Course Description The Essence of Selling Solutions Involving Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 Participants: pre-sales, sales, sales-management, marketing, general management
Duration: 2 days
Overview
This 2 day interactive sales training course provides participants with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully sell the “Wave” products ie Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.
The focus of the course is to provide sales arguments and likely scenarios related to finding new opportunities for the Wave products, either within accounts that have previous versions of the products (eg Windows Server 2003) or alternatively in prospects that use competitive products (eg Linux, Oracle, VMWare etc).
This product specific sales information will be augmented by a review of a sales process linked to the Microsoft Solution Sales Process (MSSP), featuring the techniques and arguments related to identifying opportunities within a prospect before that prospect goes out to quotation. This allows the sales resource to better control the sale and minimise competition.
The course focuses on the early stages of the sales process ie:
- understanding where to look in the customer base and broader market to identify likely opportunities for the Wave products
- introducing a conversation with a customer/prospect to upgrade/convert to the Wave products
- recognising and progressing specific opportunities
- obtaining ongoing customer commitment
and places heavy emphasis on ensuring the prospect “buys in” to the process.
To cement concepts learnt, there are a number of practical activities built around scenarios involving the Wave products, including individual and group exercises, and role plays.
Tools and templates are also provided in relation to:
- identifying upgrade opportunities within existing Microsoft clients
- identifying cross-grade opportunities in accounts using competitive technologies eg Linux, Oracle, VMWare, Citrix etc
- developing and presenting compelling arguments in each situation
- creating winning sales strategies
- offering proof of capability
- ensuring buyer commitment
- justifying value.
Course elements will be linked closely with the Microsoft Solution Sales Process (MSSP), to foster partnership selling with Microsoft.
Participants will leave this 2 day course with a comprehensive understanding of the key capabilities, and associated enablers, for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.
Objectives
Course objectives include exhibiting the ability to:
- identify opportunities in the market place to upgrade/cross-grade to the Wave products (ie Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008)
- understand, tailor and present the business case arguments associated with the upgrade/cross-grade
- follow a sales process association with the Microsoft Solution Sales Process to successfully win deals with a minimum of competition
- use a number of tools and techniques associated with
- mapping customer pains to Wave product solutions
- identifying prospects
- pre-planning a call
- holding a structured customer meeting, obtaining customer commitment
- offering proof of capability
- justifying value
- building a project plan – with customer/prospect input – to successfully close the deal
- practice essential sales skills via group exercises and role plays.
Target audience
This session is designed primarily for business development resources – but is well suited to other roles within the Partner that are involved in the sales process, including pre-sales, sales management, marketing management and general management. Technical and consulting resources will also benefit by understanding the role they can play within the sales process.
Individuals that have already attended the Essentially Selling Solutions course run by Microsoft Australia over the last 3 years are encouraged to attend: all examples and practical exercises have been rewritten, and the focus is on understanding the arguments associated with the Wave products in the overall context of a solution sales process.
Prerequisites
There are no mandatory prerequisities for this session.
Useful but optional prerequisites include:
- some direct experience in the sales process..
Content overview
Key topics covered during Day 1 include:
- the solution sales philosophy – identifying “fresh” opportunities by identifying customer pain (prior to the customer identifying the pain)
- different levels of buyer need
- pointers to uncovering fresh opportunities, customer pain and buyer need associated with Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 (both individually, and in unison with each other and other elements of the Microsoft Platform)
- characteristics of likely upgrade/cross-grade targets
- industry/organisation characteristics
- IT infrastructure characteristics
- business and other benefits available to customers/prospects that upgrade/cross-grade
- a sales process to drive and convert identified opportunities
- Microsoft product messaging, and competitive positioning
- gaining buyer commitment
- handling buyer concerns
Key topics covered during Day 2 include:
- revision and practice – key concepts from Day 1
- strengthening the business case by presenting the arguments for the Microsoft Platform as a whole
- justifying value – writing and presenting a business case involving the Wave products
- offering proof – writing a compelling case study involving a reference site
- obtaining and documenting buyer commitment – the pre-sales project plan
- overview of sales resources available to assist.
