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The Insight Challenge
The First Installment of the Charlie Chronicles
© 2013 DSG Consulting. All Rights Reserved.
2
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Meet Charlie.
	 Charlie Cooper is a seasoned sales rep at Centrift Systems,
Inc. and is just arriving at his annual sales conference. He’s a
40-something who’s been with the company for 10 years and
made his quota nearly every year. “I wish I could skip the pep talk
this morning and get an early tee time with the guys,” he thinks.
This mood reveals that, while Charlie has had success in the past,
he’s been on auto-pilot for the last several years. He’s relied
on established relationships, conventional approaches, and his
power of persuasion to make his numbers each quarter. This has
been okay for Charlie but not ideal for Centrift, as Charlie targets
departmental levels in the existing base instead of pursuing new
and larger opportunities. And, if Charlie is honest, especially as
he looks at his pipeline for the next year, he would realize that it’s
been harder and harder to hit his numbers. In fact, he’s waiting
for an e-mail from his biggest client to confirm he hit his numbers
for Q4 as everyone sits down for the keynote from the EVP of
Sales, Paul Stanton.
Living in a Virtual World
(about to check phone for info on his big deal)
Top Performer
(but on auto-pilot)
Charlie
Q4 Pipeline
3
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “Hey Charlie,” his buddies say as he finds his
usual table of friends, “did you get any word from
George about the contract renewal?”
	 “Thanks for asking, man. I was…” At that
moment his phone buzzes with a new e-mail. “Dear
Charlie, etc., etc…Thanks for coming by recently, etc.,
etc…I know we’ve been tight for many years…but I’m
sorry to tell you, etc., etc….Please touch base with
me next year, etc., etc..”
	 “Holy #$%&!” Charlie says. “What?” his
buddy asks.
	 “I just lost my biggest client.”
	 “Man…sorry bro!” Just as Charlie starts to
explain the e-mail, Charlie’s boss’s boss begins to
speak so he does his best to keep his cool.
4
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “I’m proud to be the Sales Leader of Centrift,” Paul starts out, “a company with one of the longest
histories in the industry. We’ve enjoyed many years of steady growth. But, as many of you have sensed,
our competition has intensified, our margins are tighter, and our products are in jeopardy of becoming
commodities. So it is time to innovate and seize this opportunity.” Charlie shifts in his chair a bit. This isn’t
the kind of tone he is used to at these conferences.
	 Paul continues, “The game has changed. If we want growth we must sell higher in our accounts; we
must sell earlier in buying cycles; we must lead with ‘insight,’ not functions and features.” Charlie is really
lost now. But, he notices Paul really has everyone’s attention. You can hear a pin drop in the meeting room.
Sell Higher
Engage Earlier
Lead with InsightHere we go
again... I'm glad
I'm retiring
I wonder if my
luggage arrived
5
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “So what do I mean by this?” Paul says as he opens up a few slides. “First, you must understand the
market better. There are drivers, trends, and pressures that present great pains and opportunities for top-
level executives. Second, you must understand your audience much better. We will be challenging each one
of you to reach much higher in the organization and know the buyer personas like the back of your hand.
Buying cycles typically end up in the hands of C-level executives, LOB leaders, and other stakeholders. So,
with those two components,
first, market knowledge and second, customer knowledge,
you will be well on your way to leading with ‘Insight.’”
There was that word again! Charlie leans over to his buddies now with a look like, “What the heck is going
on here?” They just shrug back and look as bewildered as Charlie.
6
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “What is ‘Insight’?” Paul asks rhetorically. “First of all, executives do not want to hear that your
product is ‘groundbreaking’ or see 50 slides on the inner workings of what you are selling. They are looking
for engaging conversations that are relevant to their world, their business, their competitors, their markets,
etc. Executives don't want to be asked what's keeping them up at night. How should they look at those
problems? Which opportunities should they pursue? Which risks should they avoid? I read a Harvard
Business Review article that put it
this way: ‘Rather than
finding out how your
client’s executives
currently view the
problem, determine
how they should view
it.’” Charlie was now
mentally going through
his roster of top customers.
“They are too low-level to
even think about a
conversation like this,”
he thinks to himself.
Traditional solution selling is based on the premise
that salespeople should lead with open-ended
questions designed to surface recognized customer
needs. Insight-based selling rests on the belief that
salespeople must lead with disruptive ideas that will
make customers aware of unknown needs.
July - August
2012
7
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “I know we have a big agenda today. So let
me net it out for you with a practical checklist as
you generate new insights for top-level executives.
A good insight should: (1) be verifiable and factual
(executives appreciate specifics), (2) challenge
the current mindset or approach that executive is
employing or considering, (3) evoke certain emotions
from the executive (skepticism, curiosity, disbelief),
and (4) elicit a response like, ‘isn’t that a problem
that I should be addressing?’ Paul pauses and goes
over each one as the still-subdued crowd looks on
and calculates what it would mean for their book of
business. “Our new CMO, Laura Oliver, has a very
detailed roadmap to take us forward. After the break,
she will go deeper into this topic. I trust our strategy
for next year will become a part of our new culture.
With her help, I know we will be hearing great stories
from the field.”
Verifiable?
Challenging?
Emotional
Connection?
Elicits a
Response?
Insight Checklist
8
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Charlie and his buddies sit frozen through the rest of Paul’s segment. At the break, Charlie jumps out
of his chair and makes a beeline for Paul (VP of Sales). Charlie has known Paul for 10 years, so he feels like he
can be direct with him. “Paul, what’s going on here?!” Charlie asks. “I know my customers, and they buy a
relationship with me, not ‘whatever-you-were talking-about’ up there.”
	 “Don’t worry, Charlie!” Paul responds. “You are in good hands with Laura. She’s a true sales enabler
and won’t just dump a bunch of marketing-speak on you. I specifically asked her to invite you to her
upcoming sales messaging workshop so you could be a part of her core team.”
Paul waits as Charlie stands there tongue-tied.
Charlie is thinking about how he just missed
quota for the first time in 10 years and
his pipeline isn’t that great either.
Maybe this is an opportunity?
	 “Okay, Paul. I’ll give you the benefit
of the doubt. But, if I don’t…”
	 “Good, Charlie!” Paul interrupts. “I knew
I could count on you. I’ve got to run.” As Paul walks
away, Charlie shouts out one final question.
“Hey Paul, what the heck is a sales messaging workshop?”
What have I
agreed to?
9
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Meet Laura.
	 Laura Oliver comes with a strong resume from multiple past roles,
including Centrift’s competitors. The last CMO only lasted 11 months before
they fired him. She knows that comes with the territory. Yeah,
she has some things to prove here and she’s used to a challenge.
Laura knows how to bring the right players to the table and
facilitate good alignment. She’s a change agent, a game
changer, a…Oh! The last of the attendees have arrived at her first
Sales Messaging Workshop, so it’s time to ‘turn it on.’
	 She starts her opening session by saying, “Will
we keep relying on selling more and more products for
growth? As our margins decrease, I know many are
forced to sell more and more just to maintain the
earnings you had the previous year. We will not
sustain our business that way. The game has changed. We want
exponential growth. And if we want exponential growth, we must capture the
value of solving higher level problems—problems faced by the top levels of a
customer organization.”
Change Agent
(ready to tackle challenges)
Laura
Engaging
(initiates great dialogue)
10
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “I’m sorry, Laura!” Charlie interjects. “I’m confused. I’m starting to get ‘what’ you want, but
definitely not ‘how.’” Laura doesn’t appreciate being called out so early in the process, but decides to
use the objection to her advantage instead of getting defensive. “Yes, Charlie. Tell me if this helps.” She
searches quickly and presents a slide. “Insight is like a meal you might make in your kitchen. And like all
good meals, you need a recipe book to know‘how to make it.
	 So over the next few days we are going to make that recipe book. That’s why we have brought
together our best thinkers and leaders across sales, marketing, and products to capture their insights. We
have also brought in outside resources.”
11
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 At this point Laura (CMO) introduces Ben, the sharp sales messaging consultant she’d worked with
in several previous sales enablement programs. Ben and Laura have great synergy. Ben drives the process
and facilitates the collaboration. Laura maintains good sponsorship for the project and challenges the
team to create better than ‘me-too’ messaging. “With your help, Ben will be creating our recipe book or
‘playbook’ that will include ‘conversation-ready’ content in 3 core areas:
What to Know (before the conversation),
What to Say (during the conversation),
What to Show (during the conversation).
How does that sit with you, Charlie? Would that
be of value to you as you prepare for meetings?”
	 “Well,” Charlie says, “considering the
fact that I wing it half the time, I think this
might help a bit!” Everyone laughs as Charlie
lightens the mood with a little self-
deprecating humor.
Ben
Drives the Process
(facilitating collaboration)
Know
Say
Show
12
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “Thanks, Charlie! Listen everyone; let me drive home a previous point about ‘conversation ready.’”
Ben says. “We are going to avoid the trap of building a playbook focused on ‘one-way communication.’
While playbooks should be thorough enough to provide adequate preparation, their purpose is not to
rehearse a monologue. Rather, reps can use them to review the content shortly before the meeting
to get ready for an engaging dialogue between a sales rep and an executive. It’s not a monologue. It’s
a dialogue. It’s not a pitch. It’s a process. It’s not a presentation. It’s a conversation.We will
include an actual conversation plan template as one way to do this. (Ben shows an example.) Reps can
use the conversation plan to tailor messages, questions, and materials going into the customer meeting.”
Conversation Plan Name:
Key Trends Why Change? Why Now? Why Centrift? Next Steps
Here's one of the
practical tools
you can use
13
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 So Ben leads the team over the next few days building, arguing, and collaborating. Sometimes the
group is as quiet as the public library. Other times it is like a WWF cage match with participants
debating key issues. It’s important for Laura to get a quick win early on in her new role at Centrift, so
she wants to keep things positive. During breaks, she coaches Ben to facilitate in a way that allows good
debate without letting any particular person dominate or squelch new ideas. They get through the ‘What
to Know’ section by identifying several key market trends and some key insights around them (thanks to
some key marketing leaders who attended). The customer-facing sales people give good case studies that
help provide the ‘What to Say’ content that is tailored directly to the key audience profiles they identify.
	 Then they go to the ‘What to Show’ section. Everyone quickly
grabs their favorite slide decks and start to
ask for the projector cable.
	 “Hold on, everyone!” Laura interjects.
“I had something else in mind.”
HI-YA
14
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “During the last few years, Ben has been developing an approach that uses a whiteboard vs.
Powerpoint to drive a conversation. It quickly establishes the meeting as a two-way dialogue as people
stand up, move around, and craft a meaningful dialogue. This puts an end to a conventional one-way
‘show and tell.’ The whiteboard is used to provide a framework or a model for the executive;
problems are shown and solved through a picture.” The whiteboard makes Charlie think of a
classroom, but he quickly sees how this tool brings an ingenuity and originality to executive conversations
that his conversations often lack. “So Ben, I’ll let you get everyone started.”
	 “Thanks, Laura! Everyone stand up and go to your assigned whiteboard as we start to brainstorm
about what kinds of models, pictures, etc., will capture common problems. Our models need to be
simple, compelling, and present enough flexibility for your customers to adapt them to their specific
environment. Here are some basic ideas I’ve collected from over the years.”
vs.
Engaged Asleep
Slide 631
blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah
blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blah blabity blahblah blah
Step 10 Step 11 Step 12 Step 13 Step 14
blah blabity blahblah blah blah
blabity blahblah blah blah
blabity blah blahblah blah
blah blabity blahblah blah blah
blabity blahblah blah blah
blabity blah blahblah blah
Process from
slide 645
blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabi-
ty blahblah blah blah blabity blah
15
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 It is quite amusing to watch PowerPoint button-
pushers try to become the DaVincis of sales. There are
models, stick figures, and bullet points. People trade
markers and try to find a central visual framework. Laura
and Charlie grab 10 minutes in the back and study a
few kernels from the top 3 groups and start doodling
on Laura’s pad. “Okay, everyone, let’s bring things back
together,” Ben says. “Laura and I have seen some good
things and have some ideas of our own.” Laura then takes
center stage. She explains what she calls the customer
“dilemma” and how that should drive the whiteboard
model. She then does a quick role play, with Ben playing
the customer. The whole group, including Charlie, sits
there and nods several times as they reflect on ‘real life’
situations that seemed to relate.
This could really change the game. Everyone is
impressed with Ben and Laura’s ability to synthesize and
uplift the team’s ideas.
Dilemma
16
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Things are really coming together now. By the last day, they have a good timeline in place to refine
the content and push it out in the field. After all this hard work, Charlie pushes back his chair and thinks
back over the last few months. At the beginning, he was beyond skeptical of this new approach. But now,
by utilizing the playbook to prepare for the conversation, Charlie has confidence in his ability to
communicate the story and ask the right questions. He feels prepared to offer a few compelling insights
and navigate the conversation. But he has one lingering concern: Will he be able to turn his pipeline
around? Only time will tell.
I got this.
Then Now
17
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Just as he is packing up to head out, his phone
buzzes again. “Oh no!” He thought. “I can’t handle
another lost deal by e-mail!” It is an e-mail from
an executive assistant from a new prospect. He
nervously opens the e-mail and starts reading. “Dear
Charlie…we’ve received your many e-mails and voice
mails…Jim has 30 minutes next Tuesday if you are
still interested…please let me know…” Wow! He can’t
believe he won that meeting. Now it is time to pull
out that conversation plan and get ready!
18
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Meet Jim.
	 Meet Jim Minkens, the SVP at Data Goldmine Inc,
a data integration company in Charlie’s territory. Jim
is overwhelmed. He’s new to this job, but a veteran at
the company. The CEO has charged him with ambitious
objectives to innovate, develop, and commercialize new
sources of revenue for the company. But, he is finding
the company’s technology consistently presents road
blocks to accomplishing the task. When Jim’s assistant
notifies him that Charlie Cooper from Centrift has
arrived, he is less than enthusiastic.
	 “Seriously?! Did I agree to that appointment?”
	 “Yes, you did,” his assistant reminds him.
	 Jim fires back, “I don’t have time for a meeting
with some sales guy wanting to lock me into an annual
contract. Send him in... but call me in five minutes so I
can get out of it.”
Is it Friday
yet?
Jim
Overwhelmed
(needs constant stream of caffeine)
19
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Now, the rubber meets the road. Charlie has his first meeting since the creation of the playbook.
He’s equipped, but nervous. As he waits, he reviews the last of his notes and research about Jim’s company
and their key challenges. Jim comes out and greets Charlie. They walk briskly into Jim’s office, and Jim goes
to what he affectionately refers to as his “PowerPoint chair”—a chair positioned just right for him to read
emails while a sales person shows endless PowerPoint slides.
	 But then Jim notices that Charlie doesn’t appear to even have a laptop with him? He doesn’t pull
out product specs? He doesn’t carry a stack of promotional brochures? Instead, he walks over to the
whiteboard and asks Jim if he can draw on it. “I find it’s helpful if we can both visualize what we’re talking
about.” Jim sits, a bit stunned at first, as Charlie shows a genuine understanding of his situation. This isn’t a
pitch—it’s a conversation. What a pleasant surprise! An image starts to take shape on the whiteboard
that summarizes Jim’s predicament in a manner clearer than Jim has ever been able to articulate it. As
Charlie and Jim begin to discuss solutions, the assistant rings Jim to bring the meeting to an end.
Interesting!
20
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 “No, I’m fine. . . Charlie and I have more to talk about.” Jim stands up and takes the marker and
adapts the model to take it to the next level. Charlie listens and makes a few suggestions based on Jim’s
additions. He’s very careful not to let the conversation descend to pricing, features, and functions (things
that would be a sales pitch more than a provocation). Time runs out, and Jim’s next appointment arrives.
Jim can’t believe how much they have accomplished in 30 minutes-- he would have actually paid for
the insight Charlie gave him. “So, Charlie, where do we go from here? What are our next steps?”
Normally this is when Charlie would talk dollars. But, Charlie doesn’t try to make a speedy sale to Jim—
that’s not the objective. His objective is for Jim to become his sponsor.
Here's how
I see it
I've got him
hooked
21
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 ‘Sponsorship’ is the purpose of a meeting like this one
between Charlie and Jim. And gaining sponsorship was one
of the key components of the sales playbook. An executive’s
sponsorship gives Charlie access and opportunity to focus on
building a business case, developing a solution recommendation,
and gaining internal support for the approach. If marketing leaders
like Laura are successful, reps like Charlie increase their confidence
in (1) delivering the right messages, (2) effectively leading
executive conversations, and (3) leveraging those conversations
into ‘executive sponsorship.’ “Sure,” Charlie says. “Let me paint
a picture for you.” Then Charlie lays out a series of action items
for what sponsorship will mean for Jim for the next 90 days. Jim
asks some questions, offers details about his team, and sets some
milestones for the next meeting.
	 Jim doesn’t need anything more to see the value in what
Centrift provides and offers to sponsor Charlie for meetings with
executives throughout the organization. Jim instructs his assistant
to find another time to meet and Charlie says he’d be happy to
continue the conversation. Charlie leaves more encouraged
than ever before.
This is going
to be great!
22
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Later, Jim continues to ponder the meeting. Fortunately, his whiteboard is still full of the insights
they discussed. He calls in colleagues, including some Senior VPs, to take a look at the whiteboard. It
starts to clarify some strategic issues within the division and beyond. Meanwhile, Charlie reaches out to
the various stakeholders that Jim identified and begins to build the right solution approach. At each point,
Charlie goes back to Laura and her team for resources, tools, etc., to help him stay ‘sales ready.’ Then, after
many milestones have been reached, Jim signs a multi-year deal with Charlie…his biggest deal ever!
Now I
get it!
I never
throught about
it that way
23
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 With each conversation, Charlie prepares with
his playbook and continues to improve. He’s learned
that preparation is the crux of the executive meeting.
Most salespeople cannot improvise an entire sales
conversation that delivers valuable insight and expect
stellar results.
	 He reflects back on the realities of his past 10
years with Centrift. It’s taken a while, but he’s learned
a critical lesson: while staff and mid-level management
audiences are not to be neglected, buying cycles
typically end up in the hands of top-level
executives. When salespeople like Charlie seek an
audience with the right executives early in the buying
process, the trajectory of the opportunity can quickly
shift in the right direction. And those executives need
“Insight.” Leading with insight means bringing in fresh
ideas and supplying new approvals to change the way
the customer thinks about their business.
CXO
24
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Fast Forward To Next Year’s Sales Conference
	 Paul Stanton, the EVP of Sales, is gleaming in the front row as his CEO gives the keynote speech.
Centrift is on a new trajectory with a record-breaking 15% growth to back it up. To get there, they needed the
decisive, strategic moves he made. One of those key decisions was to partner with Laura. It’s easy for sales
leaders to trivialize the value of their marketing peers. Paul embraced it and made a powerful ally in Laura.
	 Laura looks down at her phone to see a text message from Paul saying, “Congratulations! You are
the sales enabler I knew you could be.” Laura smiles back and checks her calendar for next week. Laura is
currently in high demand as a speaker on how to enable sales teams. She’s now outlasted the last CMO and is
a vital part of the executive team.
Great year,
everyone!
Paul
Laura
Charlie
25
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 Charlie’s phone buzzes too, and he looks
down. He’s finally gotten over his anxiety every time
an e-mail comes in. He then looks over at Laura to
give her a nod as well. Laura and Charlie have more
training sessions planned with new hires to get
them acquainted with the updated playbook. As he
glances down at next year’s pipeline, one thing is
for sure: he doesn’t miss the days of relationship-
focused, low-level sales meetings.
Accounts Opportunities
Search
Pipeline
Leads
Contacts
Your Pipeline App
23
26
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
	 And what about Jim? He’s in his office conducting a reference call for Centrift. “It really all started
with a meeting I had with Charlie,” Jim says, “Charlie didn’t sell me products. Charlie didn’t interrogate me
with questions. Charlie brought ‘insight.’”
	 By the way, Jim is now quite a hero internally, and he is talked up quite a bit in meetings across
his organization. Jim’s efforts resulted in a major initiative, helping Data Goldmine speed innovation and
increase revenue. Jim was recently promoted to a higher executive position within his company and is
respected as a change agent who is vital to the organization’s future. He knows he has Charlie to thank.
The End.
Thanks,
Charlie!
27
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Are you like Charlie?
Titles:
Senior Sales Rep, Enterprise Sales Rep, Account
Executive, Account Manager
Objectives:
Expand his book of business, reach higher into existing
accounts, create relationships with C-Level executives
who can sponsor larger, enterprise deals
Challenges:
Relies too heavily on a ‘relationship’ sell, tougher
expectations from his Sales Leader, skepticism that his
new approaches will work
Living in a Virtual World
(about to check phone for info on his big deal)
Top Performer
(but on auto-pilot)
Charlie
Q4 Pipeline
28
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Insight:
Sales reps face a difficult reality. Business as usual is now not so predictable—having a good product and
moving it out the door is no longer a given. Buying decisions are being made based on perceived value. If
competing on price, the sales rep’s product becomes just a commodity—that won’t sustain business for long.
The rep is the one who can actually provide the added value. By moving from product and features selling to
insight selling, it’s possible to grow a sales pipeline even in difficult times.
Just as Charlie learned, the conversation that goes with insight selling usually occurs at high levels in a
company. Even if a sales rep lacks a sales enabler like Laura, it is possible to use the concepts Charlie learned
to prepare for higher level sales meetings.
“Here’s to the guy who can
always get me tickets to the
game!”
– Jack, Charlie’s golf buddy
and fellow salesman
“I wish I could work so little
and make as much as you!”
– Julie, 2nd year sales rep
“Hey Charlie! If you beat my numbers next
year again, I’m going to kick your #$@!”
– Bob, Senior Sales Rep for 15 years with
Centrift
29
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Are you like Laura?
Titles:
CMO, VP of Marketing, VP of Products/Solutions, VP of
Field Marketing, VP of Product Marketing
Objectives:
Provide ‘sales ready’ tools and resources to the field,
create solutions suites that can integrate both new and
existing offerings
Challenges:
Tension between sales and marketing organizations,
existing documentation and insight is scattered across
too many organizational silos, limited bandwidth to get
it all done
Change Agent
(ready to tackle challenges)
Laura
Engaging
(initiates great dialogue)
30
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Insight:
The end game for marketing executives like Laura is to shift the entire organization from their existing comfort
zones to the types of conversations that align with the marketing strategy, connect to current marketing
campaigns, and create sales results. Charlie is proof that it’s worth the effort.
Keeping the focus on the outcome of different types of selling conversations will help marketing focus on
building the right content and tools that will enable the field and partners with practical support. Laura made
sure Charlie and the rest of the team understood that gaining executive sponsorship is critical in the sales
process.
“To the first Female President
of the United States!”
– Teresa, Brand Manager
“I don’t know how you keep all
those sticky notes on your desk...
But, I’m sure one of them has our
next breakthrough!”
– Phyllis, Product Marketing
“You inspired me to read my Kindle
more than I play Call of Duty.”
– Craig, Communications Manager
31
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Are you like Paul?
Titles:
EVP of Sales, Enterprise Sales Leader, Divisional Leader
Objectives:
Set overall vision and direction, design and deploy teams, create
alignment between sales and marketing organizations, bring in
the revenue
Challenges:
20% of team producing 80% of results, new acquisitions are
difficult to integrate into legacy teams, faster time to results for
new products and solutions
How can I
inspire my
team?
Paul
aka EVP of Sales,
Enterprise Sales Leader,
or Divisional Leader
32
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Insight:
Top executives feel pressure from both inside and outside the organization to make changes with solid ROI.
Unfortunately, those pressures are often not aligned toward the same objectives. Strategies are set that
promise growth, but the very people charged with implementing them may not be equipped to deliver. The
board room is filled with What to do, but the sales team increasingly needs new tools to carry out
the How.
	 Encouraging sales and marketing executives to become sales enablers is a great step toward getting the
sales team to implement the company’s growth strategies. That’s not to say the process is easy. It requires
support from all levels of the organization. But, Paul provides a great example of how vital executive support
is in executing change in the field.
“Hey Paul thanks for not firing me
this year... No. Seriously. [gulp]
Thanks for not firing me”
– Jack, Northeast Sales Manager
“To Paul! He could sell a moon rock
to Neil Armstrong. He could sell ice
to an Eskimo. He could sell…”
“Shut up Phil! You suck up.”
– Phil (with help from the rest of the
Sales Managers)
“I’ve been Paul’s admin for 7 years,
and one of these days I’ll get him
to slow down.”
– Paula, Executive Assistant
33
The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge
Coming Soon to the Charlie Chronicles...
The Virtual Watercooler
Watch Charlie learn about mobile tools
and the virtual sales community.
The Whiteboard Experience
Follow Charlie as he perfects the use of
whiteboarding in his conversations.
The Challenger Sale
See Charlie realize that the Challenger
Sale is great, but still not enough.

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Insight Challenge eBook

  • 1. 1 The Insight Challenge The First Installment of the Charlie Chronicles © 2013 DSG Consulting. All Rights Reserved.
  • 2. 2 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Meet Charlie. Charlie Cooper is a seasoned sales rep at Centrift Systems, Inc. and is just arriving at his annual sales conference. He’s a 40-something who’s been with the company for 10 years and made his quota nearly every year. “I wish I could skip the pep talk this morning and get an early tee time with the guys,” he thinks. This mood reveals that, while Charlie has had success in the past, he’s been on auto-pilot for the last several years. He’s relied on established relationships, conventional approaches, and his power of persuasion to make his numbers each quarter. This has been okay for Charlie but not ideal for Centrift, as Charlie targets departmental levels in the existing base instead of pursuing new and larger opportunities. And, if Charlie is honest, especially as he looks at his pipeline for the next year, he would realize that it’s been harder and harder to hit his numbers. In fact, he’s waiting for an e-mail from his biggest client to confirm he hit his numbers for Q4 as everyone sits down for the keynote from the EVP of Sales, Paul Stanton. Living in a Virtual World (about to check phone for info on his big deal) Top Performer (but on auto-pilot) Charlie Q4 Pipeline
  • 3. 3 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “Hey Charlie,” his buddies say as he finds his usual table of friends, “did you get any word from George about the contract renewal?” “Thanks for asking, man. I was…” At that moment his phone buzzes with a new e-mail. “Dear Charlie, etc., etc…Thanks for coming by recently, etc., etc…I know we’ve been tight for many years…but I’m sorry to tell you, etc., etc….Please touch base with me next year, etc., etc..” “Holy #$%&!” Charlie says. “What?” his buddy asks. “I just lost my biggest client.” “Man…sorry bro!” Just as Charlie starts to explain the e-mail, Charlie’s boss’s boss begins to speak so he does his best to keep his cool.
  • 4. 4 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “I’m proud to be the Sales Leader of Centrift,” Paul starts out, “a company with one of the longest histories in the industry. We’ve enjoyed many years of steady growth. But, as many of you have sensed, our competition has intensified, our margins are tighter, and our products are in jeopardy of becoming commodities. So it is time to innovate and seize this opportunity.” Charlie shifts in his chair a bit. This isn’t the kind of tone he is used to at these conferences. Paul continues, “The game has changed. If we want growth we must sell higher in our accounts; we must sell earlier in buying cycles; we must lead with ‘insight,’ not functions and features.” Charlie is really lost now. But, he notices Paul really has everyone’s attention. You can hear a pin drop in the meeting room. Sell Higher Engage Earlier Lead with InsightHere we go again... I'm glad I'm retiring I wonder if my luggage arrived
  • 5. 5 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “So what do I mean by this?” Paul says as he opens up a few slides. “First, you must understand the market better. There are drivers, trends, and pressures that present great pains and opportunities for top- level executives. Second, you must understand your audience much better. We will be challenging each one of you to reach much higher in the organization and know the buyer personas like the back of your hand. Buying cycles typically end up in the hands of C-level executives, LOB leaders, and other stakeholders. So, with those two components, first, market knowledge and second, customer knowledge, you will be well on your way to leading with ‘Insight.’” There was that word again! Charlie leans over to his buddies now with a look like, “What the heck is going on here?” They just shrug back and look as bewildered as Charlie.
  • 6. 6 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “What is ‘Insight’?” Paul asks rhetorically. “First of all, executives do not want to hear that your product is ‘groundbreaking’ or see 50 slides on the inner workings of what you are selling. They are looking for engaging conversations that are relevant to their world, their business, their competitors, their markets, etc. Executives don't want to be asked what's keeping them up at night. How should they look at those problems? Which opportunities should they pursue? Which risks should they avoid? I read a Harvard Business Review article that put it this way: ‘Rather than finding out how your client’s executives currently view the problem, determine how they should view it.’” Charlie was now mentally going through his roster of top customers. “They are too low-level to even think about a conversation like this,” he thinks to himself. Traditional solution selling is based on the premise that salespeople should lead with open-ended questions designed to surface recognized customer needs. Insight-based selling rests on the belief that salespeople must lead with disruptive ideas that will make customers aware of unknown needs. July - August 2012
  • 7. 7 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “I know we have a big agenda today. So let me net it out for you with a practical checklist as you generate new insights for top-level executives. A good insight should: (1) be verifiable and factual (executives appreciate specifics), (2) challenge the current mindset or approach that executive is employing or considering, (3) evoke certain emotions from the executive (skepticism, curiosity, disbelief), and (4) elicit a response like, ‘isn’t that a problem that I should be addressing?’ Paul pauses and goes over each one as the still-subdued crowd looks on and calculates what it would mean for their book of business. “Our new CMO, Laura Oliver, has a very detailed roadmap to take us forward. After the break, she will go deeper into this topic. I trust our strategy for next year will become a part of our new culture. With her help, I know we will be hearing great stories from the field.” Verifiable? Challenging? Emotional Connection? Elicits a Response? Insight Checklist
  • 8. 8 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Charlie and his buddies sit frozen through the rest of Paul’s segment. At the break, Charlie jumps out of his chair and makes a beeline for Paul (VP of Sales). Charlie has known Paul for 10 years, so he feels like he can be direct with him. “Paul, what’s going on here?!” Charlie asks. “I know my customers, and they buy a relationship with me, not ‘whatever-you-were talking-about’ up there.” “Don’t worry, Charlie!” Paul responds. “You are in good hands with Laura. She’s a true sales enabler and won’t just dump a bunch of marketing-speak on you. I specifically asked her to invite you to her upcoming sales messaging workshop so you could be a part of her core team.” Paul waits as Charlie stands there tongue-tied. Charlie is thinking about how he just missed quota for the first time in 10 years and his pipeline isn’t that great either. Maybe this is an opportunity? “Okay, Paul. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But, if I don’t…” “Good, Charlie!” Paul interrupts. “I knew I could count on you. I’ve got to run.” As Paul walks away, Charlie shouts out one final question. “Hey Paul, what the heck is a sales messaging workshop?” What have I agreed to?
  • 9. 9 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Meet Laura. Laura Oliver comes with a strong resume from multiple past roles, including Centrift’s competitors. The last CMO only lasted 11 months before they fired him. She knows that comes with the territory. Yeah, she has some things to prove here and she’s used to a challenge. Laura knows how to bring the right players to the table and facilitate good alignment. She’s a change agent, a game changer, a…Oh! The last of the attendees have arrived at her first Sales Messaging Workshop, so it’s time to ‘turn it on.’ She starts her opening session by saying, “Will we keep relying on selling more and more products for growth? As our margins decrease, I know many are forced to sell more and more just to maintain the earnings you had the previous year. We will not sustain our business that way. The game has changed. We want exponential growth. And if we want exponential growth, we must capture the value of solving higher level problems—problems faced by the top levels of a customer organization.” Change Agent (ready to tackle challenges) Laura Engaging (initiates great dialogue)
  • 10. 10 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “I’m sorry, Laura!” Charlie interjects. “I’m confused. I’m starting to get ‘what’ you want, but definitely not ‘how.’” Laura doesn’t appreciate being called out so early in the process, but decides to use the objection to her advantage instead of getting defensive. “Yes, Charlie. Tell me if this helps.” She searches quickly and presents a slide. “Insight is like a meal you might make in your kitchen. And like all good meals, you need a recipe book to know‘how to make it. So over the next few days we are going to make that recipe book. That’s why we have brought together our best thinkers and leaders across sales, marketing, and products to capture their insights. We have also brought in outside resources.”
  • 11. 11 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge At this point Laura (CMO) introduces Ben, the sharp sales messaging consultant she’d worked with in several previous sales enablement programs. Ben and Laura have great synergy. Ben drives the process and facilitates the collaboration. Laura maintains good sponsorship for the project and challenges the team to create better than ‘me-too’ messaging. “With your help, Ben will be creating our recipe book or ‘playbook’ that will include ‘conversation-ready’ content in 3 core areas: What to Know (before the conversation), What to Say (during the conversation), What to Show (during the conversation). How does that sit with you, Charlie? Would that be of value to you as you prepare for meetings?” “Well,” Charlie says, “considering the fact that I wing it half the time, I think this might help a bit!” Everyone laughs as Charlie lightens the mood with a little self- deprecating humor. Ben Drives the Process (facilitating collaboration) Know Say Show
  • 12. 12 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “Thanks, Charlie! Listen everyone; let me drive home a previous point about ‘conversation ready.’” Ben says. “We are going to avoid the trap of building a playbook focused on ‘one-way communication.’ While playbooks should be thorough enough to provide adequate preparation, their purpose is not to rehearse a monologue. Rather, reps can use them to review the content shortly before the meeting to get ready for an engaging dialogue between a sales rep and an executive. It’s not a monologue. It’s a dialogue. It’s not a pitch. It’s a process. It’s not a presentation. It’s a conversation.We will include an actual conversation plan template as one way to do this. (Ben shows an example.) Reps can use the conversation plan to tailor messages, questions, and materials going into the customer meeting.” Conversation Plan Name: Key Trends Why Change? Why Now? Why Centrift? Next Steps Here's one of the practical tools you can use
  • 13. 13 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge So Ben leads the team over the next few days building, arguing, and collaborating. Sometimes the group is as quiet as the public library. Other times it is like a WWF cage match with participants debating key issues. It’s important for Laura to get a quick win early on in her new role at Centrift, so she wants to keep things positive. During breaks, she coaches Ben to facilitate in a way that allows good debate without letting any particular person dominate or squelch new ideas. They get through the ‘What to Know’ section by identifying several key market trends and some key insights around them (thanks to some key marketing leaders who attended). The customer-facing sales people give good case studies that help provide the ‘What to Say’ content that is tailored directly to the key audience profiles they identify. Then they go to the ‘What to Show’ section. Everyone quickly grabs their favorite slide decks and start to ask for the projector cable. “Hold on, everyone!” Laura interjects. “I had something else in mind.” HI-YA
  • 14. 14 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “During the last few years, Ben has been developing an approach that uses a whiteboard vs. Powerpoint to drive a conversation. It quickly establishes the meeting as a two-way dialogue as people stand up, move around, and craft a meaningful dialogue. This puts an end to a conventional one-way ‘show and tell.’ The whiteboard is used to provide a framework or a model for the executive; problems are shown and solved through a picture.” The whiteboard makes Charlie think of a classroom, but he quickly sees how this tool brings an ingenuity and originality to executive conversations that his conversations often lack. “So Ben, I’ll let you get everyone started.” “Thanks, Laura! Everyone stand up and go to your assigned whiteboard as we start to brainstorm about what kinds of models, pictures, etc., will capture common problems. Our models need to be simple, compelling, and present enough flexibility for your customers to adapt them to their specific environment. Here are some basic ideas I’ve collected from over the years.” vs. Engaged Asleep Slide 631 blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blah blabity blahblah blah Step 10 Step 11 Step 12 Step 13 Step 14 blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blah blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabity blah blahblah blah Process from slide 645 blah blabity blahblah blah blah blabi- ty blahblah blah blah blabity blah
  • 15. 15 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge It is quite amusing to watch PowerPoint button- pushers try to become the DaVincis of sales. There are models, stick figures, and bullet points. People trade markers and try to find a central visual framework. Laura and Charlie grab 10 minutes in the back and study a few kernels from the top 3 groups and start doodling on Laura’s pad. “Okay, everyone, let’s bring things back together,” Ben says. “Laura and I have seen some good things and have some ideas of our own.” Laura then takes center stage. She explains what she calls the customer “dilemma” and how that should drive the whiteboard model. She then does a quick role play, with Ben playing the customer. The whole group, including Charlie, sits there and nods several times as they reflect on ‘real life’ situations that seemed to relate. This could really change the game. Everyone is impressed with Ben and Laura’s ability to synthesize and uplift the team’s ideas. Dilemma
  • 16. 16 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Things are really coming together now. By the last day, they have a good timeline in place to refine the content and push it out in the field. After all this hard work, Charlie pushes back his chair and thinks back over the last few months. At the beginning, he was beyond skeptical of this new approach. But now, by utilizing the playbook to prepare for the conversation, Charlie has confidence in his ability to communicate the story and ask the right questions. He feels prepared to offer a few compelling insights and navigate the conversation. But he has one lingering concern: Will he be able to turn his pipeline around? Only time will tell. I got this. Then Now
  • 17. 17 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Just as he is packing up to head out, his phone buzzes again. “Oh no!” He thought. “I can’t handle another lost deal by e-mail!” It is an e-mail from an executive assistant from a new prospect. He nervously opens the e-mail and starts reading. “Dear Charlie…we’ve received your many e-mails and voice mails…Jim has 30 minutes next Tuesday if you are still interested…please let me know…” Wow! He can’t believe he won that meeting. Now it is time to pull out that conversation plan and get ready!
  • 18. 18 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Meet Jim. Meet Jim Minkens, the SVP at Data Goldmine Inc, a data integration company in Charlie’s territory. Jim is overwhelmed. He’s new to this job, but a veteran at the company. The CEO has charged him with ambitious objectives to innovate, develop, and commercialize new sources of revenue for the company. But, he is finding the company’s technology consistently presents road blocks to accomplishing the task. When Jim’s assistant notifies him that Charlie Cooper from Centrift has arrived, he is less than enthusiastic. “Seriously?! Did I agree to that appointment?” “Yes, you did,” his assistant reminds him. Jim fires back, “I don’t have time for a meeting with some sales guy wanting to lock me into an annual contract. Send him in... but call me in five minutes so I can get out of it.” Is it Friday yet? Jim Overwhelmed (needs constant stream of caffeine)
  • 19. 19 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Now, the rubber meets the road. Charlie has his first meeting since the creation of the playbook. He’s equipped, but nervous. As he waits, he reviews the last of his notes and research about Jim’s company and their key challenges. Jim comes out and greets Charlie. They walk briskly into Jim’s office, and Jim goes to what he affectionately refers to as his “PowerPoint chair”—a chair positioned just right for him to read emails while a sales person shows endless PowerPoint slides. But then Jim notices that Charlie doesn’t appear to even have a laptop with him? He doesn’t pull out product specs? He doesn’t carry a stack of promotional brochures? Instead, he walks over to the whiteboard and asks Jim if he can draw on it. “I find it’s helpful if we can both visualize what we’re talking about.” Jim sits, a bit stunned at first, as Charlie shows a genuine understanding of his situation. This isn’t a pitch—it’s a conversation. What a pleasant surprise! An image starts to take shape on the whiteboard that summarizes Jim’s predicament in a manner clearer than Jim has ever been able to articulate it. As Charlie and Jim begin to discuss solutions, the assistant rings Jim to bring the meeting to an end. Interesting!
  • 20. 20 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge “No, I’m fine. . . Charlie and I have more to talk about.” Jim stands up and takes the marker and adapts the model to take it to the next level. Charlie listens and makes a few suggestions based on Jim’s additions. He’s very careful not to let the conversation descend to pricing, features, and functions (things that would be a sales pitch more than a provocation). Time runs out, and Jim’s next appointment arrives. Jim can’t believe how much they have accomplished in 30 minutes-- he would have actually paid for the insight Charlie gave him. “So, Charlie, where do we go from here? What are our next steps?” Normally this is when Charlie would talk dollars. But, Charlie doesn’t try to make a speedy sale to Jim— that’s not the objective. His objective is for Jim to become his sponsor. Here's how I see it I've got him hooked
  • 21. 21 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge ‘Sponsorship’ is the purpose of a meeting like this one between Charlie and Jim. And gaining sponsorship was one of the key components of the sales playbook. An executive’s sponsorship gives Charlie access and opportunity to focus on building a business case, developing a solution recommendation, and gaining internal support for the approach. If marketing leaders like Laura are successful, reps like Charlie increase their confidence in (1) delivering the right messages, (2) effectively leading executive conversations, and (3) leveraging those conversations into ‘executive sponsorship.’ “Sure,” Charlie says. “Let me paint a picture for you.” Then Charlie lays out a series of action items for what sponsorship will mean for Jim for the next 90 days. Jim asks some questions, offers details about his team, and sets some milestones for the next meeting. Jim doesn’t need anything more to see the value in what Centrift provides and offers to sponsor Charlie for meetings with executives throughout the organization. Jim instructs his assistant to find another time to meet and Charlie says he’d be happy to continue the conversation. Charlie leaves more encouraged than ever before. This is going to be great!
  • 22. 22 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Later, Jim continues to ponder the meeting. Fortunately, his whiteboard is still full of the insights they discussed. He calls in colleagues, including some Senior VPs, to take a look at the whiteboard. It starts to clarify some strategic issues within the division and beyond. Meanwhile, Charlie reaches out to the various stakeholders that Jim identified and begins to build the right solution approach. At each point, Charlie goes back to Laura and her team for resources, tools, etc., to help him stay ‘sales ready.’ Then, after many milestones have been reached, Jim signs a multi-year deal with Charlie…his biggest deal ever! Now I get it! I never throught about it that way
  • 23. 23 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge With each conversation, Charlie prepares with his playbook and continues to improve. He’s learned that preparation is the crux of the executive meeting. Most salespeople cannot improvise an entire sales conversation that delivers valuable insight and expect stellar results. He reflects back on the realities of his past 10 years with Centrift. It’s taken a while, but he’s learned a critical lesson: while staff and mid-level management audiences are not to be neglected, buying cycles typically end up in the hands of top-level executives. When salespeople like Charlie seek an audience with the right executives early in the buying process, the trajectory of the opportunity can quickly shift in the right direction. And those executives need “Insight.” Leading with insight means bringing in fresh ideas and supplying new approvals to change the way the customer thinks about their business. CXO
  • 24. 24 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Fast Forward To Next Year’s Sales Conference Paul Stanton, the EVP of Sales, is gleaming in the front row as his CEO gives the keynote speech. Centrift is on a new trajectory with a record-breaking 15% growth to back it up. To get there, they needed the decisive, strategic moves he made. One of those key decisions was to partner with Laura. It’s easy for sales leaders to trivialize the value of their marketing peers. Paul embraced it and made a powerful ally in Laura. Laura looks down at her phone to see a text message from Paul saying, “Congratulations! You are the sales enabler I knew you could be.” Laura smiles back and checks her calendar for next week. Laura is currently in high demand as a speaker on how to enable sales teams. She’s now outlasted the last CMO and is a vital part of the executive team. Great year, everyone! Paul Laura Charlie
  • 25. 25 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Charlie’s phone buzzes too, and he looks down. He’s finally gotten over his anxiety every time an e-mail comes in. He then looks over at Laura to give her a nod as well. Laura and Charlie have more training sessions planned with new hires to get them acquainted with the updated playbook. As he glances down at next year’s pipeline, one thing is for sure: he doesn’t miss the days of relationship- focused, low-level sales meetings. Accounts Opportunities Search Pipeline Leads Contacts Your Pipeline App 23
  • 26. 26 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge And what about Jim? He’s in his office conducting a reference call for Centrift. “It really all started with a meeting I had with Charlie,” Jim says, “Charlie didn’t sell me products. Charlie didn’t interrogate me with questions. Charlie brought ‘insight.’” By the way, Jim is now quite a hero internally, and he is talked up quite a bit in meetings across his organization. Jim’s efforts resulted in a major initiative, helping Data Goldmine speed innovation and increase revenue. Jim was recently promoted to a higher executive position within his company and is respected as a change agent who is vital to the organization’s future. He knows he has Charlie to thank. The End. Thanks, Charlie!
  • 27. 27 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Are you like Charlie? Titles: Senior Sales Rep, Enterprise Sales Rep, Account Executive, Account Manager Objectives: Expand his book of business, reach higher into existing accounts, create relationships with C-Level executives who can sponsor larger, enterprise deals Challenges: Relies too heavily on a ‘relationship’ sell, tougher expectations from his Sales Leader, skepticism that his new approaches will work Living in a Virtual World (about to check phone for info on his big deal) Top Performer (but on auto-pilot) Charlie Q4 Pipeline
  • 28. 28 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Insight: Sales reps face a difficult reality. Business as usual is now not so predictable—having a good product and moving it out the door is no longer a given. Buying decisions are being made based on perceived value. If competing on price, the sales rep’s product becomes just a commodity—that won’t sustain business for long. The rep is the one who can actually provide the added value. By moving from product and features selling to insight selling, it’s possible to grow a sales pipeline even in difficult times. Just as Charlie learned, the conversation that goes with insight selling usually occurs at high levels in a company. Even if a sales rep lacks a sales enabler like Laura, it is possible to use the concepts Charlie learned to prepare for higher level sales meetings. “Here’s to the guy who can always get me tickets to the game!” – Jack, Charlie’s golf buddy and fellow salesman “I wish I could work so little and make as much as you!” – Julie, 2nd year sales rep “Hey Charlie! If you beat my numbers next year again, I’m going to kick your #$@!” – Bob, Senior Sales Rep for 15 years with Centrift
  • 29. 29 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Are you like Laura? Titles: CMO, VP of Marketing, VP of Products/Solutions, VP of Field Marketing, VP of Product Marketing Objectives: Provide ‘sales ready’ tools and resources to the field, create solutions suites that can integrate both new and existing offerings Challenges: Tension between sales and marketing organizations, existing documentation and insight is scattered across too many organizational silos, limited bandwidth to get it all done Change Agent (ready to tackle challenges) Laura Engaging (initiates great dialogue)
  • 30. 30 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Insight: The end game for marketing executives like Laura is to shift the entire organization from their existing comfort zones to the types of conversations that align with the marketing strategy, connect to current marketing campaigns, and create sales results. Charlie is proof that it’s worth the effort. Keeping the focus on the outcome of different types of selling conversations will help marketing focus on building the right content and tools that will enable the field and partners with practical support. Laura made sure Charlie and the rest of the team understood that gaining executive sponsorship is critical in the sales process. “To the first Female President of the United States!” – Teresa, Brand Manager “I don’t know how you keep all those sticky notes on your desk... But, I’m sure one of them has our next breakthrough!” – Phyllis, Product Marketing “You inspired me to read my Kindle more than I play Call of Duty.” – Craig, Communications Manager
  • 31. 31 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Are you like Paul? Titles: EVP of Sales, Enterprise Sales Leader, Divisional Leader Objectives: Set overall vision and direction, design and deploy teams, create alignment between sales and marketing organizations, bring in the revenue Challenges: 20% of team producing 80% of results, new acquisitions are difficult to integrate into legacy teams, faster time to results for new products and solutions How can I inspire my team? Paul aka EVP of Sales, Enterprise Sales Leader, or Divisional Leader
  • 32. 32 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Insight: Top executives feel pressure from both inside and outside the organization to make changes with solid ROI. Unfortunately, those pressures are often not aligned toward the same objectives. Strategies are set that promise growth, but the very people charged with implementing them may not be equipped to deliver. The board room is filled with What to do, but the sales team increasingly needs new tools to carry out the How. Encouraging sales and marketing executives to become sales enablers is a great step toward getting the sales team to implement the company’s growth strategies. That’s not to say the process is easy. It requires support from all levels of the organization. But, Paul provides a great example of how vital executive support is in executing change in the field. “Hey Paul thanks for not firing me this year... No. Seriously. [gulp] Thanks for not firing me” – Jack, Northeast Sales Manager “To Paul! He could sell a moon rock to Neil Armstrong. He could sell ice to an Eskimo. He could sell…” “Shut up Phil! You suck up.” – Phil (with help from the rest of the Sales Managers) “I’ve been Paul’s admin for 7 years, and one of these days I’ll get him to slow down.” – Paula, Executive Assistant
  • 33. 33 The Charlie Chronicles: The Insight Challenge Coming Soon to the Charlie Chronicles... The Virtual Watercooler Watch Charlie learn about mobile tools and the virtual sales community. The Whiteboard Experience Follow Charlie as he perfects the use of whiteboarding in his conversations. The Challenger Sale See Charlie realize that the Challenger Sale is great, but still not enough.