| Instructor-Led Sales Training Course Descriptions |
| Diagnostic Sales Skills |
 Strategic Sales Plan: Why Sales Fail and How Wins are Won (Training time: 2 days)
- Completely participant driven. Starts with the participants validating the 8 phases, 44 steps, and 201 action items in the consultative value selling process participants use to sell solutions in highly competitive markets.
- This course uniquely provides a sufficiently detailed competency model diagnostic to enable real learning of the “little things” that are often overlooked that lose sales.
- The first phase is diagnostic. It helps the participants conduct sales autopsies for lost sales and helps them analyze sales they’ve won to find the patterns of steps that cause sales to fail and the patterns of steps that cause sales to be won.
- The second phase in the ILT is teaching just the skills they need to know to implement the steps that cause their sales to fail and the skills they need to more efficiently complete the patterns of steps they need to win sales.
- In addition to the checklist diagnostic used in the classroom, there is now a diagnostic questionnaire that can be taken online to help select the training content of the course.
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 Objection Free Selling: How to Prevent, Preempt, and Respond to Every Sales Objection You Get (Training time: 2 days)
- Completely participant driven. Starts with participants listing the objections they get on flip charts and ends with participants explaining and demonstrating how they will prevent, preempt, and respond to each one.
- The ILT teaches only the skills needed to handle the objections they get. Trainer manual is designed to enable module selection.
- Uniquely teaches how to PREVENT objections systematically, and how to negotiate “unanswerable” objections. No other course or book on the market does this.
- Flashcard Learning contest and other handouts support the training.
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| Basic Sales Skills |
 Profile & Qualify the Prospect (Training time: 1 hour)
- Identify the critical characteristics your most desirable customers have in common to quickly qualify prospects and identify the key buyer influences.
- Also included in Objection Free Selling, Strategic Sales Plan, ACE, & VSS.
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 Key Decision-Maker Roles (Training time: 1 hour)
- Identify the players in the six decision-making roles common to sales environments where the seller focuses on selling solutions in highly competitive markets.
- Determine decision-maker bias and how to move them from “blocker” to “champion.”
- The course is designed as stand-alone to customize for clients who had different ways of categorizing the buying influences in their customers.
- Also included in Objection Free Selling, Strategic Sales Plan, ACE, & VSS.
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 Research the Prospect (Training time: 1 hour)
- Understand how functional, business, and human needs drive buying decisions.
- Understand critical areas of your customer's business operations such as how they make their money, business plans, the critical processes you can impact, and so on.
- Utilize your Unique Selling Points to guide your Research Questions.
- Competitively position yourself to provide greater value than the competitor can.
- Often includes a review of the Competitor Analysis and how to write FABs or connects those two modules to this one to create a cohesive half-day course.
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 Competitor Analysis (Training time: 2 hours to 2 days)
- There are different types of competitor analysis ranging from the SWOT for business strategy, to the Marketing competitor strategy, to the version STI developed specific to the needs of salespeople.
- It is the primary way to identify potential objections, establish ways to neutralize them and to identify Unique Selling Points (USPs).
- Includes converting USPs to Features, Advantages, and Benefits (FABs) – the persuasive language of selling. Once this is done, the FABs can be plugged into any of the value selling formulas.
- This competitor analysis is the basis for finding, substantiating, and establishing value the competitor cannot provide.
- It is incorporated into all the value selling models, Objection Free Selling course, and is defined in the Strategic Sales Plan.
- While the ILT training time is set at 2 hours, when done as part of a consulting project that includes conducting multiple competitor analysis, converting the USPs to FABs, and completing the Prevent, Preempt, and Respond strategies for the objections uncovered (Competitor’s strengths), this can take anywhere from a few days to an ongoing process.
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 Features, Advantages, and Benefits (FAB) – The persuasive language of selling (Training time: 1 hour)
- Takes product, service, or company knowledge and structures it in the “persuasive language of selling.”
- This course, and the course module content are used in a multitude of courses including all three value selling models.
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 Benefit Question – Create Positive Attitudes (Training time: 1 hour)
- The Benefit Question solidifies a changeable belief (good or bad) into a change-resistant attitude with a common single word question.
- This is a powerful psychological technique (Attitude Inoculation), redefined for ease of use and structured in a three-step process specifically developed to increase potency safely, and to ensure success with every application.
- An especially useful technique for:
- Getting buyers to defend your Unique Selling Points
- Rehearsing and role-playing decision-makers to sell for you internally to decision-makers you can’t reach
- Locking in your Unique Selling Points as minimum criteria to select a solution and solution provider
- Causing objections for your competitors
- This technique is integrated into all the value selling models, is one of the methods taught in the Block the Competition Between Calls course and is a core component of the Objection Free Selling, and Strategic Sales Plan courses.
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FAB/TEA Value Selling Model (Training time: 4 hours or 2 days with other associated courses)
- The FAB-TEA is easy to learn and use value-selling model.
- It has two parts:
- The first part educates the prospective customer about your Unique Selling Point's Feature (capability) and how it will meet their functional needs (Advantages) better than the competitor can.
- The second part guides them to identify and tell you about the Benefits they want that only you can provide to meet their functional, business, and human needs.
- FAB-TEA is the value selling model taught in the Objection Free Selling process.
- Incorporates other modules to make it a 2-day stand-alone course.
- Often used for inside, teleselling, or telemarketing sales whereas ACE is used for outside sales.
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 ACE Value Selling Model (Training time: 2 days with associated courses)
- This course was created from the most common pattern of skills deficits found on the Sales Diagnostic Questionnaire (SDQ). It includes prospecting contact methods, value selling model (ACE), closing strategies, and other basic selling skills.
- It is the course for people new to sales and provides the basic knowledge, skills, and strategies they need to hit the ground running.
- Often used for outside sales. Created to be used with associated courses. Courses were selected based on common patterns of skill deficits identified by the Sales Diagnostic Questionnaire.
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 Customer Value Proposition (CVP) aka Criteria Driven Presentation and Value Improvement Proposition (VIP) (Training time: 2 hours)
- Builds trust and rapport, especially with people the seller was unable to meet.
- Locks the sellers Unique Selling Points in place to help the prospective customer rule out the competition.
- Establishes financial equivalencies, so the comparisons are apples-to-apples.
- Follows the psychology necessary to meet the needs of people at both ends of the decision-making continuum (Myers-Briggs: Perceiving – Judging).
- The CVP Is structured around major closing strategies.
- Incorporates a five-step process that breaks the irrational customer loyalty bond.
- Used in all three value selling models, the Objection Free Selling process, and the Strategic Sales Plan.
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 16. Add-On Selling, Up-Selling, and Cross-Selling (Training time: 2 hours)
- Learn how add-on selling reassures the customer.
- Use up-selling to better meet customers more narrowly define needs and wants.
- Use cross-selling to capitalize on existing relationships and to rapidly expand sales opportunities.
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 15. Closing Strategies of the Masters (Training time: 4 hours)
- Presents 32 effective closing strategies structured in “8 Families” of similar closes.
- Provides guidelines for using them when you see any of the 16 “buying signs.”
- Includes the Multi-Bid Summary Closing Strategy that lets you submit multiple bids at the same time.
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| Advanced Sales Skills |
 Value Selling Strategies P.R.O.S.P.E.C.T. Model (VSS) (Training time: 2 days)
- This premier course teaches the core of consultative value selling and is designed to establish each of the 10 Buyer Beliefs necessary to prevent objections.
- The course was licensed to Shell Chemical. As part of the agreement, they funded the course redesign and development using Accelerated Learning methodologies.
- Uses an easy to remember pneumonic device.
- Trainer and participant manuals are also available in Spanish. Note the course was also translated into Portuguese by our reseller in Brazil.
- The VSS uses a special spreadsheet learning tool to guide skills development throughout the training.
- The VSS is the primary value selling model, integrated into the Strategic Sales Plan.
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 Negotiating Value (Training time: 2 days)
This course is specifically designed for salespeople who negotiate value related issues from a lower power vantage point and do so in highly competitive markets.
While the knowledge, skills, and strategies discussed here can apply to many different types of negotiations, our focus will be on those used in Business to Business (B2B) sales situations.
Basic skills salespeople need to negotiate effectively in the B2B setting include knowing:
- Motivate to Negotiate
- Know Value to Negotiate Value
- Create Significant Personal Power
- Open the Negotiation
- Transition to Different Points of View
- Defuse Anger
- Brainstorm Solutions
- Build Consensus Quickly
- Spotlight Unique Selling Points
- Negotiate the Trade-off
- Arriving Late to the Party (RFI, RFP, RFQ)
- Submit Multiple Bids on One Form
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 Block the Competition Between Calls – Competitor Proofing (Training time: 2 hours)
- Three commonly used tactics help block the competition and competitor-proof your prospects and customers when you're not around.
- Use the Benefit Question to role play and rehearse a defense that your prospects and customers develop so they can respond with conviction to your competitor's persistent efforts.
- Learn how to set and lock in Expectations, Criteria or Specifications that only you can meet.
- Use an "Interim Action Plan" closing strategy to further insulate your prospects and customers from the competition.
- Competitor Proofing is standard practice for all STI value selling models, Objection Free Selling, and the Strategic Sales Plan.
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| Prospecting for New Business |
 The Hunt: Prospecting for New Business (Training time: 2 days)
- This course teaches prospect contacting methods and management processes.
- Includes multiple methods for making contact, ratio and funnel management, and how to Teleblitz a territory.
- The Hunt was the first course developed in 1986 and was based on our own use of the methods within our company and with clients to build a stream of qualified leads. It’s been continually updated to incorporate electronic methods of communication, social media (for business), and other more recent innovations.
- The Hunt is a compilation of ten prospecting related courses (modules) described below.
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 Goal Setting (Training time: 2 hours. Also taught as a one-day course where specific goals are defined, complete with action plans)
- This course is also a part of the Customer Service Excellence curriculum, and it is taught in part of the Leading and Motivating management course.
- Connecting each goal’s action items to the person's calendar was key to making sure time was available (the scarcest resource of all) to get it done.
- Teaches how to use three key self-motivation techniques to stay with the program.
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 Telephone Cold Calling (Training time: 2 hours)
- The Telephone Cold Calling process is designed to help prevent initial contact objections such as, "not interested...," "...just send me your literature," and "...already have someone."
- Uses techniques that turn screeners into coaches.
- Set appointments that are a priority to the prospect.
- This course includes voicemail strategies in the SCORM WBT and the bestselling ebook.
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 Voicemail Strategies (Training time: 1 hour)
- Use voicemail to find the best time to contact the prospect.
- Warm up the prospect by leaving them a specially designed “less than 30-second” commercial with a compelling reason(s) to call you back.
- Increase the chances of getting a call back by positioning and how you repeat your phone number.
- Voicemail Strategies is included in the Telephone Cold Calling SCORM WBT and bestselling ebook.
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 Networking for Sales (Training time: 1 hour)
- Improve your networking skills so that you have better access to both decision makers and referrals and have a platform to demonstrate your competencies.
- Teaches how to use an elevator speech and appropriate interviewing questions.
- How “not to sell” at professional organizations.
- How to get published and what to publish in business, trade, and professional organizations’ newsletters to which you and your company belong.
- Learn to leverage these articles for your duties as part of the membership committee to achieve maximum exposure with the goal of getting prospects to see you in a professional light not necessarily related to what you sell.
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 Asking for Referrals (Training time: 1 hour)
- Target specific prospects and prospect categories to increase the quality and quantity of referred prospects.
- Ask a referred customer for referrals as part of your introduction.
- Ask a non-referred customer for referrals.
- Write a brief thank you letter (email, text) to customers that have given you referrals.
- Use the thank you note to get help getting into non-responsive referred prospects.
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 Email Prospecting Contact Series (Training time 3 hours)
- Consists of three different email contact series courses:
- Passive Email Contact Series
- Passive emails or letters are designed to be used to contact the hard to reach decision makers.
- These are three uniquely designed Passive Letters/emails that generate inbound leads from interested prospects.
- The same letters or emails can be used with a wide range of prospects, but each must be personalized. Marketing is one-to-many; whereas prospecting is one-to-one.
- Interest Emailer Contact Series
- Some decision makers are nearly inaccessible and building a relationship based on something they would be interested in by definition of their job, can be effective.
- The relationship built upon interest mailers can provide a way to move forward in the sales process.
- Six interest-mailers, sent 30 days apart, will almost guarantee you’ll get the opportunity to tell your story.
- Often the same six interest mailers can be used for a large number of similar prospects.
- To work, they must meet the criteria for an Interest Emailer.
- Keep in Touch Contact Series
- An incredibly fast and effective low-cost to no-cost contact system that can be used with:
- Clients who have no current project
- Clients with no identified need
- Stalled projects or projects on hold
- Prospects who have turned you down for the current sales opportunity, as well as, non-responsive new prospects
- Often integrated with the Interest Mailer process.
- Use email, snail mail, text, and other contact methods for this series.
- As a standalone course, other modules such as Profile and Qualify the Prospect, along with information on how to develop lists of pre-qualified prospects, including the use of social media, list brokers, and others would be included.
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 Teleblitz Strategy (Training time: 1 hour)
- Several people on the sales team get together to make massive numbers of calls within the boundaries of a specified territory and quickly fill the territory manager’s sales funnel with qualified prospects.
- Leverage unsuccessful initial telephone (with Voicemail) contact attempts by following up with the Email Prospecting System.
- Often a part of live training sessions where the participants bring in a prospect list to call and receive coaching to achieve optimal performance during the class.
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 Ratio Management (Training time: 1 hour)
- Know the types and frequency of contacts that will generate how many appointments (phone or in-person), leading to how many priority prospects, producing how many commitments to buy, to how many actual sales by product and size.
- Improve forecasting by understanding your numbers.
- Know what you have to do each week to achieve your production goals.
- Learn where you can improve your skills to tighten your ratios.
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 Funnel Management (Training time: 1 hour)
- Maintain the proper number of qualified prospects throughout the different phases of the sales process.
- Be more effective in generating your prospect lists by using multiple methods and types of contact.
- Structured to help set up a three-year contact cycle using multiple low cost, to no-cost contact methods for pre-qualified prospects and clients.
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 Time and Territory Management (Training time: 4 to 6 hours)
- This course teaches salespeople how to categorize prospects and accounts based on potential volume, profits, and other criteria, how to travel territory most efficiently, and how to develop account contact plans.
- This is classic Time and Territory Management course with all the basics necessary to keep salespeople on track.
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| Support Materials |
Support Materials for Sales ILT Courses
- Master Reference Modules, Worksheets, Guides, Sales Tools and e-Books
- 85 Most Common Sales Stopping Objections with Prevention and Response Strategies
- 44 Step Diagnostic Strategic Sales Plan with Tactics to implement each step
- 15 Clues that an Account is in Trouble
- 10 Tips for Building Better Relationships
- 6 Strategies to Enhance Customer Satisfaction
- 9 Ways to Reassure the Customer
- 12 Models of Selling (Article by Robert DeGroot published in Selling Power magazine). It is also available as a video showing each model being acted out.
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Worksheets
- VSS P.R.O.S.P.E.C.T. Model Spreadsheet learning tool
- ACE Case Study Worksheet
- Balance Sheet Closing Strategy
- Competitor Analysis Form
- Customer Value Proposition & Presentation
- Objections Handling Form
- Multi-Bid Closing Strategy
- Peer-to-Peer Sales Coaching
- Priority Prospect Project (P3) Strategy Participant Session Manual (PDF)
- P3 drill instruction guide (PDF)
- Brainstorming Guide
- Strategic Sales Plan – 2-page checklist (PDF)
- Telephone Cold Call Script Writing Guide
- Voicemail Strategies Guide
- Prospect Management Spreadsheet (simple, sortable CRM)
- Sample Word doc file ABC Co for Spreadsheet
- FAB/TEA Research Question Guide to confirm Unique Selling Points (USPs)
- Strategic Sales Plan Account Development Guide (24-page guide – if you can complete the form for each step, you know the step is done. Used for complex sales and as a training tool.)
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Support Materials Specifically for the “Objection Free Selling” course
- Flashcard Learning Contest Guide
- Sales Manager’s Guide
- Company-wide Rollout Plan
- Trainer Manual – select and teach just the skills they need
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Coaching Guides for Sales ILT Courses
- Coaching Guide – 7-page general how to coach guide
- Coaching Guide (Brief 3 page)
- Curb Side Coaching – 2-page overview of how to conduct pre and post-call coaching
- How to Use Coaching Guides
- ACE Checklist
- ACE Case Study Sheet
- ACE Value Proposition Format
- Coaching ACE
- Coaching ACE Value Proposition
- Coaching Active Listening Skills
- Coaching Competitor Analysis
- Coaching Decision Makers
- Coaching Functional Product Knowledge (FAB)
- Coaching Question Structures (open, closed, ownership, etc.)
- Coaching Research (how to target research questions)
- Coaching Telephone Cold Call
- Coaching Trust and Rapport
- Coaching Voicemail
- Coaching Profile Qualify (questions)
- Value Selling Strategies Leaders Guide (VSS) (79-page coaching guide for the VSS)
Coaching guides can quickly be developed for other courses as requested.
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