Sales Is a Team Sport

Sales Is a Team Sport

Aligning the Players With the Playbook

John Fuggles
Sales Is a Team Sport: Aligning the Players With the Playbook

Copyright © Business Expert Press, LLC, 2023.

Cover design by Rakib Hasan

Interior design by Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd., Chennai, India

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

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First published in 2022 by

Business Expert Press, LLC
222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.businessexpertpress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-292-2 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-293-9 (e-book)

Business Expert Press Selling and Sales Force Management Collection

First edition: 2022

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 To my wife and my daughter.
For their encouragement and support.
 Description
We see teamwork in every sphere of business, so why should sales be
any different?

Sales is a critical part of any business, whether for survival or to grow and
scale. Often salespeople are seen as independent hunters and farmers, but
that would be wrong. Salespeople may be the tip of the spear when it
comes to winning business, but great sales success is built on teamwork.

This book sets out to identify the key components and helps the reader
understand what it takes to build the best team from people, skills, pro‑
cesses, technology, and systems. B
­ roken down into chapters that cover
everything from the sales process and m ­ anaging o­ pportunities, to the
important role played by marketing, and why CRM is not just ­software.

Sales is a team sport. Like all team sports there are those that play on
the field and those that work to help the team perform. In any organiza‑
tion everyone plays a part. In the field of sales, understanding how this
all comes together will not only help any company, but also anyone that
reads the book and wants to get more out of their role, or move their
business forward and achieve greater sales success as a team.

The book is filled with personal anecdotes and real-life examples from
the author’s career in sales.

The author also provides regular updates and more opportunities to learn
via the book’s website: https://www.salesisateamsport.net/

Keywords
sales; selling; closing; funnel; sales funnel; buyer; challenger; conceptual
selling; customer centric selling; Ansoff matrix; Boston Consulting Matrix;
McKinsey Matrix; CAGE distance framework; Maslow hierarchy of
needs; 4Ps; 7Ps; marketing mix; content marketing matrix; CRM; CRM
systems; data; analytics; customers; renewals; referrals; opportunities;
viii Keywords

marketing; project; process; negotiating; play hard; coach; players; social

selling; sport; team; task/team/individual; budgeting; forecasting; success;
learning; failure; winback; anecdotes; stories; examples; winning; win;
win‑win; contracts; cross-sell; upsell; lose; customer satisfaction; CSAT;
NPS; customer loyalty; product lifecycle; market life cycle; manage­ment;
tools; systems; process; implementation; support; channel management;
winning team
 Contents
Preface��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xi
Acknowledgments���������������������������������������������������������������������������������xiii
Introduction����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xv

Chapter 1 The Sales Process��������������������������������������������������������������1

Chapter 2 The Product (Service)�����������������������������������������������������29
Chapter 3 Sales Opportunity Management�������������������������������������51
Chapter 4 Marketing�����������������������������������������������������������������������71
Chapter 5 Customer Satisfaction���������������������������������������������������101
Chapter 6 CRM Is an Attitude, Not a System�������������������������������119
Chapter 7 Channel Sales���������������������������������������������������������������139
Chapter 8 Building the Winning Team�����������������������������������������157

References�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������163
Companies and Organizations Mentioned in This Book������������������������165
About the Author��������������������������������������������������������������������������������169
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������171
 Preface
When I talk to colleagues, friends, and associates about sales and about
how to build a sales team and what that means, it often surprises me that
what seems obvious to me is less so to those who have not been at the
sharp end of sales. We all have within us so much that we know that we
assume everyone else also knows.
I have worked in sales, most of my working life as a salesperson, lead‑
ing a sales team, or in a consultative capacity. In that time, I have come
to understand what makes great salespeople and what makes a great sales
team and, more importantly you can have one without the other, but it
won’t last or won’t be as successful.
Encouraged by my wife I thought about writing a book. I mentioned
the idea to two friends, both of whom have achieved high status in their
careers. The response was the same, both had learned much from our con‑
versations over the years and both felt I should share that understanding
more widely.
Researching the book was as enjoyable as writing. Delving back into
books I had not read for some time to read again and finding new books
to learn from. Only a handful of these are credited within my book but,
to all those not mentioned, thank you for your contribution.
I hope the reader enjoys the anecdotes and takes forward new thoughts
and ideas they can develop and make their own. If sales is a team sport,
then the coaches need a coaching manual. I hope this forms part of your
coaching manual, whether for yourself or for your team.
 Acknowledgments
All the great salespeople and sales managers I have had the opportunity
to work with and all those that have worked for me and impressed me
with their sales skills. I have learned something from them all and am
still learning.
 Introduction
Sales IS a Team Sport
The best teams are built with individuals who work together for a
common purpose and are willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
Not seeking personal glory. Great teams are built when “the whole is
greater than the sum of its parts” (Aristotle). This applies to any field of
play and, in business, the field where you play is the battleground on
which business is won.
Winning does not happen immediately. Getting the right team
together to support each other and to win takes time. Even with the best
team there is no guarantee; it still takes effort, practice and occasionally,
more changes to the team or the starting line-up.
At their height, the Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan to lead the team,
but ably assisted by Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant both of whom
joined the Bulls in 1987. Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984 but
never won the championship until 1991. It took four years after the team
was assembled for the results to come. Even with the best players and the
best supporting players winning does not happen immediately.
The world of sport is littered with great teams and great individu‑
als that never won their ultimate prize. Winning is about fine margins,
attention to detail and great individuals, perhaps not always the best, and
the will to win. One great player may win the occasional spoil but it is
not sustainable.
George Best was, at the time, one of the best football players in the
world. Despite many challenges his touch on the pitch was legendary,
as was his personal life. In 1968, Best was awarded the title European
Footballer of the Year, yet throughout his entire 37 caps for his country
they never once qualified for the European Championships nor for the
World Cup of Football.
The best teams very often have some great players and star performers
but one individual stand-out player who disrupts the team or tries to
xvi Introduction

work alone may be fine for a short period but is not sustainable and may
lead to others leaving the team.
In U.S. Basketball, we think of great players and the impact they had,
but sometimes it is not always the positive impact that brings results or
causes damage to the team. Between 2005 and 2008, the Washington Wiz-
ards made it to the Play-offs. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were part
of the 2008/2009 team and both keen gamblers. A locker room incident in
2009, where they argued over gambling debts, and both drew guns on each
other, had a huge impact. Both were suspended and one never played in the
NBA again. After both players were suspended, the Wizards lost more games
than they won and never returned to the play-offs until 2014.
It is not just how you play to win as an individual within the team. It
is who you are and how you react and work with your colleagues and asso‑
ciates. Sales is a team sport, and it matters that the individuals within the
team work together both in the sales pursuit and more widely as a team.
But all teams need a way to play. We call this the Sales Process. The
tools you need are called Systems, such as presentation tools, competitor
analysis sheets, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and
reporting. Working together for the common goal requires understand‑
ing of what tactics work and what needs more work, what needs to be
changed and even if some of the team members need to be changed.

My boss came to talk to me about an existing account we had

within the company. The salesperson working the account had
been on it for a year and had managed to retain the business but
had not grown the account or secured much in the way of wins.

The Sales Manager went to see the Chief Operating Officer of the
company to find out why and wanted the client to be completely
open. Not only did the COO feel the salesperson was too focused
on his product and not on the needs of the customer he also did
not like him personally.

We all accept that business should be about what you do, what value
add you bring and your contribution more than your personality.
However, we are all human beings, and we are sociable animals,
 Introduction xvii

which means sometimes we get on with people, sometimes not.

Whether a personality clash had got in the way of a productive
partnership, or the different approaches led to the clash should
not matter, because it was not working for either party.

The sales Account Manager on the account was changed and I

inherited an account that was seen as going nowhere. In truth it
grew very little as opportunities were sparse but on a personal level
the relationship progressed and the cost of serving the account in
terms of time and effort reduced so there was a win there too.

Sometimes the team is not just the team within. The team that is the
client account and the sales team itself must also work as a partnership.
In John Adair’s book, The Action Centred Leadership we have become
used to seeing Task–Team–Leadership as the three elements of great lead‑
ership. These same principles apply to sales and how to build an effective
sales program in any business. The task is easily the sales pursuit and
all that goes with that to win the deal. The team and individual come
together to win. And this is shown in Figure I.1.
There are a myriad of books on sales and sales techniques, sales
methodologies, and sales skills development. Type “sales techniques” in
amazon.com and you have over 60,000 results to choose from. Different
markets and industries require different approaches and skill sets. Selling
an Airbus to a national carrier is somewhat different to selling photocopiers

Individual

Task Team

Figure I.1  The three elements of Action Centered Leadership

xviii Introduction

to a small office. Accepted there are many common elements, but there
are more differences in the style, the approach, the level of detail, the size
of the team, the duration, and much more besides. However, both require
a team, and both have a task to complete.
Team building can be simple and yet very effective, such as an evening
out or trip to the beach. It does not have to be a three-day wilderness
adventure and raft-building. However, it is widely recognized that team
building within a business is important; so it should also follow that team
building within the sales team is important. Very often this is confined
just to the sales team. It would be better for a wider team to be involved
in team building, the marketing team, and those that are actively engaged
in supporting the sales process and the pursuit of the sale.
Putting together the elements required of an organization to build an
effective sales engine requires an understanding of the task in detail and
the tools and systems to support that. It requires great players and ones
that can work as part of a team. Bringing that all together will deliver sus‑
tainable, repeatable wins and allow the company to continue developing
and tuning their product or service and the way they go about the sales
pursuit to even better results.
 CHAPTER 1

The Sales Process

Overview
Sales is a process. It has no start, it has no end, it just keeps going around
and around. But the sales process lets fly opportunities, some call pur-
suits, sometimes engagements or just plainly “a sale.” These are not part
of the process but are driven by the process whether that is your process,
or the process dictated by the customer, such as in a competitive tender
situation. The sales pursuit should be thought of more as a project.
In this chapter, we will address the different approaches for existing
or lapsed customers and how to identify and engage new conversations
with potential clients of the future. Knowing how to win over new cus-
tomers and how to demonstrate your value to existing customers are all
part of the sale. Often, we separate New Business Development as a role
from Account Management as a role. While there are many differences
and there are some different skill sets required, there is still considerable
overlap in how salespeople engage and control the conversation and how
salespeople remain focused on the prize they are seeking. Lose focus on
the ultimate objective and you cease to be a salesperson.
We will look at the Sales Funnel. There are many variations to the
funnel, but they all hold the same truth. How to manage many inter-
ests at the start to a deal at the end. How to sift and sort and manage
multiple pursuits to increase the chance of backing the winning horse
every time.
We will look at the difference between sales as a process and sales as
a single pursuit, or project; how to manage each of these Opportunities.
A keyword search throws up some, perhaps, surprising results. The ­Market
and The Process are significant elements of the sale. In sales, salespeople
often see processes as filling in CRM updates or box ticking to satisfy a
2 Sales Is a Team Sport

report, but for great salespeople Process is a vital tool to retain focus and
ensure consistent progress toward the goal.
The most exciting part of any sale should be when the customer has
a pen in hand and a document in front of them. Today perhaps there is
much less theater as remote selling, plus electronic documents, and signa-
tures, have replaced much of that. However, until that signature appears,
it is not a sale, it is not real, it is just an idea that the salesperson, and the
customer, want to realize.
In this chapter, we will look briefly at what happens after signature,
toward implementation and post go-live support. Sales may be about
winning but great salespeople are about much more than that. They are
about process, control, they are about focus and dogged determination.
The parallels between top athletes and top salespeople are many and those
that play as part of a team focus not only on the game at hand but the
future of the team and the season long after they have retired from the
field of play.

What Is the Sales Process?

The Sales Process is one part of a system. It has component parts such as
the Sales Funnel, the Pipeline, and works in parallel with CRM systems
or perhaps Opportunity Tracking Systems (OTS) and then has wrapped
around its skills, tools, techniques, data, products, and, of course, people.
When all is considered, a Sales Process is not so much a fast jet rather
a load of nuts and bolts flying in close formation. It may not always be
joined up, but these individual parts do seem to serve a common purpose
and work together.
According to Customer Centric Selling, the sales process is “a defined
set of repeatable, interrelated activities from market awareness through ser-
vicing customers that allows communication progress to date to others within
the company.”
Diagrams of a sales process are either a linear chart or a circle. Accept-
ing it is a process, the cyclical design makes more sense. What is often
drawn is not so much the process but the hub of an altogether more com-
plex series of processes and procedures leading to projects. Even before
the process starts, there is work to be done. In much the same way that
 The Sales Process 3

games are often won and lost long before the team gets on the pitch. But
let us start with the basics.
Some leads will be new and may have been acquired, they called you
or you called them—“cold calling”—to qualify them as a potential cus-
tomer. Other leads will be of or from existing accounts or from existing
contacts. So, let us start there.

Existing Customers
Existing customers we should also include lapsed customers and
long-standing contacts or companies that have never been customers.
Accepted they are not customers but the journey to make them a cus-
tomer begins at the same point.
A company that already buys a product or service from you is a great
place to start. We can sell them more stuff (one of my all-time favorite
words) and, if we do not have anything new to sell them, we can always
find a way to expand our portfolio or develop additional offerings that
may appeal.
Simply picking up the phone and telling a customer you have some-
thing new for them to buy is unlikely to win new business, or rather it
may but only on the rarest of occasions. Sales is about managing the
process, implementing the sales pursuit, and winning the deal. But, for
existing customers, at least we have a relationship as a good place to start.
Even if the customer is not happy with your current product or service
you at least have insight into their business and can turn a poor perfor-
mance to your advantage.
In the same way that we learn more from our failures than we do
success, a company that is experiencing difficulties with your product or
service will also see how you work to resolve it. They too will learn more
from your failures than your success. That is not to say you should set out
to fail! But it does mean you can take a bad situation and gain from it in
the long run.

I remember my first meeting with the Chief Information Officer

of a very well-known shipping company. I arrived at his office,
some three hours’ drive from home, looking forward to our first
4 Sales Is a Team Sport

meeting. He was an established account with my company, but I

was new in the role.

I was kept waiting a long time in the reception area. My first

thought was that he was putting into place some powerplay, letting
me know he was the boss. Eventually I was ushered to the lift,
through the IT department and into his office. His first comment:
“Don’t sit down, you’re not staying long.”

I was knocked back, that certainly was some powerplay, he was

expecting me to stand there while he ruled over me from behind a
very large desk in an equally large office.

What he said next explained everything. While I had been making

my way to their office his entire data network had crashed. He had
no way of sharing shipping manifests, cargo details and all other
pieces of critical data to his ports and to the authorities. The rea-
son he had not called in advance to tell me was lost and the reason
my office never called me is still unknown to this day.

I left his office, went to the nearest empty desk, and sat down.
I immediately set to work, finding out what happened, organizing
resources, working out alternative fixes, and keeping on top of
matters. None of this was my responsibility and, in truth, there
was little I could do to influence the course of events.

As the network came back up, bit by bit, I made sure I was always
fully informed. As we were about 80% there I walked back into
Chris’ office. Not knocking and not waiting for his PA to show
me in.

“Okay, as of right now we have 80% up and working” and gave

a short but accurate description of what we had achieved and
the believed cause of the issue. This was my powerplay. I showed
the CIO that I was in command of his account. I chose not to
knock because I knew how important this was and I wanted to
 The Sales Process 5

­ emonstrate my understanding of the situation in my manner as

d
much as the information I delivered.

I looked after that account for about another two years. Chris and
I met every Friday morning, he made the coffee, and I brought
the donuts. As an account we lapped up every order and grew the
revenues several-fold.

What won the day was how my company responded and, equally
importantly, how I “took control”—or at least that was the percep-
tion I created. My command of the situation and direct approach
showed Chris I was someone he could rely on and my company
would work doubly hard when there was an issue.

As a customer you only get to see the true commitment of a supplier

when things go wrong. Taking ownership, accepting failings, and going
beyond the outcome expectations of the customer will put you in a favor-
able light. But, be warned, failing, and reacting too slowly will not help.
Making the same mistake more than once is also not acceptable in most
Executives’ eyes too.
Within an existing account there will often be personnel changes over
time. It is important to keep good contact at different levels and across
the organization to build lasting relationships. Think of any client as a
matrix, make sure you have width in your coverage and depth within the
key departments.
There is no point having the Executives onside if the people tasked
with implementing and running what it is you sold simply refuse to use
it. Similarly winning the backing of the team required to run a system is
not going to help if the Executives do not know about you. Likewise hav-
ing one department backing you, even if it is the Procurement Depart-
ment, is not the best recipe for success either.
There are many systems and courses that will help you navigate
your way through complex organizations and give you the multiple
touch points that result in the stickiness you need. Once won, this
is account management. For accounts not yet won, this is good sales
opportunity management.
6 Sales Is a Team Sport

For larger sales organizations, new business sales and existing account
management are often separated. They not only require many of the
same skills but also require different skills and approaches. For existing
accounts, it becomes more important to understand the nature of the
relationships and nurture them for future growth. Identifying the next
sales opportunity with an established bridgehead is different to selling the
first product or solution to a new account.
For existing accounts, it is important to maintain a healthy relation-
ship with your client. Healthy does not mean pandering to the client.
Having the business conversations that allow you the insight into their
plans is important. Able to have an open dialogue and, at times, very hon-
est exchanges will stand in good stead for the long term. That does not
mean you have to play golf with them and take them to bars and restau-
rants just to curry favor. Indeed, too much of this and it can become tiring,
confusing, conflicting and, possibly even in breach of laws and regulations.
Business relationships are just that. They are business but they are also
a relationship. Getting to know what football team your contact supports
or what is their favorite pastime can be useful. Use it to your advantage
but do not overplay the hand.
Under various anti-bribery laws, accepting of gifts has now become
something that requires company sign-off, particularly if the gift has a
high price tag associated. In many countries there are limits to the value
amount that can be accepted. Note, however, in many such regulations
there is an exception for “local custom” and some people may even be
exempt from the regulations.
Take something as simple as a round of golf at your local club. Invite
some of your customers, perhaps to a tournament with other customers
and partners. What about those that do not play golf? What about those
that do but you have no room to invite? What if a competitor of theirs
trounces them on the greens? Not forgetting it also means they get, in
effect, a day off work. Sometimes the rub of the green is not out on the
links but back in the office.

The CIO of a large organization and client of mine was a keen

cricketer and loyal Australian. His right-hand-man was Indian
 The Sales Process 7

and very keen on supporting his nation in the upcoming ICC

Cricket World Cup.

I had organized for myself and a colleague to take us all to one of

the Cricket World Cup semi-finals. Australia and India: one of
them was bound to make the semi-finals; so it seemed like a good
idea. The match was in Edgbaston, so we had a couple of hours on
the train to get there, and after an evening meal, the last train back.

What we saw was New Zealand versus Pakistan. My work col-

league spent the entire day—and for several days before and many
after—laughing hysterically at how my plans had been completely
undone. On the day we had the “Ozzie” cheering on Pakistan and
the “Kiwis” being supported by a chap from India!

The customer took note to regularly remind me of the event. Even

after they stopped being a client I kept in touch, and it became
folklore. In truth it worked better that the two wrong teams were
playing that had it been Australia versus India!

Entertaining clients is an opportunity to find new and common

ground. It need not be taken too seriously and whatever the
outcome it should always leave a positive impression. In my
case I did become the butt of the joke, but it still served as a
great way to build a relationship, arguably more so as a result
of what happened.

It is only natural that we get on better with some people more than we
do others. Now imagine if you do not particularly like your customer—or
if they do not like you!
The occasional social event may be a good idea and being creative
is often seen as a better idea than blowing the budget. Some of the best
customer events I have held have ranged from taking people to the Open
Championship, Wimbledon, Formula 1. But equally impressive have
been lower-level motorsports where they got to meet the drivers, a simple
8 Sales Is a Team Sport

lunch/dinner, lake fishing, tickets to a local event, and even an evening

axe-throwing!
If your socializing bar is set high, then when it comes to a new sales
opportunity where do you go from there? Is the customer now on the
hook expecting to buy something? Have you made it too difficult for
them to say “no”?
If your competitors are in a race to win the client through their social
activities that does not mean you have to join the race. Build a rapport
but impress them with your knowledge and skills, your ability to under-
stand and help, not the size of your expense budget.
For any successful business-to-business (B2B) relationship, you do
need to socialize. Clients buy from people they like but they buy more
from people they trust. Building trust can be done in many ways and
having a good rapport. In Neil Strauss’ book, The Game and Rules of the
Game, he states: “Rapport equals Trust plus Comfort.”
If there is an emergency, a failure, or an opportunity then you will
need the trust of your customer. Build a rapport and you can earn
the trust.
Having taken care of the individuals we need also to manage the rela-
tionship with the business. Okay, so you cannot take the entire company
out for dinner if it is a large corporation and even if it is a small business
would you necessarily want to?
Keeping everyone informed of what you do. Keeping everyone aware
of your solutions, your successes, and the fact you are keen to continue
working with them.
The final piece of the customer relationship is related purely to
the individual and their career. It’s no different in any team sport.
You must know the opposition players, and the roles they play on the
field. If they came from another team, find out how they played there
and what position they undertook. If they get transferred out, find
where they go and compare the departing player with the new arrival.
Do this and, when a contact leaves a company, it potentially opens up
two opportunities.
If you never got on that well with a key contact perhaps their
replacement will fare you better. If you did get on exceptionally well
their replacement may become a threat, or worse. If they want to mark
 The Sales Process 9

their arrival, what better way than to make significant changes—and

that means you and your company’s products or services.
You may have your work cut out building and growing the new rela-
tionship. Start early with any replacement and build on past successes
and the history you have had with the company. If they want to make
changes, what better way than to give you more business at the cost to
your competitors, rather than the other way around. That depth of rela-
tionship in the department and the width across the business will help
you in achieving this.
In addition, a new opportunity now opens. Follow your previous
contact to his or her new company. The company may be different, the
role, geography, and their products and services too may all change but
keeping in touch may deliver rewards and perhaps not this time but
perhaps on the next move.
If you never got on that well with your contact do not assume it
will be the same this time. Try to reconnect and re-engage now that the
change has been made. Ask them for some honest feedback, it may be the
best thing you do and now you are no longer a supplier you might get a
lot more information that you did before.
New customers require products or services to be sold to them. Exist-
ing accounts typically require more situational selling rather than product
selling. Less presentations, more discussions; less need-now, more need-
next. Working with clients through this journey will help develop a good
sales approach to begin with and one that is sustainable thereafter.
The sales is a continuous pursuit but changes over time. A triathlon
is one race, but it requires only one skill at a time and in a set sequence.
Throughout the sales pursuit different skills are needed and different per-
sonalists to match that of the client. A salesperson plays many roles within
the target organization and may have to adopt different personas. Good
salespeople know how to navigate a complex organization, know how to
manage people, keep a balance between their employer needs and the
clients’ needs.
Some salespeople are very good at wearing all the hats required of
them but fail to close and win business, the most fundamental require-
ment of a salesperson. That does not make them a bad salesperson, they
perhaps have all the skills bar one and investing in personal development
10 Sales Is a Team Sport

could make them a great salesperson. Judging a salesperson on results is a

good assessment of the outcomes but if, in doing so, they leave a trail of
mess to be cleared up after the results may not justify the means.
When assessing the performance of a salesperson, careful attention
should be given to the complete set of skills required, different for account
management or for new business sales. Understanding the weak areas and
working with them to improve can take an average salesperson from good
to great.

I have worked with some exceptional salespeople. I have worked

with some that are very capable. I have worked with many that
have great talents in many areas but lack one or two key ingredi-
ents to be great salespeople. Often the challenge with salespeople
is not their ability, rather it is the ability of management to under-
stand the complexity of the role and invest in those areas that need
development.

Opportunity Management
We have, to some degree, already covered off the starting point for devel-
oping leads from existing customers. Nurturing that relationship so it
becomes easy to ask for the sale will help but there is still a lot that must
be done in managing a new opportunity.
A lead is a potential new sale in its absolute infancy. A lead often
requires patience and some care and attention. Anyone who has tended
a garden will know exactly how to manage leads and how to turn leads
into prospects.
In a garden, sowing seeds begins long before the start of summer. It is
hard work and there is little to show for it when all the hard work is being
done. Let us call that “marketing.” Any good gardener, whether growing
prize-winning pumpkins or simply a nice place to spend time with the fam-
ily spends time making sure the plants get just the right amount of nutri-
tion and water. Too much and they can die or grow too tall too quickly.
Keeping away the weeds and pests, stopping the crop from being
spoiled. Pulling out the weedier looking plants and giving others room to
 The Sales Process 11

grow, to focus on those that will offer the best and brightest blooms for
the longest time.
Lead Management is about putting the groundwork in to iden-
tify the best likely prospects for future growth. At the start you may
not know if your product is a good fit for their needs. However, you
should not pursue all leads and those that you do pursue, not all with
the same vigor.
Identifying the right leads will reduce the number of fruitless pursuits
but do not be too choosy early on. Taking a narrow view may lose new
business that you never suspected and will prevent new ideas from being
tried and new products being sold. There is a fine line to follow, and it is
never going to be perfect. Some salespeople are hungry for deals that are
unrealistic and others not so keen to move out of theirs, and the compa-
ny’s comfort zone.
Qualification is a simple process, and many tools exist to help with
this. Done well it will deliver a sharper focus and, like any skill it requires
learning and practice to get the best results. Tools such as MEDDICC,
BANT, SCOTSMAN—and many more besides—all help the qualifica-
tion of an opportunity. Qualification is not just done just at the start but
should be a regular review point to keep on track and to ensure we focus
our efforts continually where we will get the most reward.

Note: MEDDICC = Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision criteria,

Decision process, Identify pain, Champion, Competition. BANT =
Budget, Authority, Need, Time. SCOTSMAN = Solution, Competi-
tion, Originality, Timescale, Size, Money, Authority, Need.

Once a potential lead is identified then it is about how to reach them.

Contacting a person who does not know you and a company that does
not use you is called prospecting and includes cold calling—two words
that, for some bizarre reason, can strike fear into some of the most hard-
ened of salespeople.
Remember, if you are having a hard time to reach your new client
then, aside from the incumbent(s), if there is, everyone else is also having
a tough time getting through too.
12 Sales Is a Team Sport

Marketing
More books have been written on marketing than any other single ele-
ment of how a company operates. In a simple test in autumn 2021, the
word “marketing” returned over 90,000 results in the books section of
Amazon alone!
Collins Dictionary describes marketing as: … the organization of the
sale of a product, for example, deciding on its price, the areas it should be
supplied to, and how it should be advertised.
In fact, it is much more than that. Marketing Insider Group explains
some of the key elements of marketing as:

• At a fundamental level, marketing is the process of under-

standing your customers, and building and maintaining
relationships with them.
• Marketing is the key to an organization’s success, regardless of
its size.
• There are several types and subtypes of marketing, digital and
offline. You should determine and pursue the ones that work
best for you.
• Marketing and Sales teams need to have a unified approach.
Automation helps them work toward the same goals.

There are different elements to marketing and different types.

Potentially, all of these play a part in different phases of the sales cycle

Product Price
People
Price Product Promotion People
Price Process Product

Physical Place Process

Promotion Place Promotion
evidence Physical
Place evidence
Planet Partners

Evolution of the Marketing Mix

Figure 1.1  Evolution of the Marketing Mix

 The Sales Process 13

and the pursuit of a customer or opportunity. We often hear reference to

“The Marketing Mix.” In the 1940s, this consisted of the “4 Ps”—Price,
Product, Promotion, and Place. By the 1980s, the general view was this
was not enough, and so it was expanded and what became the “7 Ps” now
added People, Process, and Physical Evidence. Today I would argue that is
no longer sufficient. We need to also consider Planet and Partnerships—
The 9 Ps. As shown in Figure 1.1.
How to use marketing, when to deploy different marketing tools, and
against which individuals, are a key part of the sales process. Some people
are more responsive to the emotional sale and some far more analytical.
Similarly, some companies prefer to take a very structured approach to
the solutions they buy, and others look for trusted partnerships over the
hard facts of it all. Understanding which path to follow is about under-
standing the customer and employing the tools and the tactics needed to
win them over.
Add to this the complexity of cultural and social norms and what
works for one company may not apply in another. In Japan, there is a long
history of crossholding of shares between companies up and down the
supply chain, known as Keiretsu. From the west, this “cozy relationship”
seems odd as it gets in the way sometimes of competitive tendering and
a drive for cost savings and efficiency. In troubled times, companies can
resemble a stack of cards or dominos more than a cohesive foundation.
Keiretsu may increase or decrease the chance of winning business and may
block outsiders and innovation as well as financial competitiveness. So
much so that the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, (2006–2007 and
2012–2014) put into place new codes of corporate governance to try and
unwind these structures. Today some companies have progressed well,
but others remain stubborn to the old ways.

Sales!
“Sales” is a part of the sales process and, judging by the wording, a funda-
mental part. But sales can be won and lost long before we get to the actual
“rubber meets the road” section and can also be lost even after the ink
has dried. The losing team or referee may not call for a video replay but
failure to perform and cooling off periods give a corporate client much
14 Sales Is a Team Sport

Figure 1.2  Keywords for “Sales”

Figure 1.3  Keywords for the sales process

more leeway that a sports team. Taking what matters for sales and put-
ting it into a word cloud based on a research for this book, as shown in
Figure 1.2.
Take away the words sales and salesperson and the critical words for
sales take on a somewhat different perspective, as shown in “Figure 1.3.”
We can see from the second word cloud, sales clearly have several
fundamental elements: process, the market, the company, winning (of course),
the need, time (commitment), and doing more—more than the competition,
more than the customer expects, more effort, more commitment.
 The Sales Process 15

Sales is the pursuit of an opportunity to an outcome. Hopefully, a

successful outcome, but if not then it is an opportunity to learn. Think
of it this way, if you lose a deal, you have just joined the Winback team!
Although being part of the Winback Creation Team may not be something
to be so proud about.
Sales as a pursuit has, as we have already stated, a clear objective: to
win the deal. It also has several resources required—personnel, material,
products, and systems—and clear steps along the way, some of which
may encourage you to continue, and some may tell you it is time to quit.
Remember, in any competitive bid situation there are two winners: those
who win the deal and those who decided not to pursue it early and saved
time and money, which they used on deals they could win.
Sales requires you to be able to engage with customers, provide them
information, respond to questions, delight, and excite. But it also requires
you to chase the customer, perhaps even if they do not want to be, to han-
dle objections and to overcome obstacles. Sales can be a “Tough Mudder”
more than a 100-meter sprint, you may come away bruised and beaten
and with no medal. But, for anyone that has run a marathon, just crossing
the line is exhilarating, and makes you want more. Winning takes it to a
whole new level and knowing how to win requires training.

Implementation
When you win the deal, it is often tempting just to throw it over the office
wall at the delivery team. After all, you have done your job, now it is their
turn. That would be a mistake.
Salespeople rarely make good project managers. Myself, having com-
pleted a PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments, version 2)
Project Management qualification, I can see why. That is not to say some
people cannot transition from Sales to PM and back, but it is a rare breed
that can do this well.
As a salesperson you are not expected to hold the hand of the Project
Manager, or indeed the customer, through implementation. But mak-
ing sure the baton is passed efficiently from-sold-to-start can make a dif-
ference. More importantly is not to overpromise and under-deliver, or
worse, promise things that cannot be delivered.
16 Sales Is a Team Sport

Far too many times have salespeople commit to the undeliverable or,
to keep a customer happy, promise things now that are not yet on the
roadmap or perhaps are but not due any time soon.

I was working for a company and inherited a problem from a now

departed salesperson. The salesman sold a huge data solution to
the customer and one that could not be delivered. The team tried
in vain to deliver on what had been promised and kept failing.
The customer became increasingly frustrated. So much so the cli-
ent implemented an internal audit and found an altogether differ-
ent solution that would save them in excess of £1 million and have
no need for the solution already sold.

I was called in because the customer had not paid their, very sig-
nificant, bill. Indeed, it should have been paid before the start of
the project but for almost twelve months they had been dragging
their heels whilst we tried to satisfy the sale. The situation was that
my employer wanted paying, and the customer now wanted out
of the contract.

I recall walking into my first meeting with this well-known inter-

national corporation to be met by the Information Technology
Director, Finance Director and Head of Procurement. So much
for an introductory meeting! It did not go well.

It matters not what the outcome was, we lost and agreed to cancel
the bill and cancel the project. The salesperson had already been
paid and had left the company. I was quite happy that we did the
right thing, my Finance Director was not as impressed!

Why the Sales Manager felt it okay to sign off on the deal I never
fully understood, but he left very shortly after we resolved the
matter with the client.

This is a great example of a salesperson overselling and focusing

on the sales (and commission) rather than the bigger objective
 The Sales Process 17

of winning good, repeatable business and growing the customer

relationship to ever greater opportunities.

The true outcome was far more than the £1 million that we even-
tually wrote off. Less than a year later this international company
decided to outsource its entire global data network. Once again, I
was called in to try and make sure we put the past behind us, and
the salesperson was not damaged by his predecessor.

Over a nice lunch in a quiet restaurant the IT Director told me

it would be better if we do not bid. Whilst he liked what we had
done and was very appreciative of my involvement, the damage
had been done. There was no way we would be allowed to win any
more business with them.

That £1 million we wrote off, that was but a small percentage of

the opportunity lost. The salesperson kept his commission and the
Sales Manager also, but the company they both worked for at the
time lost out considerably.

Having won a piece of business, a good salesperson should attend

the project kick-off meeting. It shows commitment to the customer and
builds rapport with the wider team. The salesperson, despite not being
overall in charge of delivery, should always make sure they are accessible
to the customer and to the delivery team in case they want to discuss
progress or obstacles.

Support
Once a project has been implemented, notwithstanding upgrades or
later changes, then it falls to the business to support the customer and
the solution. At this point, any salesperson might be forgiven for think-
ing it is no longer their responsibility. “Forgiven” because yes, for the
greatest part, it is not a salesperson’s responsibility. But, in much the
same way salespeople should not oversell the product they should also
not overpromise on support.
18 Sales Is a Team Sport

Some companies are structured with separate Sales and Account

Management. Some people prefer to hunt, others go fishing. Smaller
companies may not be organized this way and salespeople carry a sales
target and some accounts, so they are responsible for selling and retaining.
It is important an Account Manager has a handle on the ongoing
operations of an account and, while they do not need to know the details
of every minor glitch, knowing about big issues or being abreast of ongo-
ing causes of concern is important.

A large international bank was using a system a predecessor had

sold to them. Over the years the account had little attention and
was a guaranteed source of income, placing little demand on us
as a supplier. Because of the nature of their business and what we
offered there was very little upsell or cross-sell opportunity.

I heard a rumour a competitor, with a much broader offering, was

starting to talk to our client. When I asked the Sales Manager, it
was made clear that the account was unmanaged and, therefore,
was now my account.

When your first meeting with a client is the first time anyone has
been to see them in over a year and when they are talking to a
competitor it is always going to be a challenging meeting.

The situation was made worse by the recent audit that found
the client had upgraded their hardware and, as the licence was
based on the performance of the hardware in MIPS (millions
of instructions per second) it meant they owed us some more
licence revenue.

As a salesperson I had a choice. Go for the licence upgrade, start a

legal argument, and then lose the entire business to the competi-
tor. Or review the agreement, make amendments and have them
commit for a longer term. I chose the latter and we eventually
won an extension to the contract by changing the terms and saw
an existing revenue stream extended but not grow.
 The Sales Process 19

Had the account been properly managed we could have come

to the negotiating table earlier and found a mid-path between
the price for the hardware upgrade impact and the current and
extended the contract. A lack of attention to an existing account
cost us in the long term. Had I not been made aware of the com-
petitor threat we could have lost it completely.

Being aware of the ongoing situation is not just for Account Managers
and is not just for your products and services. Salespeople need to be
aware of what is on their customer’s plate, not just what is on their own.
Walking into a meeting when all is well in your world, does not mean all
is well in theirs. Your competitors, as well as those you do not compete
against, may tip the balance for you or against you depending on how
prepared you are.
Being up to date is easy with modern technology. Access to news
feeds and using tools to make sure you get the news that is relevant to
your prospective customer is easy. Done well it can be a positive advan-
tage, showing you have an interest in your target and are perceived to
have a wider knowledge of them, their competitors, their customers, and
their market.

The Process
Selling is a project. But it operates within an ongoing cycle of events.
This cycle of events will sometimes work for you and sometimes against
you, but always it will have an impact. The process also involves not just
you and your organization but that of the prospective new customer, or
existing customer.
Taking sales as an isolated pursuit is a focused way of winning new
business. But, as an isolated pursuit, one needs to be aware of the world
outside this very project that is a sales opportunity. Winning one deal is
like winning a match, but you need to win more than one for a successful
season. As with sport, winning is also infectious, it impacts the people
around you, your competition gets to hear about it and will change their
tactics accordingly, potential clients will start to notice you as well. How
often we see teams defeated before they get on the pitch.
20 Sales Is a Team Sport

Awareness

Interest

Consideration

Evalution

Decision

Purchase

Repeat

Loyalty

Advocacy

Figure 1.4  The Sales Funnel

Sales may be a clearly defined process, but it sits among a fog of infor-
mation and disinformation, good data and missing data, good and bad
intentions, skilled people, and those less capable, and not forgetting the
buyers’ own processes, which may be altogether different to yours!
Despite all this in every sale, there is a journey that you and the cus-
tomer will go through. It applies to anything from buying a quick lunch
from a take-away diner to a holiday, or life insurance, or even applying
for a job.
The four elements of the sale are simply Awareness, Interest, Consid-
eration, and Purchase. It really is that simple. Making it happen how you
want, however, can be a whole lot more complex!
The Sales Funnel—see Figure 1.4 above—or Marketing Funnel or Con-
version Funnel was developed by advertising specialist Elias St. Elmo Lewis in
1898. It was originally called as the Purchase Funnel. However, it did not really
come to prominence until 1924 and a publication by William Townsend, a
lecturer at Columbia University and later referenced by Edward K. Strong Jr.
in The Psychology of Selling and Advertising. Over the years, some of the letters
have been changed by various interpreters but the principles remain.
The Sales Funnel starts wide and not overly focused at the start—
although there certainly needs a little focus—and narrows down as
it progresses, spilling out unwanted customers and opportunities as
it progresses.
 The Sales Process 21

Today, the Sales/Marketing Funnel has been tuned and developed and
has many variations, each adopted by different training companies and
users alike. However, it all follows the same basic method, albeit with
some additional steps and narrowing of the funnel.
The objective of Awareness is to introduce your brand or product/
service to potential customers. In this book, we are focused more on how
to reach potential customers through marketing campaigns. But Aware-
ness can be created through advertising (online and physical), improved
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media, events, campaigns,
or in the case of existing customers targeted cross-sell development
and referrals.
Being aware of you/your product is not enough. Salespeople must
make potential customers interested in what they are selling. Building
a relationship with potential new customers starts here. Brand values,
company values, and basic product information are the focus at this
stage. This is not about selling at this stage. Good content matters the
most here.
Awareness today can be achieved in many ways but, perhaps the
most obvious ways to get your potential future customer aware of your
product is:

• Whitepaper
• Product guide/e-Guide
• Buyer checklist
• Educational videos
• Article (thought leadership)
• Blog/Vlog
• Advertising (online or physical)

For the potential customer, merely knowing who the supplier is and
having qualified them as a potential supplier is not enough to buy. The
fact the buyer may like the product and does not disagree with the com-
pany’s values is not going to make the products fly off the shelf. For the
vast majority of buying decisions, we all weigh up the pros and cons of
multiple suppliers or products. Whether that is buying a bar of chocolate
in a shop or investing in a new savings bond it is all about evaluating (next
22 Sales Is a Team Sport

step) but before that any buyer needs to shortlist based on some simple
assessment. That is unless the buyer wants to waste a huge amount of time
evaluating every supplier.
Consideration can be left with the customer to decide but sales and
marketing can help them make the “right decision” too:

• Free webinars
• Case studies
• References
• Free samples
• Specification sheets
• Product catalogs
• Advertising/Infomercials
• Customer advocacy and referral campaigns

After the first sift of Consideration, customers Evaluate multiple

potential suppliers. It matters here that the customer finds it easy to navi-
gate the information that will sway their decision positively in your favor
(and hide the stuff that you do not want them to know).
Not every customer has the same needs/wants/desires and not every
customer goes through the same process of evaluation, or indeed has the
same values. Companies cannot serve all their potential customers equally
and even the ones they already have you cannot serve equally too. Under-
standing the most likely items of Consideration, the most impactful and
the ones that differentiate you from the competition, need to be brought
to the fore.
Companies may want to offer a free trial as part of the Consideration
phase. This perhaps works for some products better than others, a week-
end test drive of a car, someone standing with a plate and “try me” at a
food convention/market, open day for a club or group, samples and give-
aways received in the post.
After all this, we might get a buying Decision. Decisions are not
binary: yes or no. The customer could buy multiples, they could buy from
multiple suppliers, or they could defer/delay their decision. In which case
they revert to the Interest/Consideration layer of the funnel to begin the
process another day.
 The Sales Process 23

In the world of business sales, there are often multiple decision mak-
ers, plus influencers, evaluators, blockers, and other roles that play out
throughout the sales pursuit. Something as simple as buying a young
child’s new bicycle engages the user and the buyer (child and parents).
In this example, the sales agent would tailor their sales message and com-
ments equally to both parties to win the heart of the child and mind
of the ultimate decision maker. The same messages would be applied in
different ways and different messages may be put discretely to the parent
or the child to win the deal.
Deciding to buy is not the same as buying. In the example above,
the child may have made the decision but, unless independently wealthy
enough at this stage, is unlikely to proceed and even then, the shop may
have issue with a six-year-old handing over a wad of cash.
In business, there is often a separation between buyer and decision
maker. A new coffee machine may be purchased on expenses for the office
chat room, but a new call handling system may be evaluated by the IT
Department, the Call Center Manager, and perhaps even some of the
team, but it may well be Procurement or the office of the Chief Finance
Officer that makes the final decision and places the order.
Even when a customer has made the decision to buy, they may not
Purchase. Shopping online and deciding what you want could then lead
you on a search for alternative suppliers. Similarly, visiting the shops to
find what you want may then move you to online to make the purchase.
Even things as simple as shops not accepting cash for small purchase
items. Or the fact the coffee shop will only provide a plastic cup rather
than one of recycled material or a reusable crockery. There are multiple
reasons why a Decision made is not a Purchase. Just because the customer
has made the decision does not mean they will go through with it. Make
the sale as easy as possible, pain-free, and positively enjoyable.
It was Nissan in 2014 that coined the phrase: “Eat, Sleep, Race, Repeat.”
Versions of that should be posted on every wall of every sales office, mar-
keting department, and customer call center. Repeat business is the lowest
cost and, ultimately, most loyal business.
The majority of Sales/Marketing Funnels stop at Purchase and per-
haps this is where the funnel truly ends and a new one begins for repeat
business. The problem with that is once you reach the bottom of the
24 Sales Is a Team Sport

funnel, everyone forgets about the next funnel, so it makes more sense to
keep it as one and have included Repeat at the base of the funnel.
How you turn a one-time-purchase customer into a loyal customer is
down to several things; good initial purchase, similar values, CRM sys-
tem, product development, further value-add products or services, a good
product, and customer relationship (people not the system).
Customer loyalty is a subject for which many books have been written.
According to Customer Insight Group: “Customer loyalty can be defined as
a customer’s faithfulness and commitment to a business. The measure of loyalty
is often based on consumer preferences, the degree of satisfaction, the frequency
of purchase, fidelity, price sensitivity, and brand advocacy.”
Once you have established Customer Loyalty, customers develop
a preference for your brand or company, more than they do a spe-
cific product. Apple is perhaps the best example of brand loyalty
today. Their brand of smartphone has allowed them to push up prices,
develop new products with the same look and feel, and drive down the
upgrade cycle time. They have developed new products and continued
to expand their range. In mid-2021, Apple reported quarterly revenue
of $81.4 billion.
Loyalty does not make repeat purchases more likely because you
remind them of it, but because they genuinely like your product. Cus-
tomer loyalty is, therefore, not just repeat purchase. Customers need to
see the relationship between their supplier and themselves as more than
a transactional relationship. Loyalty does also not just happen by chance
after the sale and repeat sale. Loyalty requires a strong relationship man-
agement, shared values, and perhaps even a loyalty program.
Beyond Loyalty exists Advocacy. This occurs when your loyal cus-
tomers become fans. Apple for example has a lot of fans. Queuing up for
hours on end the night before a new phone launch just to get their hands
on the next version of a smartphone, or other product. Advocates will try
and convince others to buy the product, typically rejecting any negative
press or trying to qualify it to their peer group and often blind to alterna-
tives or some of the details they would rather not know.
The Sales/Marketing Funnel leads to an outcome: it does not take the
sales project (“the sale”) and feed back into the sales process. The continu-
ation of the process requires repeat purchases, loyalty, and then advocacy.
 The Sales Process 25

These last three are what stimulates demand for the next funnel, and so
it continues.
Remember, selling is about winning but, as comedian Groucho Marx
said “If you’re not having fun, you’re probably doing something wrong.”

Key Takeaways
Every organization whether profitable or not needs to focus on the sale
and win new business. Even not-for-profit organizations must maintain
a steady flow of new interest and generate new business. To do this effec-
tively requires the will of the people working in the organization working
as a team on the task at hand. That task being to retain and grow existing
clients and to secure new, profitable clients.
The easiest sales are to existing customers. The cost to retain a cus-
tomer is significantly lower than the cost of acquiring a new one. Many
studies exist to work out what the ratio is of cost to retain and cost to win
but for every industry and every geography the cost is different. However,
it is universally accepted that retaining is always far less expensive to retain
existing than to win new.
Understanding how to secure long-term retention and lock-in clients
is a key place to start for business survival. Identifying what new products
and services to sell them can only work if indeed you have something
new to sell them. But as we have seen in this chapter, that requires com-
mitment, and it requires finding the right balance in the relationship you
have with the client. It does not always go to plan but having the tools
and the team to manage it can make all the difference. In all matters relat-
ing to existing clients, the relationship is key.
Understanding what a genuine opportunity is and what has a realistic
chance of success will reduce wasted effort and lost time. Tools exist to
qualify and to keep requalifying opportunities to ensure salespeople and
the wider sales team remain on track to success. We mentioned BANT,
MEDDICC, and SCOTSMAN and these are certainly tools worth
checking out in more detail, along with ANUM, CHAMP, FAINT, and
NEAT—there are others. Choosing one that works for you and for your
industry, your company, product, and service will increase the likelihood
of success. Being consistent in how it is applied and reapplied by different
26 Sales Is a Team Sport

members of the team ensures the company focuses where it matters to

win most often.
Wrapping around the sale is the oft-neglected partner of the sales
pursuit: marketing. Knowing the relative values of the 9 Ps (Chapter 4)
and how they relate to each market, each product, and each customer
is important but using all the tools as levers is critical in the success of
the marketing team to elevate the sales opportunity to greater chance
of success.
The Sales Funnel provides structure to the wider sales process and
helps identify progress as well as giving check gates to allow decisions on
whether to continue pursuit. We mentioned a range of tools that can be
used from White Papers to Webinars, from Product Sheets to Testimo-
nials. All of these, and more, combine to form the Content Marketing
Matrix, covered later.
Identifying the right marketing approach and using the right mar-
keting tools provides a foundation for sales. To really do the subject of
marketing justice in understanding how to win at sales would signifi-
cantly add to the volume of this book, it simply cannot be understated.
However, while marketing and sales may be “joined at the hip,” they too
remain separate subjects altogether.
As we have seen. After the sale is won, it requires the salesperson
to keep the win. Implementation is, of course, a key to success and
it needs to be handled correctly and with the salesperson involved. It
begins even before that with selling a product or service the customer
wants and one that can be delivered. A salesperson focusing purely on
the commission check is not only bad for business right now but bad
for future potential business.
And when the deal is won, every day you must make sure that you
keep winning. Adding value when you can, keeping competitors at bay,
retaining the trust of the client, and securing long-term future success.
Account Management is critical in long-term consistent revenue. It may
lack the sharp edge of new business sales and, in many organizations, does
not have the same importance, but it should. A well-managed account
costs less and often delivers more than a new piece of business.
When all the component parts are aligned: marketing, new busi-
ness sales, product delivery, account management, customer retention,
 The Sales Process 27

customer satisfaction, and support, it can deliver huge financial benefits

and growth opportunities to any company. But to do this effectively it
needs a process, a game plan. It needs each of the players to know what
part they play in moving the ball around the field of play, what it takes to
score and what is needed to defend.
The Sales Funnel is a simple model and easy for any company to
adopt. It can be adjusted to suit each company or products and tweaked
to suit the needs of each pursuit. It provides a logical evaluation, a simple
process, and a path toward the final objective.
Without a process, without a plan, and without the right team of
players committed to win, there is no season success. Perhaps the occa-
sional win and very often some heavy defeats. To keep winning, everyone
needs to understand the part they play and the importance that it brings
to the team’s success. Not everyone has a chance to run out onto the field
of play, some are in the dugouts and some back at base looking at data or
preparing the fuel the team needs.
We will look at these key components in more detail through
the book.
 Index

account management, 26 challenger sales model, 58, 68

administrative differences, 40 channel sales. See sales channel
Advertising Standards Authority, channel sales model, 153
The, 89 closing, 65, 68
advocacy, 24–25 coach, 52, 56
affiliates, 141 Coca Cola, 61, 81, 113
AirBnB Inc., 36, 145 Code of Non-broadcast Advertising
Alibaba Group, 144 and Direct & Promotional
Amazon, 12, 141, 144 Marketing (CAP Code), 89
analytics, 129–130 Colgate, 44
Anglia, 30–31 competitive analysis, 93–95
Ansoff, I., 33 consideration, 22
Ansoff Matrix, 33, 34, 38, 45, 46, 48 consultants, 143
Apple, 44 Consumer Protection Regulations
Apple iPhone, 73 (CPRs), 89
artificial intelligence (AI), 109 consumer-to-business (C2B), 145
AuctionWeb, 144 consumer-to-consumer (C2C), 145
awareness, 21–22 contact information, 54
contact management, 53–56
Bain and Company, 114 content marketing, 80–85
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Content Marketing Institute, 83
(BMW), 30 content marketing matrix, 26, 74, 81,
BMC Mini, 30–31 82, 98
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) contracts, 16, 18, 19, 31, 59, 80
Matrix, 34–36 Crates, D., 159
Brailsford, D., 157–158 cross-sell, 18, 21, 32, 46–47, 147,
British Motor Corporation (BMC), 150, 157
30 cultural, 40
budgeting, 7, 8, 51, 54, 55, 61–64 customer centric selling, 2
business-to-business (B2B), 8, 53–54, Customer Effort Score (CES),
145 111–112
business-to-consumer (B2C), 53, 54, Customer Relationship Management
145 (CRM) System, 53, 119–120,
buyer, 21–23, 42, 55–56, 85 152
client company, 124
Cadabra, Inc., 144 contact information, 123–124
CAGE Distance Framework, 39–43, data, 125–126
48, 146 functional tool, 120–123
Cash Cows, 35 implementation, 131–136
challenger, 55 reporting and analytics, 129–130
172 Index

rules, process, governance, Gates, B., 120

126–129 GE-McKinsey Matrix, 36–37
sales opportunity, 124 General Data Protection Regulation
customers (GDPR), 125, 126
existing, 3–10 General Electric Multifactorial
loyalty, 24, 44, 76, 106, 112, Analysis, 36
115, 126, 139, 148 General Motor Corporation (GM),
potential, 21 41, 42
trust, 154 geographical distance, 40
customer satisfaction, 101–108, 150 Ghemawat, P., 39
measuring, 108–111 Gillette, 89
scoring, 111–117 Goodhart, C., 51
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Google LLC, 125
112–114
Harley Davidson, 75
Dağdeviren, O., 107–108 Harrods Limited, 75
data, 125–126 Harvard Business Review, 33, 112
governance, 127–128 Henderson, B., 34
decision, 22–23 Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow’s),
Deliveroo Holdings plc, 36 102–104, 107–108
distributors, 141 Honda, 41
diversification, 44–47 HubSpot, Inc., 112
Dyson Ltd., 160
implementation, 15–17, 60, 63, 64,
eBay, 144 99, 127, 132, 134, 136
Economic Buyer, 55 indirect sales channel, 140–144,
economic distance, 40 148–153
Esteem, 106 Instagram, 89
evaluate, 22 International Cricket Council (ICC),
existing markets, 33–38 7
Expansion and Diversification market International Paralympic Committee,
strategies matrix, 45, 46 81
Internet Service Providers (ISPs),
failure, 132–133, 135–136, 160, 161 92
Fairtrade, 80
Ferrari, 73
Finicity Corporation, 145 Keiretsu, 13
FinTech, 91, 145 Kotler, P., 72
Flipkart, 144
Ford, 30–31 lead management, 11
forecasting, 52, 60–67, 120, 124, leads, 91–93
148–149 learning, 11, 29, 115, 160
4 Ps. See Marketing Mix, The Lego, 85
franchising, 142–143 Life Cycle-Competitive Strength
French Commission for Informatics Matrix, 37–38
and Liberty, 125 LinkedIn, 87
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, 88
39 live chat, 109
funnel. See sales funnel lose, 1, 11, 15, 18, 36, 59, 60
 Index 173

McKinsey & Company, 36, 37, 48 PayPal Holdings, Inc., 145

McKinsey Matrix. See GE-McKinsey people, 76
Matrix Pepsi, 114
management physical evidence, 77
account, 26 physiological needs, 103
contact, 53–56 Pinterest, Inc., 36
lead, 11 place, 74–75
opportunity, 10–11 planet, 78
market development, 38–39 players, 8, 27, 39, 52, 59, 93, 98,
marketing, 12–14, 22, 26, 95–99 120, 141, 161
Marketing Insider Group, 12 price, 74
Marketing Management (Kotler), 72 process, 19–25, 76, 77
Marketing Mix, The, 12–13, 71–80, product, 73
98 development, 44
Marriott International, Inc., 125 knowledge, 47, 48
Maslow, A., 102–103 lifecycle, 38
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. project, 15–17, 19, 52, 55, 131, 132,
See Hierarchy of Needs 134, 135
(Maslow’s) promotion, 74
Mercedes-Benz AG, 86 purchase, 23–24
Microsoft Corporation, 29 funnel, 20
Miller and Heiman Group Limited,
55 qualification, 11
Mitsubishi Group, 41
Question-Marks, 36
M&Ms, 81
Räikkönen, K., 51
negotiating, 19
referrals, 21, 22, 60, 83, 115, 157
Net Promoter Scores (NPS), 76–77,
Reichheld, F., 115
114–116
renewals, 59, 130
New Coke, 113, 114
reverse channel, 143–144
NH Hotel Group SA, 79
Rovio Entertainment Oyj, 37
9 Ps. See Marketing Mix, The
Royal Automobile Club (RAC),
Nissan Motor Corporation, 23, 41
110–111
Nokia, 29
safety needs, 104
omnichannel, 139 sales, 14–15
online marketing, 98, 154 agent, 142
online sales channel, 144–148 forecasting, 60–67
opportunity, 57–60 funnel, 20–27, 67, 95, 96, 147,
management, 10–11 148, 152
Opportunity Tracking System (OTS), process, 2–3
122, 123 sales channel, 139–140
Oracle Systems Corporation, 120 indirect, 140–144, 148–153
Orange Box, 30 online, 144–148
Salesforce.com Inc., 53
Partner Relationship Management Salesforce Inc., 123, 127
(PRM) system, 152 Sales Opportunity Management,
partnerships, 80 48–49, 52–53, 57, 67
174 Index

Satmetrix Systems, 76 Tesco, 39, 40, 44, 45

Savoir Beds Ltd., 64 Theory of Marginal Gains, 158
self-actualization, 107 3M Company, The, 144
selling, 9, 19, 21, 30, 39, 85–91, 94, TikTok, 87
98, 141, 142, 144, 146, 147 Toyota Motor Corporation, 42
7-Eleven Australia Pty Ltd., 43 traditional reseller, 140–141
7 Ps. See Marketing Mix, The traditional retail, 142
Shopify Inc., 148 Trivago N.V., 145
Slack, 123
Snap Inc., 36 Uber Technologies, Inc., 36, 145
social analytics, 89 upcycling, 144
social media, 81, 86–88, 90, 95, 98, upsell, 18, 32, 46–47, 101, 110
99, 104, 107 User Buyers, 55
social needs, 105
social selling, 85–91, 98 value-added resellers (VARs), 142
spam, 92–93 Virgin Group Ltd., 44
Starbucks Corporation, 37, 39, 42, 43 Visa Inc., 81
stars, 36 Visier Inc., 129
stories, 61
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats (SWOT), 93 WeWork, 36
success, 3, 8, 25–27, 30, 45, 67, 88, wholesaler, 141–142
90, 133, 149–152, 160, 161 win, 15, 23, 26, 27, 52, 66, 68, 93,
Supercustomer Actualization, 108 97, 136, 157, 161
Superoffice, 131 winback, 15
support, 17–19 winning team, 157–161
Suzuki, 41–42 Withers Group Pty Ltd., 43

Technical Buyers, 56 YouTube, 84, 87

telecommunications company,
150–151 Zephyr American Corporation, 53