral to ensure
relevance
customers
customers
of the buying group
n = 1,078.
What this entails: Lead generation and pipeline cultivation is viewed as an important individual responsibility.
What this is not: Depending on traditional marketing eff orts and the company for leads.
Example: Eloqua encourages salespeople to maintain a strong social and event networking presence,
positioning salespeople as key industry infl uencers.
®
“Most of my peers wait for leads—they see lead generation as Marketing’s job. Then they wonder why they’ve got no
one to sell to.”
Star Performer, Business Services

8
LEAD WITH INSIGHT
11.57%
10.00%
6.20%
Conducts Non-
Traditional
Customer Due
Diligence
Personally Owns Leads with Insight
Lead Generation
Hi-pers willingly engage
in pushing the customer’s
thinking and highlighting
fl awed assumptions.
■ Leading with insight,
strongly echoes the
Challenger Rep’s traits.
■ Teaches the customer
insights
■ Does not shy away from
highlighting fl awed
assumptions
obstacles in the way of
valuable business
personal time to
leads
■ Working with
marketing falls within
relevance
customers
customers
of the buying group
n = 1,078.
What this entails: Taking a teaching posture with the customer and willingly challenging customer thinking.
What this is not: Leading with features, benefi ts, and overtly commercial messages.
Example: Cargill Pro Pricing arms salespeople with impactful commercial messages which reframe how
customers think about their business, and highlight fl awed assumptions customers frequently make.
“You’ve got to position yourself in the knowledge fabric, where customers and their consultants learn. You’ve got to
help the customer think diff erently to be part of that game.”
Star Performer, Healthcare

9
GAIN PRESENCE AND INFLUENCE
12.81%
Uses Social Media as
Critical Channel
11.57%
10.00%
6.20%
Conducts Non-
Traditional
Customer Due
Diligence
Lead Generation
n = 1,078.
What this entails: Positioning oneself as a key infl uencer within social networks to best leverage their scope and scale
to cultivate a business network.
What this is not: Using social media as a “spamming” or purely commercial channel.
Questions About Social Media
■ Is social media really where customers are going for information?
■ Is there evidence that real companies are successfully using social media for B2B sales?
■ Is this relevant to companies outside tech? What about regulated industries?
■ Does social media help with global or key accounts?
Hi-pers leverage social
media to gain access to
business opportunities.
■ Interviews highlighted that
high-performers deliberately
use social media to position
themselves where customers
learn.
■ Social media channels such
as Twitter and LinkedIn
present tremendous scale
and reach benefi ts over
traditional networking
channels.
■ Connect with potential
customers via social
media
■ Use social networks such
as LinkedIn or Twitter
to share points of view
and news about your
company and products
■ Use social media for lead
generation purposes
insights
assumptions
valuable business
personal time to
leads
■ Working with
relevance
customers
customers
of the buying group

10
Social media is decidedly
part of the B2B buying
and selling experience.
THE ELEPHANT(S) IN THE ROOM
1. Is social media really where customers are going
for information?
2. Is there evidence that real companies are
successfully using social media for B2B sales?
■ 78% started with informal info gathering
online
■ 59% engaged with peers who addressed the
challenge
■ 48% followed online industry conversations
on topic
■ 41% followed online discussions to learn more
about topic
■ 37% posted questions on social networking
sites looking for suggestions/feedback
IBM arms salespeople with “social soundbites”
which help sales reps engage social networks,
ultimately generating considerable sales.
Morgan Stanley allows 600+ advisors to use
LinkedIn and Twitter, generating considerable
leads and reinvigorating past client
relationships.
n = 100+ B2B buyers across industry.
Source: Genius.com.
Source: IBM; Chief Marketer; Morgan Stanley; Reuters.
3. Is this relevant to companies outside tech? What
about regulated industries?
4. Does social media help with global
or key accounts?
LinkedIn Contacts Across Industry
Millions
5.2
4.3
3.7
3.2
2.9
2.6
2.4
2.0
1.7
Construction
13.6
High Tech
Non-Profi t
9.1
8.3
7.7
7.1
6.5
Medical
Arts
11.7
Finance
Service
Corporate
Government
Transportation
Educational
Media
Manufacturing
Legal
Consumer
Goods
0.36
Agriculture
Recreational
“LinkedIn and Twitter give me access to the
whole ecosystem around that account—
consultants, other providers, my key contacts….
Based on [my contact’s] connections, it’s easy
to see if competition is lurking.”
Star Account Manager,
Telecommunications
n = 92,000,000+.
Source: LinkedIn.com; Sales Executive Council.
Other Recent Headlines
Timken Adds
Automotive and Heavy-
Truck Focus to Social
Media Conversation
Dun & Bradstreet Uses
B2B Social Media to
Bring Data to Life
Source: The Timken Company; Dun & Bradstreet,
SocialMediaB2B.com.

11
SHAPING DEMAND
12.81%
Uses Social Media as
Critical Channel
11.57%
10.00%
6.20%
Conducts Non-
Traditional
Customer Due
Diligence
Lead Generation
Hi-pers embrace four
critical behaviors in their
pre-funnel selling activity
set.
■ Connect with potential
customers via social
media
■ Use social networks such
as LinkedIn or Twitter
to share points of view
and news about your
company and products
■ Use social media for lead
generation purposes
insights
assumptions
valuable business
personal time to
leads
■ Working with
relevance
customers
customers
of the buying group
n = 1,078.

12
Hi-pers teach where
customers learn, shaping
customer demand in
the pre-funnel stage.
■ Core performers largely wait
for business opportunities
to present themselves. They
depend on Marketing to
deliver leads, and qualify
opportunities based on
clarity of customer needs.
■ High performers embody a
“micro-marketing” mindset
across their territory,
teaching customers into
their funnel.
SHAPING, NOT REACTING
Variables Most Indicative of Performance
Comparison of Core and High Performers
Distinctive Core Performer Behaviors Distinctive High Performer Behaviors
Core
Performer
n = 766 of 1,078.
■ Assesses opportunities based
on clarity of customer needs
■ Believes lead generation is the
company’s responsibility
■ Undiscerningly uses social media
(“spams” their network)
High
Performer
n = 312 of 1,078.
■ Conducts non-traditional due
diligence
■ Personally owns lead generation
■ Leads with insight
■ Uses social media as a critical
channel
Fills orders by reacting to existing
demand and settled customer needs
Teaches where customers learn.
Shapes demand by teaching
customers into the funnel.

13
SHAPE DEMAND: TEACH WHERE THE CUSTOMER
LEARNS
Sales must teach where
customers learn, shaping
demand to win profi table
business.
Learn Defi ne Needs Assess Options Make Decision
Today’s Star
Performer
Shaping
Demand
Reacting to
Demand
Incorrect Question
How can we get our salespeople to
sell where needs are initially defi ned?
Correct Question
How can we get our salespeople
to teach where customers learn?

14
The wealth of information
available to customers is
crowding out traditional
marketing.
■ Marketing has traditionally
driven awareness and
thought leadership in the
“learn” phase.
■ However, the wealth of
information available to
customers has crowded
out traditional marketing
messages.
■ Customers have applied
fi lters to the information
they consume, granting
access to few sources.
■ Sales can earn the required
access to customers in this
state, helping them think
diff erently about their
business in ways traditional
marketing collateral cannot.
■ Marketing must provide
worthy contributors that
enable sales in gaining
access to customers in
the learning stage.
REVISING THE COMMERCIAL FRONT
Critical Shifts in Sales and Marketing
Relative to the Customer Purchase Experience
Marketing ■ Enable sales reps with
short messages to engage
customers while learning.
■ Support sales reps’ personal
brand building.
■ Identify unique diff erentiators.
■ Develop and package commercial insights which highlight unique
diff erentiators.
■ Enable further exploration of needs through interactive, yet scalable,
messages and content.
Sales ■ Train sales reps to be
involved in channels where
customers learn (e.g., social
media).
■ Teach reps to personalize
marketing messages.
■ Adapt marketing insights for direct interaction with customers.
■ Train sales reps to deliver commercial insights in compelling ways.
■ Teach reps to target and identify the right stakeholders to carry
insight into customer business.

of the SALES, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE
15
ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION
1
How can reps earn permission to
engage customers where they learn?
GAIN CREDIBILITY AND INFLUENCE
IN SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
®
Profi le of a Social Media Star
1
Ready-Made Social Messages
2
How do reps teach
customers into the funnel?
REFRAME CUSTOMER THINKING
TO VALUE YOUR SOLUTION
Deconstructed World-Class
Commercial Insights
Other Profi les
Customer Intelligence Pipeline
Demand Shaping Coaching Guide
Social Proximity Lead Distribution
Stage Zero Selling
1 Pseudonym.
Summary of Key Learnings
High Performer Demand Shaping Toolkit

16
ENGAGING CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY LEARN
“Social soundbites” help
engage customers where
they learn.
Learn Defi ne Needs Assess Options Negotiate Deal
“Social soundbites”
are used here
to gain access
to customers,
engaging them in
a credible fashion
while they learn.

17
FILTERING OUT THE NOISE
Nature of Information Surrounding Customers
Illustrative
Customers, bombarded
with a near constant fl ow
of learning opportunities,
are becoming increasingly
descerning of information
sources.
■ Today customers are
exposed to considerable
and near-constant learning
opportunities.
■ In response, customers
are very selective about
which content they engage.
Industry
Insiders
Consultants
Industry
Insiders
Sales Reps
SMEs
Peers
Industry
Insiders
Customer
Consultants
Sales Reps
SMEs
Peers
Customer
Consultants
Sales Reps
SMEs
Peers
Customer
Customer Information Filtering
Illustrative
Consumed
Information
General
Information
General
Information
General
Information
Customers have become
increasingly descerning about the
information sources and content
from which they choose to learn.
Customers are
increasingly exposed
to information excess.
Screen 1
Screen 2
Credible Relevant
and Topical
Screen 3
Non-
Commercial
Screen 4
Off ers
Unique
Perspective

18
GAINING INFLUENCE
Levels of Social Media Maturity in Sales
The best salespeople
earn permission to
be infl uencers within
their customers’ social
networks.
■ The best reps are not just
present in social media,
they position themselves
as credible and infl uential
sources in customer
networks. This aff ords them
more access to customers.
■ The approaches on this
page range from passive to
actively involved.
■ While advanced behaviors
may initially appear to
require signifi cantly more
time, reps claim effi ciencies
emerge quickly. Time is
required to initially build
such a network.
■ The fundamentals of gaining
acceptance and infl uence
in such channels include
being credible, being topical,
off ering perspective, and
generally being involved.
Basic Intermediate Advanced
Individual
Presence
I am a profi le I am a company rep
I am a personal brand
consistent with my
company
Network People I personally know
Thought leaders and key
infl uencers
Prospects and
connections who have
access to those prospects
Groups
Organizations I belong to
(alumni, company, etc.)
Groups related to my
company’s industry or
product set
Groups where my
customers exchange info
and seek advice
Involvement Monitor discussions
Pass along interesting
information and company
updates
Information broker,
curating engaging
content
Immediate
Goal
Be Findable Exchange Information
Earned Permission
to Infl uence Within
Customer Networks

19
EARNING INFLUENCE
Representative Behaviors from a Social Media Star
Top performers cultivate
a strong social network,
allowing better customer
access and credibility.
■ Simple approaches to social
media engagement help top
performers to establish
a signifi cant presence.
Get Personal: Leverage other connections or
personal information to make connections.
Learn Openly and Share It: Show your
network you’re learning and show customers
you’re “in the know.”
Give to Give: Share information to engage
the broader network and establish
followership in social media.
Engage Others: Directly interact with
connections, credit others, ReTweet
interesting posts, and generally involve
yourself.
Be an Infl uencer, Not a Seller: Gaining
access to customers and building a deep
network is a function of contribution, not
commercialism.
“We encourage our
sales teams to get on
the social bandwagon
and develop their own
professional brands. We have to
join the online conversation to be
credible and eff ective.”
Melissa Madian
Sr. Dir. Worldwide Field Enablement
Eloqua
®
http://www.linkedin.com/in/motherofmarketingautomation
Source: Eloqua; https://twitter.com/#!/jill_rowley; Sales Executive Council research.

READY-MADE SOCIAL MESSAGES 1
20
OVERVIEW
Marketing enables low-burden and relatively immediate social presence by sales team.
SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS
Ready Made Social Messages
Marketing provides sales with the ready-made messages and suggested networks to engage.
Personalized Touch by Salespeople
Sales reps individualize messages being sent into their networks.
SCENARIO
■ Beta Company found that traditionally eff ective methods of engaging “white space” B2B customers in a new market
did not work well for web-based services.
■ Beta’s research showed that 75% of buyers were likely to use social media to infl uence their purchasing decisions.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
Beta Company
Industry: Diversifi ed Computer Systems
1 Pseudonym.

21
MASS CUSTOMIZATION
Overview of Social Selling
Marketing delivers social
media engagement
messages to Sales,
which takes those to the
customer.
■ Marketing brings both the
benefi ts of information scale
and on-target messaging to
social selling.
■ Arming inside sales with
social messages presents a
scalable, yet individualized
channel to interact with
customers.
■ Beta Company has initially
used Inside Sales for this
approach. The principles of
this practice largely hold
true for fi eld-based (both
direct and indirect) sales
forces.
Marketing
Inside Sales
Customers and
“Considerers” in
Social Networks
Marketing builds ready-made
social messages
and suggested social
networks for sales.
Sales individualizes these
messages and engages
social networks on a
more personal basis.
1
2
1
1 Pseudonym.

22
RELEVANT, READY-MADE MESSAGES
Principles of “Social Soundbites”
Messages have pre-written introduction, bit.ly
links2, and hashtags3 already embedded.
Locate messages within rep workfl ow, in this
case in an RSS feed integrated with rep e-mail
Allow message choice with new content pieces
published on a production schedule
Marketing ensures
that Sales’ burden to
participate in social
media channels is
relatively low, yet highly
relevant.
■ The marketing-led approach
eases both rep concerns
of additional work, and
company concerns of rep-generated
content.
Ground in
Trending Issues
Ensure message
relevance by
monitoring
trending issues
among users and
considerers
Couple with
External Content
Non-commercial
content better
permeates
social media and
generates more
network interest.
Give a Short
Reason to Care
Messages are
intentionally short
and meant to
garner interest
in less than 15
seconds.
Lead to Beta
Company
Messages must
lead back to Beta
capabilities, even
if indirectly.
Fundamentals of Low-Burden Social Messaging
1 Pseudonym.
2 Shortened URL links.
3 “#” Mark in front of a word, which links to currently-trending social discussions on Twitter.
Marketing builds
“prefabricated” messages
to ensure a low-burden
experience for the sales reps
who push these messages
through social media.
Social soundbites
are grounded in
four principles,
ensuring relevance
without requiring
extensive
customization.
Source: Twitter.co; Sales Executive Council research.
1
1 2 3 4

23
READY-MADE NETWORK
Social Network Recommendations from Marketing to Sales
Marketing recommends
social media contacts and
networks to keep Sales’
burden initially low.
■ Reps are expected to
continue building their own
personal network, despite
these initial suggestions
from Marketing.
Key Infl uencers
Prominent and active subject matter
experts positioned well within verticals.
Identifi ed by involvement in groups,
number of followers, and amount of
citing (ReTweeting).
Critical Social Groups
Groups dedicated to, or discussing,
various types of products and services
off ered by Beta Company.
Recommendations for Engaging Key Infl uencers
“ReTweet” and Credit Infl uencers
Gain credit with key infl uencers
by broadcasting their messages,
particularly ones relevant to the rep.
Thank Infl uencers Who Credit You
Social capital matters signifi cantly in
online social networks, and it helps key
infl uencers build their own personal
brand.
Marketing
researches and
recommends
ready-built social
networks within
LinkedIn and
Twitter for sales
reps to initially
follow.
Source: Twitter.com; Sales Executive Council research.
1
1 Pseudonym.

24
PERSONALIZING THE TOUCH
Rep Contextualization of Messages
Reps’ personal touch
helps ensure customer
receptivity and
engagement.
■ Reps are granted far more
access to social networks
than the company.
■ Encouraging minimal editing
of messages helps mitigate
likelihood of networks
socially rejecting or ignoring
messages.
■ Company-provided websites
allow reps to create their
own online presence. This
serves as a digital business
card, of sorts.
■ This customized website
is particularly important
for inside sales, who rarely
engage in-person with
customers.
Keys to Authentic
Messages
Topical
Messages must fi t within the broader context of the
current discussions occurring in social media channels.
Current and Well-Timed
Messages must be current in order to be accepted as
part of network dialogue.
Language
Messages must match the “native” language in each
social group or network.
Reps are
encouraged to
individualize the
social soundbites
by simply changing
a few words.
LinkedIn account
Twitter account
Personal website, with
integrated Twitter feed,
personal video, and
Beta Company product
overviews
Channels for Individual Rep Social Presence
1
1 Pseudonym.

25
Providing sales reps SPEEDY AND IMPRESSIVE RESULTS
with ready-made social
networking opportunities
has yielded fast and
signifi cant results.
■ The speed with which Beta
Company has seen results
is remarkable, and can be
attributed to Marketing’s
eff orts to make this low-burden
for the sales force.
Twitter Followers
Pilot Team (North America), Indexed
Seller Personal Page Views
Pilot Team (Global), Indexed
1x
12x 2.06x
1x
Pre-Pilot Post-Pilot Pre-Pilot
(Seven Months)
Post-Pilot
(Two Weeks)
“We’ve seen considerable growth through our
pilot and are now working to roll this program
out across our many sales forces.”
Beta Company
1
1 Pseudonym.
Product Orders
Pilot Team (North America), Indexed
Quarterly
Orders Placed
in 2010
(Pre-Pilot)
Quarterly
Orders Placed
in 2011
(Pilot)
1x
4x

26
ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION
1
How can reps earn permission to
engage customers where they learn?
GAIN CREDIBILITY AND INFLUENCE
IN SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
®
Profi le of a Social Media Star
1
Ready-Made Social Messages
2
How do reps teach
customers into the funnel?
REFRAME CUSTOMER THINKING
TO VALUE YOUR SOLUTION
Deconstructed World-Class
Commercial Insights
Other Profi les
Customer Intelligence Pipeline
Demand Shaping Coaching Guide
Social Proximity Lead Distribution
Stage Zero Selling
1 Pseudonym.
Summary of Key Learnings
High Performer Demand Shaping Toolkit

27
TEACH CUSTOMERS INTO THE FUNNEL
Illustrative
Sales must reframe how
customers think about
their business to best
initiate a role.
While “soundbites” help initially
engage customers, teaching
compelling insights is required
for the customer to take action.
Teaching

28
INSIGHTS GO BEYOND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Hierarchy of Information Conveyed Through Sales Messages
Illustrative
Be Credible/ Relevant
1 General Information
Be Newsworthy
3 Thought Leadership
Be Frame-Breaking
4 Insight
Lead to Supplier
Commercial
Insight
5
2 Accepted Information
True commercial insights
meet a high bar and go
well beyond traditional
thought leadership.
■ Many mistakenly present
newsworthy information as
if it were frame-breaking.
■ While newsworthy
information may attract
initial customer attention,
it has little lasting customer
impact.
■ Commercial insight leads
customers to appreciate
unique capabilities.
■ Common examples of
thought leadership module
white papers, newsletters,
industry research, and
survey reports.
Litmus Test for Commercial
Insight:
If you took your logo off
of your pitch deck or
presentation, would your
competition truly be able to
use it?
Commercially insightful
messages lead back to
the supplier exclusively.

29
THREE WAYS TO REFRAME
Types of Reframes
There are three distinct
types of reframes.
■ Approaches should be
selected based on the
customer’s current level of
familiarity with the problem
at hand, as well as whether
or not they have already
developed an understanding
of the solution.
■ While sales messages
that focuses on customer
problems tend to drive
the greatest urgency,
these approaches could
also be used to teach
customers about untapped
opportunities.
Do Customers Tend
to Be Familiar with
the Problem Your
Solution Solves?
Do Customers
Often Have an
Understanding
of the Solution?
How Customers
Present Themselves
Customers often
appear content in
dealing with the issue.
Underestimated Problem
Teach customer that the problem is far
greater in magnitude, or needs to be
appreciated diff erently, and therefore
warrants an alternative approach.
Customer often
accepts the problem
as a “cost of doing
business.”
Unrecognized Driver
Teach customer that a problem is driven by
a diff erent root cause than they had realized,
allowing the problem to be better managed.
Customer appears
ignorant or
completely ill-informed
of the issue.
Unanticipated Problem
Teach customer that an unrecognized
problem is fast approaching, and will have a
detrimental impact if not addressed.
While these are portrayed in light of business
challenges (as most successful commercial
teaching examples are), this framing equally
applies to upside opportunities.

30
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Case in Point: Underestimated Problem
Cargill magnifi es an
existing problem that
customer’s haven’t fully
appreciated.
■ The company teaches
farmers who continue
to market their grains
independently the numerous
factors that contribute to
market volatility making it
harder for them to interpret
and action information on
their own.
■ Cargill’s solution allows
farmers to tap into its global
resources and expertise
to stay on top of market
information and consistently
sell grain at peak prices even
in a volatile market.
Source: Cargill; Sales Executive Council research.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
Cargill, Inc.
Industry: Diversifi ed Products
and Services
2011 Sales (USD): $119,469M
Employees: 138,000
Acknowledge the customer problem:
Marketing grain used
to be so much simpler,
only a few factors
aff ected pricing.
Once grain prices
marginally varied, now
pricing volatility is the
norm.
Teach customers how they’ve underestimated the problem:
Today market factors
are too numerous to
count: global food
demand, geopolitical
issues, debt crisis,
energy, etc.
And every market
factor is increasingly
complex, infl uenced by
a seemingly endless
number of dynamics.
Present a new way forward, that only Cargill can off er:
The customer needs
deep expertise and
understanding of
global markets and
crop conditions.
Only Cargill has this
such a broad, and
deep, understanding
of market infl uences
to help farmers market
grain.
10-Year Average of Dec Corn Futures - Daily Market Close 1999-2009
10 Year Futures Average
MARKET UNCERTAINTY
Producer planting intentions
South American crop size
Global demand
PLANTING
Planted acres
Planting progress
Planting conditions
Weather (moisture & temps)
Crop emergence
GROWING SEASON
Weather (moisture & temps)
Pollination
Crop disease(s)
HARVEST
Yield
Grain condition (moisture, test weight, etc.)
South American planting intentions & progress
January February March April May June July August September October November December
12 Months
But Today? Market Factors Are Almost Too Numerous to Count.
$3.30
$2.80
$2.30
Average Futures Price
PAGE 4 ProPricing Contracts CargillProPricing.com PAGE 5
$6.30
$5.80
$5.30
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Average Futures Price
12 Months
PRIME TIME AVERAGING PERIOD
$4.80
Your final price is equal to the average of the daily close during the Prime Time Pricing Period.

31
• Easy application and splatter-free
• Optimum blend of polishing and c
excellent stain removal
ment.3
Nearly one-third y
of dental health professionals cite
musculoskeletal disorders
as the reason for early retire
– Burke FJT et al. Br Dent J.
m
IT’S WITHIN YOUR CONTROL
Case in Point: Unrecognized Driver
Dentsply teaches
customers about a
problem that customers’
previously thought was
unsolvable.
■ The company teaches
dentists how the previously
accepted problem of
hygienists having Carpel
Tunnel issues is controllable.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
Dentsply International Inc.
Industry: Health Care Products
2011 Sales (USD): $2,537M
Employees: 11,800
Acknowledge the customer problem:
Dentists have
struggled with
hygienist absenteeism
and early retirement
due to Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome.
Source: Cargill; Sales Executive Council research.
That has long been
considered a cost of
business in the dental
industry.
Teach customers how the problem is more manageable than
previously thought:
While most dentists
believe such wrist
conditions are
unavoidable, in
most cases, they are
preventable.
Recent studies have
demonstrated that a
very specifi c cause: the
weight and ergonomics
of the instruments
hygienists use.
Present a new way forward, that only Dentsply can off er:
To solve these
challenges, hygienists
need tools that are
lighter and more
comfortable.
Only Dentsply off ers
ergonomically correct
and light enough
dental tools.
g g f
Unmatched lightness
in the palm of your hand
A lightweight hygiene
handpiece system designed
with your comfort in mind
NEW Midwest® RDH® Featherweight Hose
• Designed to work exclusively with the
Midwest® RDH® Hygienist Handpiece
• Reduces cord drag
• Improves user comfort
with ergonomic design

32
YOU DIDN’T REALIZE IT, BUT YOU NEED
TO ACT NOW
Case in Point: Unanticipated Problem
Bunchball teaches an
unrecognized problem
that customers have
failed to accounted for in
their website operations.
■ The company picks an
emerging trend—fi ght for
internet user mindshare—to
teach web managers on the
challenges associated with
retaining online customers in
the near future.
■ To win online user
mindshare, Bunchbell
proposes gamifi cation
solutions—a new way to
drive customer engagement
and retention on the web.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
Bunchball, Inc.
Industry: Online Service
Provider
2011 Sales (USD): $7M
Employees: 50
Teach customers about a problem they’ve failed to recognize:
There are a number
of familiar day-to-day
challenges that
occupy web managers’
attention.
But the greatest
problem is one very
few realize: crowded
web user mindshare.
Teach customers that this problem is worse than it seems and
unlikely to disappear:
While engaging
existing web visitors
is already diffi cult,
attracting new visitors
will be more daunting.
The growing number
of websites competing
for new user attention
continues to grow,
drowning out your
website.
Present a new way forward, that only Bunchball can off er:
Leading websites rely
on gaming principles
to engage web users
continuously.
Only Bunchball
can help web
managers incorporate
gamifi cation into their
website.

33
CHALLENGER MESSAGING SUPPORT OPTIONS
SEC Membership:
An Introduction to Challenger Messaging
SEC Solutions:
Challenger Messaging Engagement
What It Is
A day-long workshop (included in your membership) arming your team
to take initial steps in developing an organizational capability to build
commercial insights
When
■ Session 1: 17 July 2012, Chicago
■ Future sessions to be announced
Who It Is For
Members companies may send up to a total of three attendees from
Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Marketing, and/or Product
What It Will Cover
■ An exploration of unique diff erentiators—what they are, and what they
aren’t using real examples to ground the teaching
■ An exploration of reframing techniques for various insights
■ Frameworks for determining company-level, segment-level, and solution-level
insights
■ Message tailoring approaches for diff erent segments and functional
stakeholders
■ Interactively improving existing sales messaging
What It Is
Expert support to create an insight-led message for a selected product or
segment, and tools that improve your team’s understanding of Challenger
Messages
When
Four-month engagement with workshops at your company location
Who It Is For
■ Commercial organizations who need to equip their sales team with insight
that helps them diff erentiate
■ Sales and Marketing leaders and their teams (Product Managers and Sales
Operations are common participants)
What It Will Cover
■ Build Challenger Messages—Equip your team with messages for a key
product, service, or segment.
■ Teach Your Team how to Build Messages—Enhance the organization’s
ability to source insights and develop messages for your customers.
■ Gain CEB Insight on Your Customers—Capture the most pressing needs of
your customers using CEB consumer data and best practice research.
■ Deploy Structured Pre-Work and Interviews—Information gathering led by
Solutions team to prepare for the Workshop
■ Participate in Messaging Workshop—Two-day session for sales and
marketing leaders, reps, and product managers to collaborate on message
creation
■ Receive the Message Guide and Toolkit—For participants’ future reference

Advance to Sales Funnel
www.executiveboard.com
SALES, MARKETING, AND COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE
SALES EXECUTIVE COUNCIL®
Pre-Funnel Demand Shaping Toolkit
Gaining Permission and Access Qualifying Teaching
1 4a
General Listening
While direct leads can be surfaced by simply listening in social media, the more
immediate intent is to understand the nature of the conversation happening,
allowing you to best position yourself in that conversation.
General Social Media Listening
■ Join LinkedIn groups where customers and prospects are having conversations. These
are not groups about your products/solutions, but about business challenges your
customers tend to face. Read at least weekly updates on signifi cant conversations taking
place in those groups.
■ Leverage technology your marketing team likely already has—social listening tools. Ask
a favor of your marketing colleagues: have them search for social activity based on a
handful of keywords relevant to the problems your solution solves.
■ Involve yourself in the social conversation, providing your own perspective and “giving to
give.” Overtly commercial involvement will not be welcomed and may harm your personal
brand. Gaining infl uence within the network is a product of earning trust and delivering
insight to the network.
■ For Key Accounts, follow your customer’s company group.
Identify Change
Change should happen, or is likely to happen (but the customer has not
yet taken action).
Action Step (Gather Deep Information)
■ Brainstorm with other salespeople to think of ways to approach customers
■ Network with internal subject matter experts to learn about diff erent customers
■ Understand the concerns of the buying group
Key Tells of Potential Change
■ Stakeholders show discontent with status quo
■ General customer awareness of underperformance
■ Multiple stakeholders seeking advice (live or social networking)
■ Key stakeholder or consultant turnover
■ Renewal decision upcoming (and customer is unlikely to have started
assessment)
Customer has a poor understanding of the problem
or is unaware of it altogether.
Customer is aware of the problem
(and potentially has an action plan/solution in the works).
OVERVIEW OF TOOL
This tool was constructed with the help of various high-performing
sales people within the SEC membership. This tool is not meant to be
a comprehensive guide, but rather, a helpful set of reminders to ensure
sales and sales operations teams are shaping demand, not just reacting
to demand. Special thanks to the following companies for allowing the
SEC access to their high-performers.
®
Recommended Uses
■ Reps: Use the tool as reminder of actions you can take to help shape
demand in new and existing accounts
■ Managers: Use the tool as a coaching guide to sharpen reps’ pre-funnel
sales activities
■ Sales Enablement: Use the tool to inform your sales processes and
enablement support
Teach to Shape Demand
Teach customer about the problem.
Action Step (Teach)
■ Select and deliver a message about an unanticipated problem that is fast approaching
and will have a detrimental impact if not addressed.
Key Tells Indicating You’ve Infl uenced Customer Thinking
■ Customer asks clarifying questions and seeks additional information
■ Customer acknowledges that they have overlooked the problem
■ Customer grants access/refers you to additional stakeholders
■ Customer agrees to follow-up conversation/expresses desire to learn more
Teach to Re-Shape Demand
Teach customer about a better way to solve the problem.
Action Step (Teach)
■ If customer appears content with current solution to problem, teach them that the
problem is far greater in magnitude than they’ve realized, and therefore warrants an
alternative approach.
■ If customer accepts the problem as a “cost of doing business,” teach them that the
problem is driven by a diff erent root cause than they’ve realized, and can be eff ectively
managed.
Key Tells Indicating You’ve Infl uenced Customer Thinking
■ Customer initially pushes back or shows healthy skepticism, but is engaged
■ Customer has an “aha” moment, demonstrating their thinking has been reframed
■ Customer begins to openly question their existing approach
■ Customer grants access/refers you to additional stakeholders
■ Customer agrees to follow-up conversation/expresses desire to learn more
4b
3
Narrowing Listening and Gaining Access
Listen in a deliberate fashion to opportunities with potential to move into your
funnel, gleaning as much information as possible.
Targeted Social Media Listening
■ Your opportunities engaging in social conversation can provide highly valuable
information. They may reach out to their network for advice, or signal change may be
happening in other ways. They may off er others advice, revealing valuable information
about their business approaches. Monitor these conversations closely.
■ Directly connect with any and all prospects and known infl uencers associated with those
prospects (consultants, purchase infl uencers, end-users, technical users, etc.). Follow key
contacts in Twitter.
■ Off er advice and a point of view to potential prospects who are actively learning in social
media channels. Follow up directly.
■ For Key Accounts, track key stakeholders’ networks scanning for competitive
connections, new relationships with purchasing consultants, or other signs that may
indicate the customer is seeking other options.
Targeted Listening Outside Social Media
■ Conduct aggressive loss analysis, understanding what factors contributed to the
customer’s decision. This is particularly useful in service or contract-based sales.
■ When appropriate, establish relationships with purchase consultants. Arm consultants
with insights on the industry and information that will help them provide value to your
shared customers. These relationships can yield important information about your
customer and other potential leads.
■ Glean information from internal peers (sales or other) and partners for information on
prospects.
■ For Key Accounts, establish a regular business planning session, bringing operations
teams and other internal teams supporting your customer together to gain deep account
intelligence. Arm these ops teams with insights to teach to end-users or other potential
infl uencers for whom you do not have immediate access.
2
Source: Sales Executive Council.
All Rights Reserved. SEC2936212SYN Client Site: www.sec.executiveboard.com

Getting in Early: Shaping Demand Though Pre-Funnel Engagement

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