In the after glow of the suspect lighting at the Super Bowl, I’d like to present an analogy of solution-focused product sales in business analytics to the game of football. Before I tackle the analogy, let’s first huddle-up and discuss the X’s and O’s of solution-focused sales delivery.
Long gone are the good old days of car salesman tactics where it was more about convincing to buy than guiding to an educated decision. The ability for customers to research anything is a mouse click away, but context of a product in their business is hard to find. This is where solution sales for business analytics products becomes an effective method of communicating value to customers today. This includes using a defined business need or question as the reference point to demonstrate the product capabilities. By educating the customer through a practical example, both the product and team capabilities are indirectly highlighted.
When looking to the game of football, there are common elements with solution sales. Additionally, objectives for each role in football can help explain the objectives for each role in solution sales. Here is the rundown:
A win represents the solution of a defined business question. This is the ultimate goal and the resulting point of the football game. Are you able to succeed in solving the challenge? In solution sales, the challenge is not to show how cool the product is, but meet the defined benchmark of the customer. In football, numbers are great, but the foundational indicator of success is the ‘W’. A customer has the same expectation with the delivery of a solution.
The ref represents the sales associate. The best refs in sports are the ones you don’t remember. This means they are not adversely affecting the play on the field. In solution sales, this means letting the product’s demonstration determine the final outcome. This resource will help keep rules in check while putting the focus on the solution points of the product and delivery team. The ref will also be of assistance to the coach in ensuring the integrity of play.
The coach represents the technical lead. Good coaches understand the capabilities of each player and how to put each in a position to succeed. Great coaches can put together the most effective combination of plays that maintain this preferred positioning for the individual players. With extensive product knowledge, a technical lead can sift through the various ways to solve a business need and pinpoint the most optimal solution for a specific customer. The technical lead is often on the sidelines during the sales process but has a critical role putting the product in a position to succeed.
The players represent the products. Players come in all shapes and sizes which is why different positions in football are used to take advantage of these unique player attributes. Similarly, business analytics tools will each be catered for solving different business questions. Part of solution sales is ensuring each product is in the proper position to answer the defined business question. Trying to deliver a solution with the wrong product is similar to moving Joe Flacco to the offensive line.
The play itself represents the demonstration of the product’s ability. There are no points awarded in football for just having great players, the proof is on the field. In solution sales, points are awarded when a customer can visualize and trust that an implemented product will satisfy their business needs. It will take an entire game’s worth of examples to fully understand the product’s ability and if it will be a good fit for their company. Keep in mind, even the best of teams in football will lose if they do not show up with effective play for the game.
The final score is the measure of the solution to the business question. Whether it is a large margin or small, it will still provide a measure of success. The metrics of a business solution will explain the variance from a defined benchmark and often lead to an actionable step to improving. In a solution sales scenario, this directs us to adjustments in play for the company in an effort to improve the final score of the next match-up. Additionally, the business needs will change as frequently as opponents each game. New teams will require a new strategy and relative expectations on a final score.
By keeping each role focused on their objective, the result is a fair example of the product and team capabilities. Most importantly, the customer is provided the personal context they need to determine if this is a winning product and solution team for them.
…Break!
