MicroLearning Modules Overview
Contents Introduction
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Call Planning & Execution Skills
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1. Getting Started
8. Listening Actively
2. Exploring the Buying Process
9. Differentiating Your Solution
3. Building Relationships
10. Leveraging Storytelling
4. Planning the Call
11. Managing Objections
5. Opening the Call
12. Closing the Call
6. Creating Value
13. Reviewing the Call
7. Asking Questions
14. Winning the Sale
Account Strategy
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1. Getting Started
6. Selling as a Team
2. Reviewing the Fundamentals
7. Making the Business Case
3. Improving Forecast Accuracy
8. Winning Against the Competition
4. Selling at the Senior Level
9. Developing a Winning Strategy
5. Developing Internal Champions Negotiation
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1. Getting Started
5. Designing a Strategy
2. Building Trust
6. Optimizing Profitability
3. Creating a Bigger Pie
7. Trading Concessions
4. Selling First and Negotiating Second
8. Handling Deceptive Tactics
Coaching
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1. Getting Started
5. Coaching Special Populations
2. Making It Happen
6. Understanding Performance Styles
3. Improving Feedback
7. Becoming a Level Five Sales Leader
4. Leveraging Lessons Learned Business Acumen
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1. Getting Started
5. Knowing Your Customer’s Story
2. Leveraging Industry Trends
6. Monetizing Your Value
3. Providing Business Insight
7. Preparing a Business Case
4. Selling Economic Value
Š 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Introduction The Level Five Coaching System includes several tools and resources that enable "just in time," mobile-ready, learning for representatives and Coach/Mentors. Our virtual coaching platform is designed to assist in the development of a representative's Level Five call fluency through repeated, deep, deliberate skill practice. The Level Five Coaching System incorporates forty-five MicroLearning modules in four core performance domains – Call Planning and Execution, Account Strategy, Negotiation, and Business Acumen. The platform also includes video modules for Coach/Mentors about Coaching best practices. The modules are presented as short 10-12 minute videos, with the accompanying video script text. The Coach/Mentor and representative decide on which modules to focus depending on the individual needs of the representative. Each module also contains a practice assignment to confirm the representative's knowledge of the skill and instructions on how to demonstrate that skill using the video practice feature of the platform. The representative records a video response and uploads it for the Coach/Mentor to review and provide feedback. If appropriate, the Coach/ Mentor can share the representative's example on the Leaderboard so peers can access best practices across a wide variety of sales scenarios. Customization increases the relevance and skill transfer by including references to your industry, products/services, and competitors. The modules are also able to be deployed in their generic format. Descriptions of the MicroLearning modules follow.
Š 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Call Planning & Execution Skills 1. Getting Started An overview of the topics included in the Call Planning and Execution Curriculum, an introduction to Level Five Selling, and the Call Execution Model for planning and executing sales calls. 2. Exploring the Buying Process Everyone knows you can’t sell if you don’t know how people buy. Lack of a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s buying process can lead to doing a really good job doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. This module examines the best practices for understanding how your buyers buy so you can match your sales process and strategy to the customers buying journey. 3. Building Relationships To be a trusted advisor, the representative must be perceived by the customer as credible. Developing such a relationship requires the representative to leverage every interaction with the customer while keeping in mind that credibility is difficult to gain, but easy to lose. This module reviews best practices for building and sustaining customer relationships. 4. Planning the Call This module begins by examining some best practices for improving pre-call planning, starting with some ideas for gathering background information. It also explores a template to be used for pre-call planning. 5. Opening the Call It doesn’t take long to open a call, but how you start often determines how you finish. A good call opening sets the direction for the call and gains the customer’s interest. Representatives should plan how they open the sales call as thoroughly as they plan the rest of the call. 6. Creating Value Selling value is about showing the customer how you can help them solve their business problems and leverage their opportunities. This module examines best practices for achieving that goal. 7. Asking Questions Focusing on the customer is a core principle of successful selling. Best practice is to Ask, Listen, and then Talk. In too many customer interactions, representatives talk too much, listen too little and don’t ask enough questions. Research shows that in successful calls the customer talks more than the seller, and the seller asks more questions. This module provides models and best practices for improving the key skill of asking questions. 8. Listening Actively This module focuses on the second factor in the Ask, Listen, and then Talk best practice. Remember the old saying “in one ear and out the other?” This is a case where that saying rings true. Research tells us that immediately after listening to someone talk, you remember one-half of what was said…and after eight hours, you remember only one-half of that! 9. Differentiating Your Solution Just like any highly skilled professional, you must not only master skills, you must also understand the underlying principles upon which success is built. In B2B selling, an important principle for differentiating your solution is to sell the problem before you sell the solution. The horse must be in front of the cart! This module explores how to differentiate your product.
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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10. Leveraging Storytelling When it comes to presenting a compelling narrative about your solution, a well-crafted story told in a manner the customer can relate to is one of the most powerful techniques for bringing to life the value of your solution. This module examines best practices for crafting and telling those stores. 11. Managing Objections This module explores best practices for preventing and handling objections. It also reviews a model for integrating those best practices into your approach to selling. 12. Closing the Call No topic in selling has received more attention than closing. This module explores an overarching approach that is key to doing a better job in closing. It also examines best practices for closing and reviews some of the myths you need to discard. 13. Reviewing the Call A lot of attention is given to pre-call planning. But what happens after the call? In a B2B sale, the post-call analysis is also a big deal. By systematically assessing the dynamics of each call, you can learn lessons that can be applied throughout the sales process for that account and perhaps others like it. 14. Winning the Sale There are two scenarios in B2B selling where pursuing bad business is particularly telling. This module examines the best practices for handling both scenarios.
Š 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Account Strategy 1. Getting Started An overview of the Level Five Selling Hierarchy is presented along with a description of the program’s design characteristics and a summary of each of the nine account strategy modules. 2. Reviewing the Fundamentals This module covers the fundamentals related to developing and executing an account strategy. The traps that make success less likely are examined, and the best practices for getting it right are reviewed. 3. Improving Forecast Accuracy One key factor for improving forecast accuracy is getting better at lead qualification. In this module, lead qualification is examined from two perspectives. First, the importance of determining the availability of funding is examined. The second consideration is whether your solution is a proper fit for the customer. Fit is about knowing the answers to questions like: why buy anything, why buy now, and why buy from us? 4. Selling at the Senior Level In today’s market, the probability of capturing business is significantly reduced if you cannot sell successfully at the senior level. Therefore, an important component of any winning account strategy is gaining access to the senior level and selling successfully once you’re there. This module takes a close look at both of these considerations. 5. Developing Internal Champions A lot of the selling is going on when you’re not there. Given that fact, representatives need to develop internal champions – someone to “tell your story” when you’re not there. In today’s market, developing an internal champion has moved from being a nice to do, to a must-do. This module tackles this challenge. 6. Selling as a Team There are a number of different situations where selling as a team makes sense. A representative might want to bring along someone from top management because of the attendees on the customer’s side of the table. Or the call might require a person with a high level of technical, manufacturing or customer service expertise. This module examines the forces driving the team-selling trend and the corresponding traps and best practices. 7. Making the Business Case In today’s market environment, you need to conduct two sales. The first sale is to make the business case to the customer their problem is worth addressing. The second sale is to persuade them your solution offers the most effective approach to solving their problem. If you win the second sale without bringing closure to the first, the most likely outcome is you’ll get selected but you won’t close the deal. This module is about making the business case required to close the deal. 8. Winning Against the Competition At some point during the buying cycle, the customer shifts from thinking, “Do I need one?” to “Which one do I want?” They have to decide which competitor offers the best choice. This module reviews the major questions a customer considers when making their decision and what you need to do to influence the decision process in order to win against the competition. 9. Developing a Winning Strategy It’s one thing to know how a customer assesses the competition; it’s another to interpret and leverage that information. This module presents tools and techniques for organizing and analyzing the information required to understand how the customer evaluates the competitive options and how to transform that information into an overall strategy for winning the business. © 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Negotiation 1. Getting Started An overview of the Level Five Selling Hierarchy is presented along with a description of the program’s design characteristics and a summary of each of the eight negotiation modules. 2. Building Trust In all sales negotiations, establishing a solid relationship with the customer is pivotal to success. A foundational goal for accomplishing that end is to achieve a balance between exploring and addressing the interests and concerns of both parties and building and sustaining a collaborative climate. This module explores best practices for achieving that balance. 3. Creating a Bigger Pie It’s difficult to effectively negotiate if the negotiation is based on the assumption “if you get something then I lose something.” An “I win-you lose,” zero-sum perspective is not a viable starting point for a negotiation. This module covers an alternative point of view that sees a negotiation as a problem-solving opportunity to create a bigger pie so both parties can gain a true win. 4. Selling First and Negotiating Second Effective negotiating is all about optimizing value, which is why top sales performers sell value first and negotiate second. This module examines the barriers that need to be overcome to leverage the power of selling value first. 5. Designing a Strategy Getting a negotiation right is not easy, so simply playing it by ear on a call-to-call basis will not get the job done. A well-thought-out strategy is required. This module offers a process for putting a negotiation strategy together and the coaching assistance for getting it right. 6. Optimizing Profitability Even a small price discount can have a significant impact on profit margin. In major deals, the solution and the added-value components are complex and interconnected, so it’s essential to understand the impact of concessions on profitability. This module takes a look at the best practices for assessing how profit is impacted by price concessions. 7. Trading Concessions In a complex sale where you have an ongoing relationship with the customer, how you trade concessions and your approach for handling difficult issues carries over to future negotiations. If the customer feels they have been taken advantage of during the first negotiation, there may not be a second one. This module explores best practices for trading concessions when implementing a win-win negotiation strategy. 8. Handling Deceptive Tactics In major sales, both the representative and the customer are invested in achieving a win-win result because of their long-term relationship. Attempting to gain a short-term advantage through trickery doesn’t make sense for either side. On the other hand, a deceptive tactic may pop up from time to time, so representatives cannot be caught off guard. This module uncovers the most common deceptive tactics and how to handle them.
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Coaching 1. Getting Started An overview of the Level Five Selling Hierarchy is presented along with a description of the program’s design characteristics and a summary of each of the seven coaching modules. 2. Making It Happen With all the voices advocating for coaching and with payoffs ranging from growing the business to reinforcing training to retaining top sales talent, you’d think that coaching is happening in sales teams everywhere all the time. Yet less sales coaching is going on than you’d expect given all the known benefits. This module lays out an online process for effectively and efficiently implementing a robust coaching effort. 3. Improving Feedback There are two main reasons why a sales leader’s feedback often fails to make a difference in a salesperson’s performance. Sometimes the representative isn’t receptive to the coaching. In other situations, it has to do with how the feedback is provided. This module discusses best practices for addressing both of these scenarios. 4. Leveraging Lessons Learned This module takes a close look at the ideas and techniques that high performing sales leaders use to get coaching right. It starts by examining the foundational principle of ask, listen, and then talk. Good sales leaders ask questions that help representatives assess their own strengths and weaknesses and broaden their thinking on how to improve. The module explores ideas for helping representatives think about how to improve their performance versus simply telling them to do more of this and less of that. 5. Coaching Special Populations Most ideas for improving coaching will help regardless of the representative being coached. However, there are special considerations that need to be addressed when coaching low performers and high performers. This module offers best practices for coaching these two special populations. 6. Understanding Performance Styles To leverage the power of coaching, you need to adapt to each unique representative – one size does not fit all. This module examines how to fine-tune coaching to individual differences related to performance styles. To frame the discussion, the FACE (Follower, Analytic, Consensus Builder, and Early Adopter) performance style mode is introduced. 7. Becoming a Level Five Sales Leader This module is about what it takes to become a Level Five sales leader. It explores what Level Five sales leaders are doing differently from a coaching perspective to help their representatives become Level Five sales performers. The Level Five Hierarchy for Sales Leadership is used as a framework for understanding the different approaches to sales coaching.
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Business Acumen Modules 1. Getting Started This introductory module serves as an overview of the Level Five Selling Hierarchy and is presented along with a definition of business acumen and a summary of each of the seven business acumen modules. 2. Leveraging Industry Trends Most customers are being impacted by disruptive changes in their industry from customers, competitors, technology and the economy. As new challenges emerge from these trends, customers will set new performance goals in need of your support. This module provides ideas on how to get smart about industry trends and how these trends might impact your customers. 3. Providing Business Insight If customers find themselves needing to change how they do business, you need to adapt to those changes. Your goal must be to provide your customer with the business insights that show how your solutions meet their emerging challenges. In Module 3, you will explore ways to develop and position the business insights necessary to continuously create value for your customers faced with new challenges. 4. Selling Economic Value Being a successful Level Five Value Creator requires the ability to speak to senior-level economic decisionmakers. To sell economic value at this level, you need to show a decision-maker you understand how they keep score and what is most important to their financial success. Module 4 discusses the common metrics you can use to position your solutions to them in a way that demonstrates how to impact their financial results. 5. Knowing Your Customer’s Story Every company has a story — a story about where they’ve been, where they are today and where they’re going. It might be a story of great success over a long period of time. Or it could be a story about a company that has experienced slow growth for years. In Module 5 you will explore how to analyze the milestones and decisions that drive your customers’ stories so you can position your solution in a way that address their needs going forward. 6. Monetizing Your Value Module 6 focuses on how to monetize your value. Customers buy solutions that will directly impact their bottom line. In this module you will review a four-step value analysis process that lays out a path for monetizing your value in a way that shows the customer how you can impact their bottom line. 7. Preparing a Business Case The final module is Preparing a Business Case — it’s about bringing it all together. An important differentiator for Level Five Value Creators is the ability to establish trust and credibility. To accomplish this, you will explore a five-phase process for preparing a compelling reason for why a customer should choose you. The process helps you to establish the relationship and to gain the commitment required to answer the question, “Why should I do business with you?”
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Level Five Micro Learning eModules Best Practices Introduction The single most powerful tool for sustaining a Level Five Coaching SystemÂŽ is our compendium of forty-five best practice micro-learning video modules. The modules cover the four key performance domains related to conducting a Level Five sales call and achieving success when selling in a complex B2B market. The four performance domains are: 1. Call Planning & Execution
2. Account Strategy
3. Negotiation
4. Business Acumen
There are also seven modules on the topic of sales coaching for onboarding new managers/mentors and a refresher for your seasoned pros. All the forty-five modules run 10-12 minutes and address the best practices of high performing representatives engaged in complex B2B sales. To optimize the relevancy selected passages in each module can be customized with specific client examples. For example, in the call planning and execution domain a separate module is available for each of the following skill areas: understanding the buying process, building relationships, call planning, opening the call, creating value, asking questions, active listening, differentiating your solution, managing objections, leveraging storytelling, and closing. The Level Five Coaching SystemÂŽ best practice modules are designed to be hosted on a virtual coaching and practice platform (Rehearsal) for the mentors and representatives to conduct in-depth, deliberate practice and coaching sessions across the four performance domains. Mentors can also create their own custom video practice exercises specific to selling scenarios they face in their marketplace.
Implementation Questions and Answers The following is a suggested collection of use case applications for using the modules. Should all forty-five modules be available as part of the solution? Yes, there are several reasons for this positioning. The idea is to have available the composite resources required to conduct a Level Five sales call successfully in a complex sale situation. Should every representative practice every module? No, not necessarily. Ideally, the representative and their coach/mentor determine which modules are assigned. We strongly urge that an individual have input to their learning and development path. The appropriate modules would depend on the tenure, strengths, and weaknesses of the individual representative. A second determining factor would be the nature of the needs the company is trying to address. For example, a different set of modules would be appropriate if you were trying to place a priority on selling a new product versus handling a new competitor. Is there any case where all the modules make sense? Yes, for example, with inexperienced new hires, it would be an excellent idea to expose them to all the modules. In that case, it would be best to start with Call Planning and Execution because they address the foundational skills required for success.
Š 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Is there a suggested learning process for using the modules as a coaching tool? Yes, we recommend the following method. • Step 1. Mentor and representative select a video addressing a specific performance area – for example, managing objections. • Step 2. Representative reviews video. • Step 3. Mentor and representative determine a scenario for a representative to develop a practice video – for example, a video demonstrating how to handle a specific objection. • Step 4. Mentor provides feedback on practice video. – Suggests “Try Again” – Marks the assignment “Completed.” – Saves the video to the “Best Practice – Leaderboard.” • Step 5. Mentor and representative determine next steps for ongoing development and practice. Should a mentor assign all the relevant modules at once? No. Mastering a skill takes repetitive practice. It is best to focus on 1-3 skill areas (modules) at a time. When the mentor and representative feel comfortable with the progress, then go on to the next relevant skill set (video). In addition to being part of the coaching effort, are there other situations where a mentor might suggest to a representative that they review the modules? Yes, there are several – here are some cases: • If a representative encounters a new competitor. For example, there is a specific video for Winning Against the Competition. • If the company is launching a new product and you want to practice positioning the product before calling on prospects. For example, there are several modules in the Call Planning and Execution domain such as: Understanding the Buying Process, Creating Value, and Differentiating your Solution that would be helpful. • A mentor could assign the Managing Objections video to several representatives to collect best practices for a particularly frequent and challenging objection to post on the Rehearsal software platform leaderboard. This idea could be useful for compiling best practices for many of the modules. • The company introduces a new pricing model, and the representatives need to practice how they position the change and sell the value. Here a number of the Negotiation modules could prove helpful to review. • The company is going after a new market segment. In this case, the modules on Business Acumen would be interesting to review. • Given that the modules are short, a representative could review any of the modules right before going into a sales call as a quick idea generator.
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Use Case Application Configurator Onboarding New Hire
New Product Launch
New Competitor
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New Market Segment
Tough Objections
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4
4
4
4
Pricing Increase
Call Planning & Execution Skills 1. Getting Started
4
2. Exploring the Buying Process
4
3. Building Relationships
4
4. Planning the Call
4
4
5. Opening the Call
4
4
6. Selling Value
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7. Asking Questions
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8. Listening Actively
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9. Differentiating Your Solution
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10. Leveraging Storytelling
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4
4
4 4
12. Closing the Call
4 4
14. Winning the Sale
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4 4
11. Handling Objections 13. Reviewing the Call
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4
4
Account Strategy 1. Getting Started 2. Reviewing the Fundamentals 3. Improving Forecast Accuracy 4. Selling at the Senior Level 5. Developing Internal Champions 6. Selling as a Team 7. Making the Business Case
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8. Winning Against the Competition
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4
9. Developing a Winning Strategy
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4
4
Negotiation 1. Getting Started 2. Building Trust 3. Creating a Bigger Pie
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4. Selling First and Negotiating Second
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5. Designing a Strategy
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6. Optimizing Profitability
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7. Trading Concessions
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8. Handling Deceptive Tactics Business Acumen 1. Getting Started
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2. Leveraging Industry Trends
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3. Providing Business Insight 4. Selling Economic Value
4 4
5. Know Your Customer’s Story
4 4
6. Monetizing Your Value
4
4
7. Preparing a Business Case
4
4
Š 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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Situational Selling Use Case Application Configurator Selling to the “C-Suite”
Selling Total Value
Prospecting for New Business
Expanding Relationships
Call Planning & Execution Skills 1. Getting Started 2. Exploring the Buying Process 3. Building Relationships
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4. Planning the Call
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5. Opening the Call
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9. Differentiating Your Solution
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10. Leveraging Storytelling
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6. Selling Value 7. Asking Questions
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8. Listening Actively
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11. Handling Objections
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12. Closing the Call 13. Reviewing the Call 14. Winning the Sale Account Strategy 1. Getting Started 2. Reviewing the Fundamentals 3. Improving Forecast Accuracy
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4. Selling at the Senior Level
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5. Developing Internal Champions
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6. Selling as a Team
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7. Making the Business Case 8. Winning Against the Competition
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9. Developing a Winning Strategy
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Negotiation 1. Getting Started 2. Building Trust 3. Creating a Bigger Pie
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4. Selling First and Negotiating Second
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5. Designing a Strategy 6. Optimizing Profitability
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7. Trading Concessions 8. Handling Deceptive Tactics Business Acumen 1. Getting Started
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2. Leveraging Industry Trends
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4
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3. Providing Business Insight
4
4
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4. Selling Economic Value
4
4
4
5. Know Your Customer’s Story
4
4
6. Monetizing Your Value
4
4
4
7. Preparing a Business Case
4
4
4
© 2019 Level Five Selling, LLC, LLC.
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