Channel Enablers direct sales development curriculum for partners is implemented over the course of a year. Each quarterly workshop builds upon previous events to reinforce learning and build momentum for change of behavior in the field.

Each workshop includes:

1. a review of action plans from previous sessions to encourage new skills and knowledge to be applied in the field
2. a section of theory/workshop – including an extensive set of reference notes and guides enabling partners to apply new knowledge in the field and bring new members of their own teams into the program
3. role play and workshops to develop skills
4. planning for the application of new knowledge in the field

Program content

Channel Enablers’ direct sales development programs focus on business-to-business selling for people who sell ‘consultatively’, that is, by understanding customer needs and identifying customer imperatives.

Program content, processes and skills are equally relevant to sales of hardware, software, networks or services – and to whole product solutions comprising all these elements and more.

The annual curriculum includes implementation of Channel Enablers MOP process for qualifying and winning major sales opportunities.

First workshop - One day program kick off

• Overview of the annual partner sales development program
• What is the right sales process?
• There are lots of different ways of selling. Choice of the best sales process depends on the complexity and value of the products being sold, and target customer requirements and sophistication. In this module we examine why people sell different kinds of products in different ways, identify the critical factors required for success in different kinds of sales, compare and contrast the consultative ‘complex’ sale with more ‘transaction’ oriented product sales, and discuss the relevance of these to the vendors’ products.
• Pre-approach phases of the sales process
• Early stages of the territory based sales process. Prospecting and opening for territory sales people dealing with multiple opportunities across multiple accounts. Identifying maximum value prospects. Calculating required prospecting activity rates. Prospecting strategies.
• Opening a new sale
• Opening calls/opening accounts, planning sales calls, creating initial interest, gaining permission to go further, early qualification, dangers of 'selling too soon'.
• First part of selling larger deals
• Stakeholder analysis – buying influencers and decision processes.
• Level One qualification (step by step qualification guide).
• 90 day action planning

Second workshop – two days

• Action plan review – follow up of actions planned in the previous workshop
• Building trusted relationships
• Any sales action involves relating to people in the customer’s organization and the sales person’s own organization. Employing a simple yet effective behavioral mode, sales people learn how to recognize their own influence style, their inherent strengths and weaknesses at different points in the sales process, and how to modify their behavior in order to build stronger customer relationships and advance their sales opportunities.
• How customers buy
• There are some real advantages and some real disadvantages to entering the customers’ buying process late. This module looks at how customers buy and the kinds of sales activities appropriate to different points in the buying process. We also explore opportunities for generating additional revenue early and late in the buying process.
• Formulating the sales objective
• Developing the right strategy for a larger sales opportunity.
• Selling at different levels
• A large group interactive workshop to understand the issues, constraints, purchasing power and time frame of prospects at different organizational levels. How problems at one level must be translated into issues at more senior levels to get action. We discuss ideal ‘points of entry’ into prospect organization, how to reach these people and what captures their interest.
• Business imperatives to purchase
• Developing a compelling reason to buy and a winning story.
• Communication Skills – effective listening
• Effective communications is a core competency in every part of every business. Success in sales and service depends upon it. Managers who are leaders must be competent in it. Teams, which are the basis of an organization, are formed through it. Effective communications is a ‘life skill’ upon which sound relationships are established. Workshop components include creating awareness (communication problems and their effects), spoken communications ( listening and asserting, theory and practice), and written communications (demonstration, recommendations and discussion).
• Sales investigation
• We look at the type of information that is required to build relationships and develop compelling reasons to buy. We also look at the technique and style of needs analysis, using appropriate questioning and communication techniques to uncover value and build competitive advantage. Workshop exercises are used to plan how vendor products and company advantages can be linked to a prospect’s operational problems and executive issues.
• Building awareness of value
• The use of implication questioning techniques to build prospect awareness of why they need to act.
• Investigation role play
• Role play and critique of an ‘investigation’ sales call.
• Review and action planning

Third workshop –one day

• Action plan review – follow up from last workshop
• Detailed Stakeholder Analysis – developing key selling messages for critical decision stakeholders. Examining decision maker:
• Business outcomes.
• Personal outcomes.
• Primary & Advantage Issues – where to focus your messaging.
• Handling objections and gaining commitments (closing)
• Many different ‘closing strategies’ are discussed. The value of closing for the customer. When and how to close. Closing throughout the sales process. At the point of closing customer objections may arise; we look at sound objection handling process and style, and discuss common objections and strategies for handling them. Role play is used to demonstrate the process and raise awareness of development needs.
• Workshop – answers to common objections.
• Review and action planning

Fourth workshop – two days

• Action plan review
• Sales Presentation Planning and delivery
• This module focuses on two critical sales presentations. The opening presentation – used to create initial customer interest at the beginning of the sales process – and the closing presentation where commitments to specific proposals are sought. Role plays combine effective presentation format and appropriate style development.
• Building a business case
• This workshop module combines an overview of common financial justification theory with some practical work to build financial justification templates that can be applied many times. Theory sections include collecting information that can be represented as tangible ($’s) value. Comparing the strength of this approach to intangible value. Looking at simple investment analysis tools such as NPV and IRR and how to use these in a sales situation.
• Cost justification boilerplate exercise.
• Workshop to identify those areas where vendor solutions generate significant customer ROI. Planning the questions required to gather this information and the calculations used to present it to customers.
• Selling a business case
• Having the numbers is one thing – selling them and having them accepted by the prospect is another. This module looks at how to sell the business case developed earlier.
• Final exam
• Content review from the entire program.
• Self development planner
• Using the critique received during structured role plays, participants analyze their own strengths and weaknesses as sales people and plan self-development actions.

Annual program benefits

Effective education should always be concerned about changing behavior in the field. Improved sales results will only occur when new learning and skills are applied by sales people.

A regular series of sales development workshops is one of the best ways of achieving this behavior change. Prior learning can be reinforced and action plans reviewed.

There are many benefits that flow from a properly constructed annual program:

• Knowledge retention is significantly improved.
• Sales people work together on real sales opportunities. Tangible sales results can be assessed in subsequent workshops.
• Partner ecosystem teams begin to form as sales people, sometimes from multiple partner organizations, regularly work together in training
• Loyalty to the sponsoring vendor is dramatically increased. Role plays and workshops focus on the vendor’s products and opportunities, and partner sales people become more comfortable selling what they have practised and discussed. Partners recognize the high quality and value of the training they receive, training they may not be able to afford by themselves.

Annual program workshop format and media

People learn in different ways, so each workshop employs a variety of learning methods.
 
We provide extensive notes, tools and guides for use in the field and as an ongoing reference. Participants add to their course binders in successive workshops to build a comprehensive ‘how to’ guide over the course of the year.
 
Lectures and discussions relate key concepts and tools to a participant’s own situation, products and sales opportunities.

Role plays are a major part of the program and provide the opportunity to develop selling skills.

We believe in small group interactive sessions, so places are strictly limited to ensure quality. Ideal course sizes are between 15 and 20 participants. Larger groups can be catered for using additional Channel Enablers facilitators.