Sales Methodology Issues – Symptoms and Causes
Methodology Issues
- Methodology issues will persist if no sales methodology exists.
- Lack of structure and guidance?
- Lack of a proven Sales Process?
- Inconsistent classification of an Opportunity and how to promote it to the next level?
- Lack of disciplined training and execution of a practicable methodology?
- Lack of tools to effectively and efficiently qualify an Opportunity?
- Lack of measurement techniques and metrics?
- Misuse of the term ‘Prospect’?
- Wasting time and effort on unqualified Leads?
- Manipulating the Sales Pipeline as the basis of the Sales Forecast?
- Lack of an Opportunity Management System?
A Sales Strategy, by definition, will identify and describe a chosen Sales Methodology. The Sales Methodology serves to guide the engagement approach. It determines the measurement metrics to be applied. It provides a common set of terminology to classify Opportunities, so that everyone speaks the same language. Without the vital Sales Methodology the Sales Strategy cannot be executed successfully.
There are many methodologies available for sales engagements, but frequently these don’t fit the bill in significant B2B engagements. Some of their shortcomings are:
- Only focusing on the Sales Cycle by ignoring the Buying Cycle.
- Emphasising the ‘Art of Sales’ and not the Science.
- Employing mediocre qualification practices.
- Promoting hackneyed sales gimmicks
- Viewing the Sales Engagement through rose coloured sale’s lenses and not from the buyer’s perspective.
- They tend to target commoditised products sales and not complex solutions.
Of course there are also some excellent methodologies and we have reviewed many of these. Most seem to promote incremental improvement. We favour rapid transformation through impactful change – a methodology that will make an impact immediately as well as improve performance incrementally.
The aQuity Methodology is based on many decades of actual experience and research. By adhering to its guiding principles a disciplined approach is fostered. It promotes professionalism, avoids wasted time and effort as well as supports the practices of adept Closers. The basis of the aQuity Methodology is a combination of the experiential and qualitative knowledge with a liberal admixture of critical analysis of an Opportunity, resulting in a quantitive probability of success. It serves to provide:
👁️ Reality as opposed to guesswork and wishful thinking
👁️ A guide and roadmap during an engagement
👁️ The avoidance of uncertainties in the Sales Forecast in favour of credibility and accuracy
👁️ A clear delineation and separation between the contents of the Sales Pipeline and that of the Sales Forecast
👁️ A common and mutually understood terminology
👁️ The catalyst for critical thinking
👁️ The development of professional engagement practices
👁️ A credible mechanism to neutralise the competition
👁️ The structured means of acquiring and retaining quality Clients
👁️ The avoidance of wasted effort, wasted valuable selling time and unnecessary resource allocation
👁️ The focussed effort on real Opportunities – doing what matters
👁️ The identification of potential opportunities for diversification and innovation
👁️ Above all, increased individual and organisational confidence in the engagement process
The aQuity Methodology is accompanied by the aQuity Opportunity Management app, which facilitates the application of the disciplines – with ease.