The leader of our Maritime, Energy and Government team, Erik Carlsen, conducted a series of methodology training sessions to successfully close new deals and deliver an exceptional customer experience. Using the framework of “the hero’s journey” story arc, Erik showed how the client is the hero of our business saga, with YOU as the trusted guide to help navigate a daunting pathway through information technology decisions. At the end of that journey, success for the hero/client—defined as choosing a solution to meet their corporate needs, coupled with a delightful partnership experience—will translate to success for us.
Here’s a summary of the steps Erik outlined with links to the video presentations.
Day 1
Setting the Stage for a Successful Sale (47 min)
Prepare to succeed: Behaviors precede mindset, not the other way around. Act and do things differently and your mind will follow. Know your role: You are only a guide in service to the customer. Share in the client’s desires and enroll others in your vision of the solution.
As a guide, understand that:
- The client’s perception is our reality
- If they could solve their own problem, they would
- What other options do they have? Know what else is available
Winging it is no longer a successful strategy to win deals: We need a methodology to ensure that what we do is successful, not a one-off chance.
Day 2
Revisiting the Hero’s Journey (60 min)
The hero and his quest is our common language in business sales. You are not the hero; you are merely the guide helping our hero on their journey. The story arc:
- Meet our hero
- The hero has a problem, and meets the villain
- The hero finds their guide (You)
- The guide unveils the plan forward, with obstacles to overcome
- The hero’s climactic moment is followed by one of two outcomes:
- Failure without taking our recommended action
- Success with us
Every customer-facing and internal operations team uses the hero’s journey to maintain a customer-centric solution mindset to serving clients. By using a consistent framework, we streamline and simplify the sales communication, and this gives us a universal context across the business.
Day 3
WAVES Method, Part 1 (53 min)
The WAVES (workshop, assessment, validation, enterprise architecture, solution as software) system is a proven methodology focused on analysis before prescription and investment in partnership with the customer.
WAVES is valuable for both parties
-For the client, the process provides a chance to evaluate investments, identify gaps/risks and focus improvements on criticality and not suppliers’ upgrade paths
-For Anuvu, the process offers client discovery in their own words, identifies “serious” prospects vs shoppers, builds rapport/trust, identifies new opportunities with existing customers, and creates relationship “stickiness”
- Make WAVES personal: Internalize the process with your own challenge and solution
- The WAVES process is about the hero—not us
- Put the customer at the center of the Value Proposition
- Understand their specific goals (Listening to goals reveals their pain points)
- Only when the Hero’s desires are revealed does the Wise Guide have a role to play
Day 4
WAVES, Part 2 (48 min)
Understanding your client’s business is OUR business.
-What is the client’s core competency? (Note: If it’s remote satellite connectivity or entertainment distribution, avoid that lead.)
-Realize that nearly every business outsources some function(s)
-Emphasize the complexity/importance of your competency so client can offload the burden
WAVES can achieve literal “buy-in” from a prospective client:
With WAVES, demand your value with the client
WAVES leads to a specific “call to action” for the prospective client
Day 5
Prospecting Tactics for a Modern World (66 min)
Prospecting starts with a customer’s problem and understanding that problem. But to solve their problem you must know the customer’s mission and its connection to the problem.
Build your messaging guide with a repeatable message to help prospect
- Talk about the problem
No one listens until you’re discussing a problem they actually have
- Give a solution to the problem you just stated
Make it short, let them know if you can help solve the problem, don’t waste their time, and don’t let them waste your time.
- Share the happy ending with how they will feel
Be the expert guide. How do people know you’re a guide? Self-promotion is encouraged:
1. Write a book on your subject area (You literally “wrote the book on…”)
2. Write a blog or record a video series
3. Speak at an industry event
4. Host a local luncheon/happy hour
5. Be active in your communities Facebook group
6. Send a customer newsletter
7. Create awards for yourself to be recognized
