Driving Customer Engagement

Chapter 5Chapter 5 Driving Customer EngagementDriving Customer Engagement By DaBy Dvid Priemeavid Priemer r DaviDad startevid started hisd c hiareers ca reerin sa ilesn s alelesad leershipadership at C aatn adCainaadn ian startupstartup Rypple Rypple, which, which was wacaqsu airedcqu iredby S ablesfory Salesforce inc 2011e in 2011. . He wHeent w onent to on b ecometo become Vice Vice President President of Sale of sSale at sSale at sSales - - forceforce, as , wellas wellas holdingas holding the thetitle titleof S ofales S aLelesa derLeasderhip ship EvanEvgelistangelist at Sale at sSaleforcesforce. Da.vi Dda hviads hwritteas written exten extensivelnsively y for thefor Sthealesforce Salesforce blog blog and ahinds perspe his perspectivec tiveon c oonnne cocntineng cting withw prospectith prospects ands ancudsto cumstoersm aersnd adndriving driving eng aegemengagement is nt is espeespeciallyc irelevant for enterprise Sally relevant for enterprise SaaS staaaS strtuparts.ups. In 2013In ,2013 a survey, a survey of 80 0of B 802B0 m B2aBrk metianrgketi tenamsg te reveamsa reveled thaleadt diffithatcu diffilty cuin lty in genergeatingnera high-qualityting high-quality leads le waadss the wa sn theumber number one b onearrier ba torrier their to theirsucces suscc. ess. It’s noIt s’su nrpriso suerpris. Cusetomer. Customers nows havenow haveunprece unprecedenteddente choidc cehoi ancde acc andess acc to ess to informinforationmation when when it com ite cos tom esolutions to solution purc hpausesrch, ansesot to, n otm eton tionmen ction c onstanont stant turnover ofturnover of inter ninteral dinsal tradcitiostrancs tioannds conflicti and conflicting prioritieng priorities. s. To comTo bcomat thebats ethe grosew groingw cihalleng cnhalleges ninges the in hopethe hopes of attrs ofac attrtinacg atinnd g and convertingconverting more m cusoreto cusmertos,m saerles,s saandles maandr kmaetinrkgeti funngc tiofunncstio arnms atheirmr their peoplepeople with withan impres an impressive asrriveay a ofrra trya ofin itrnagi naindng eanabnd elenabmentlem reentso urercseosu. rces. Cold-Cold-callincgalli tencgh nteiquechns,ique saless, salesmetho mdethoologiedologies, sols,u tiosolnu tiodenm ods,e manos,d and negotiationegotiation tacnti cstac atirecs a allre tool alls tool thes mo thed ermon-ddaeryn -sadaleys samacles himacne hiusnees usto es to engage its engage its audieauncedie annced u asher thend usher them throm uthrogh theugh b theuyin bguyi cyclnge c. ycle. WhenWhe usend uproperlsed properly, they effective, the effectiveness ofnes thes ofse the toolses tool is oksa isy ,ok notay gre, notat gre. at. WhileW theirhile theirunderlyi underlying funngd amfunednamtales natreal sos auren sod, theirund, theirreal-w real-orldw effeorldc tiveffeectiv-e - ness ness can often fcan often fall flaat llfor fla ttw foro k teywo re kaeyson resa.sons. 1. They’re used incorrectl1. They’re used incorrectly. y. ConsConider saider sim aplifie simplified modd elm oofd ela typiof ac typial salecals scaleycles c repreycle representedse nateds a as a seriesserie of losc of loked dckoored ds, loorabs,ele labd asele thed as follo the wfolloingw: ing: 5454 5454

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt Interest:Interest: where w herethe initithea initil interestal interest arou nadro ua nparticuld a particular problear problem anmd and solutiosolnu is genertion is generated.ated. Solution:Solution: where w hereinfor mainfortionma ationnd co anndt ecoxtn atroextu nadro hounwd hoa givew an give solution solution n can acaddnre asdds theres s theprob leprom bisle providem is provided. d. Negotiation:Negotiation: where w herethe t wtheo ptwartieso pa drtieseter dmeterinem theine ter them ster unmdser u nwdhicer h which the preferrethe preferred solutiond solution will b will e deliverebe delivered. d. Each Edoorach doorhas ah aksey a ckorreey csorrepondspoingnd toing the to ttheacti c,ta ctiskillc,, skillor tr, aorini trnag ining requirerequired to opend to open it. The it .pro Theb lepromb occlemu rsocc wuhersn w thehen w therong w rongtactic t acis trietic isd trieto d to open theopen the right drightoor d. oor. For eForxam eplxame, splupposee, suppose a sa leas persosalesperson is tryin isn gtryi ton gope ton ope then ctheusto cmustom- - er’s inerterest’s interest door doorarou ndarou a ndma ark maetingrketing auto maautotionma solutiotion solution. In nthe. In firthest first instaninscet,a thence ,s thealesperso salesperson sayns tosa ythes to c theusto cmusetor, m“Weer, h“Wavee haanve ama an zingama, zing, n save time, increase web-wbaeseb-dba masedrk maetingrketing auto maautotioman protiondu proct duthactt cathat can save time, increase your lead flow, and integrates into the system you already have. Do you your lead flow, and integrates into the system you already have. Do you have haa mave rak maetingrketing auto amautotioman stiooluntio solnu in pltiona in plce toadace yto?”day?” In a second instance, the salesperson says, “We’ve worked with In a second instance, the salesperson says, “We’ve worked with hundredshundreds of organizations of organizations like yourslike yours and andhave have found found the ktheey to key to engaging customers in an increasingly competitive market is creating engaging customers in an increasingly competitive market is creating an intimatan intimate, 1:1e ,relationship 1:1 relationship with withthem. them. Would W ouldyou liyouke tolik elearn to learn how how others have done that?”others have done that?” The Thefirst firstis a issolutio a solution pitchn pitch. The. Theseco ndsec oisnd a isbon a ab onfidae fiinterestde interest- - genergeneration tation tactic.actic. The right key is always more effective at opening the right door. While The right key is always more effective at opening the right door. While we hopewe hope our sa oleurs peoplesalespeople use the use tr theaining training and t andactic tsa wctiec provis we provide tod thee tom them in the most effective way, unfortunately, they often don’t. in the most effective way, unfortunately, they often don’t. 5555 5555

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 2. They’re focused on the selle2. They’re focused on the seller, not the buyer, not the buyer. r. One Oneof the of first the thifirstng this In oftengs I often impre imsspre onss o uorn noewur norew fir sort-ti firmset-ti samlees sales reps isrep thes is need the need for the form the to mad toopt ad aopt stro an sgtro sennsg es eofns cuse ofto cusmerto cmenertri cceitnytri. city. WhileWhile it’s sa itfe’s tosa feoper to aoperte undateer und theer ass theum assptioumnptio thant yothautr yocusutor cmusertosm arere s are generallygenerally nice peoplnice people, it’s ea,l sito’s saalfeso tosa feas stoum ases umthaet theythat theycare mcaorest m aboostu abt out whatwhat’s import’s important toa ntthe tom. the Thm.at This, atheyt is, theydon’ td coanre’t acboareu at boyouutr yocoumr pcanomyp’s any’s productsprod auctsnd s aolutionsnd solutions; they; theydon’ tdo canre’t abcareou abt theou tinn theer i nnworkier wnorkigs ofn gyos ofur your organizationorganization, your, yourhierar hierarchy, yochuyr, yoapprovur approval proacl eprossecse andsses poliandc iepolis; ancied s; and they’rethey’re certa certinly aninotly fo ncusot foedcus one dm oanxi mmiziaxnimg izitheng v thealue v ofalu thee of s alethes srealep’ss rep’s compencompensationsation plan. pl Wan.ha tW theyhat theydo ca dore caabreou abt iso ut risu nning and running groandw groing wing their theirown ownbusin buessis n aensds hoandw hotheyw theycan b caennefit be ntheirefit theirpeopl people ine doing in d oingthat. that. It’s the jobIt’s the job of a sa of leas saprofesles professionaslio tona helpl to helpachieve achieve those tho goalses goal. s. NotedNoted author author Simo Snimo Sinnek Si snummek summed thieds sthiensti mseenntitm uepn tperfe up perfectly icn tly in his 2011his 2011 talk “talkIf Yo “uIf DYooun ’tD Undon’t erUndstanerds tPaneopld Peeopl, Youe, DYooun ’tD Undon’t erUndstanerd stand BusineBusiness.” Ins sit.” heIn itass heert asss thaterts mothats tmo corporst corporationsatio inns the in w theorl dw aorldoptd a dopta a self-centereself-centered approd aacpproh toac sah lesto saanlesd m anadrk metianrkgeti. Cnorporg. Corporationsatio arens la argelre lay rgely focusefocd uosen talkid onn talkig abnogu abt theoumst theelvemsselve ands their and theirsolutio solns,utio andns, po andsitio ponsiitiong ning themtheselvemselves coms petitivelycompetitively agai nastg aotherinst other corpor corporations.atio Wns.ha tW theyhat theyoften often fail tofa doil to is dofoc isu sfoc onu ths oant ethxperieat experience fromnce fromthe per thespe perctivespe coftive the of b theuye br. uyer. To driveTo d therive point the point hom eho hem dee hesc ridebescs riabne esx aperin ment he experimencto henduc conducted wittedh with a Newa NewYork CityYork p Cityanh pandanhleandr. Inle itr .he In cith hean cgehand theged w theord winorg donin theirg on theirsign tso ign to be completelybe completely giver giver centri cec,n in tritc,u irn n itncurren iasncingreas itings imp its acimpt fiveact fol fived. fold. GettingGetting custo cumsertosm toer bs elieveto believe you’ reyo thereu’re there to help to helpthem the meman ms eyoanu s you have haveto ge tonu geinelynu inthielynk thi liknek the likem the andm sandpea ks petheirak theirlang ualanggeua. Thege. toolThes tools and enaandb enalementblement strategie strategies yous leveryou leverage iange yo iunr yoorguran orgizaantioizna ntioeend n teeo d to reflect reflect a buyer-a buyer-centricc aenpprotric aacpproh. ach. The The True Enemy of SalesTrue Enemy of Sales Ever Everhave havea res ola uretiosolnu totio nstart to startgoin ggoi ton gthe to gy them, gy eam,t he eaatlth hey,a slthpeyn, d spend moremore time timewith wyoithur yofamuril fyam, oril by,egi or nb egia homen a home renov reantioovna projetion project? If cyot? u If you have,hav chaen, chaces nacesre tho ares etho ressole uretiosolnsutio rensma reinmaed,i nweelld,, wreellsol, uretiosolns:utio thins:ng this ngs you cyouonsidered considered doin g,doi innteg,nd inetednd one ddoi onn gd,oi orn perhapg, or perhaps evens eve commn coittemmd itteto d to do, butdo didn’t. Why , but didn’t. ?Wh Asy it? tAusr itns t ouurnt, s socuietnc, sceie mancye mahavey htheave an thesw aner.swer. On JuOnly 5 J,u 16ly 857, ,16 En8gli7, Eshn gliphyshs iciphyst sandicist ma andthem mathematicianati Scirian Isaac Sir IsaacNew toNen wton first firpublishedst published his hiMathes Mathematicamlati Pricanl ciplesPrinciples of Naoft urNaal tuPhiloral Philosophsyoph, y , 5656 5656

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt descridbeingscri bhising n hisow nfamowo fuams threeous three laws lofaw motions of motion. New. toNenw’s tofirstn’s lfirstaw olaf w of motionmotion is rel aiste reld atote da physicto a physical propertyal property of all of ma alltter ma knotterw knon aws nin ertias ian. ertia. The cTheoncept concept of inerti of inertia explaa einxpls whyains whyan o bajectn ob ajectt re satt sretasyst s atat ysre satt anresd t and an obanject ob inject m otioin mnotio stayns s inta yms otionin motion at the a ts amthee s amspeee dspee andd iann thed in s atheme same directiondirection, unles, usnles actesd a oncte bd ony an b ey xternan external forcal force. e. Newton missed witnessing the mechanics of modern-day corporations Newton missed witnessing the mechanics of modern-day corporations by a febyw a h feunwd hreudn dyereadrs, ye bautrs, if b wute ifa pplywe a hipplys first his l afirstw to la thew to b theusines business worlsd world we getwe s ogetmething something like this like: Ithisn m:a Inna mgingana gingtheir theiroper aopertionsations, com,p coanmiespan wiliesl will tend tento dem toploy em ploythe sam thee sam prace tiprcesac,ti polices,c iespoli, candies, teandch nteologieschnologies they ’theyve ’ve alwayaslwa useysd, u sed, unless a large disruptive unless a large disruptive forcefor cacuese csa uthesesm the tom c htoang chea. nge. In essInen esces,en incertie, ian erti(or astatu (or status quos bquoias) bisia thes) is e thenem eyn eofm they of m theodern- modern-day day sales asanlesd m anard mketiarnkgeti mangchin maechin. e. So whSoat w dhoesat dinoeserti ian ertisouan sdo liukned? Slikaelespeople? Salespeople are a lla retoo all f amtooili faamr wiliitah r with custocmuserto refrmera inrefrs liakine s li“thkea t“’sth notat’ sa not priority a priority for u sfor no uws” n orow “I” do or n“I’ tdo thinkn’t think we we have htheave m theoney money for th forat” th ora t”“ worh a“tw whea’ret w deoing’re d oingnow noisnw’t perfeisn’t perfect, butct ,it b’s ut it’s workingworking for now for” — now a” —ll ma anifestatioll manifestations of nthes of in theerti ian wertiitha wwhiithc hw bhiucsihn beussisens esses operaoperte. “aSoftte. wa“Softre?wa Technologre? Technology? Procey? Process chanss chgean? Dgoen?’ tD noeedn’t n ’eeedm! W’em!e We can morecan more or les ors get lessb get y onb wy ohat n wwhat e’re wdeoing’re d.”oing.” OccaOsioccanasiolly,na therelly, there are s ignares s ofign hops ofe hop. Everye. Every now nowand thenand ,then our ,sa ourles sales and maandr marketing efforts are compelling eno keting efforts are compelling enough tough bre toak b throreaku throgh theugh a rthemo ar rmor and mandini maminlly imadisruptlly disrupt the inerti the inertia of oau of or targetur ta crgetusto cmustoer. mer. The Theever-growi ever-growing anndg asndophi ssophiticatedstic atedonli noe nlimnaer ketplamarkcetplae ofc e soofcia l social advertiadvertising, sretinga, rgetiretanrgetig, anndg, amundltis mucreeltisnc reeengagemen engagement provint provides admespl ae mple opportopportunityun fority pote for npotetial nbtiuayerl bsu toyer rais tose raitheirse theirvirtu avirtul handal h. andIf one. If ofone yo ofur your audieauncdiee mnceem mberems bervisiteds vi syourited yourwebs witee,bs ditowe, ndloowadednloa aded white a white pape paper, or r, or clickedclic okned yo ounr yoFaucrebook Facebook ad, c hadan, ccehsa nacree sthey are theywere wereinjec tedinje cintedto thintoe the top oftop yo ofur yosaleurs safulenns elfu nnas ela masar ak etimarngketi qunalifiedg qualified lead lea(MQL).d (MQL). MQLs MQ caLsn can be defiben defied onned the on b theasis bofas kisey of demographi key demographics, oncslin, oe nbliehnea bviorehs,avior or othes, or r other relatereld acatetivitied activities. In ges. nIneral ge,n aeral lea,d a m leusadt m meetust meet a min aim miumnim threums holthreds forhol odn fore one or moreor more of these criteria in order of these criteria in order to beto co bnse ideredconsidered bona b fiodnea. Thefide .pro Theb leprom blem with MwithQL sM isQL thats is a thatll too a llofte toon ofte, thatn m, thatinimu minmimu threms holdthres ishold sim isply sim tooply lo toow. low. ConsiCodern sitheder jo theurn joeyu rofn eya b ofuyer a b uyerfor your for yourprod uproctsd ausc btsei ans gb eiananglogo anaulogos us to theto m theerc muryer ricurysing ri insing a thermo in a thermometemr. Theeter . zeroThe zeromark ma worku lwd orepresenuld represent t a buyera b uwithyer withno level no levelof in tereof insteret. Tenst .wo Tenu lwod duelsdcri dbeescri a rbaevi an rga viadnvocg adatvoce, ate, 5757 5757

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 and eightand eight would w ouldbe the be level the levelof in tereof insteret reqsut irereqdu forire dthe for bu theyer bu toyer m atoke make a purcha purchase. Nowase. Nowsuppo susppoe thsaet bthuyerat b uyergets getinjectes indjecte intod yointour yosaleurs safulens fun- - nel asnel an as M aQnL MwithQL withan intere an interest levelst levelof tw ofo. tThwoat. Thmeaat nms eyoanusr yosaleurs saanled s and markmaretingketing effort efforts neesd nee to rda tchetto ratchet that buthatyer bu uyerp s ixu plevel six slevel of ins tereof insteret in st in orderorder to convert to convert them the intom ainto cus ato cusmetor. mIt’se rc. ertIt’sa cinertly aninotly i mnotpo issmipobless, bibulet , but that lthatarge l inertiarge inertial gapa lm gaightp m reightsult re insu alt lo inn gera lo nsagerles sacylecles cy andcle high- and high-caloricae lorie converconversion exsioernc exiseer. Bciuset .w Bhuat tw ifh yoat uif wyoereu w aberele abto leinje toc tinje thactt buthayert bu inyerto into the funnelthe funnel as a s asix? a The six? sma Theller sma inllerter nainterl ganap lw goapul wd oproviuld provide a mucde ah muc morhe more onversion r aSteo hos. Sw o how favorafabvorale stbalerti stnga rtipoingn tpoi andnt g aandte wagatey towa highery to higher conver c sion rates. can higher levelscan higher levels of en of egagengmaentgem bente ac bhievee achieved? d? In theIn spirit the spirit of fighting of fighting scien scceie wnithce swcithienc sceie, sncomee, s omeof the of b theest sabelests saanled s and markmaretingketing orga norgaizationnizastion in thes in worl the dworl used se usceret se tcacretti cstac rootetics rooted in bdas inic basic psychologypsychology and haumnd anhum behana bvioreha tovior over to coveromec obumyere bu inyerertia in ertiaand geandne ger ne-r - ate higherate higher levels levels of lead of ilenadtere insteret. Thest .s Theectio sensctio belowns b elowwill e wxploreill explore five o fivef of the mothest mo compellingst compelling. . Secret #1: Invoke the Power of ReciprocitySecret #1: Invoke the Power of Reciprocity ReciprocityReciprocity is on eis ofon thee of olde the soldet andst mandost m pooswt erfulpow erfulforce fors inc ebsus inin beusssi, ness, and atand a baat saic ba levelsic ,level it’s an, it ’isnc anentive- incentive-basedba bseehaviord behavioral eqaual eqtiouan: tioI wann: I t want somethingsomething from fromyou, yoandu, iandn ex cinh aexngecha Inge offer I offersom ethingsomething in ret iunr n.ret Fourn.r For examplexaempl, I wae, nI twa mny t kidmys tokid bs rtous hb rtheirush theirteeth teeth and goand to go b etod onbed ti mone time extendedti mTVe titheme n theext next withoutwithout fuss, fuanssd, inan exd cinh aexngchea, ngI mae, yI maoffery offerextended TV day. Simplday. Simple, right?e, right? Well , Wasell it, tasur itns t uorunst, theout ,or theder or ofd eroper of aopertionsatio herens hereis is more imore importamportant than nt thwean thiwenk thi. nk. The authorsThe authors of the of btheook b ookYes! 50Yes! Scientifically 50 Scientifically Proven Proven Ways W toays B e to Be PersuaPersuasive scivoendu cocnteddu catedn e xaperimentn experiment in w hichin w hichthey theytried trieto dget to hoteget l hotel guestsgu toests reuse to reuse their theirtowels to iwnsteels adinste of adha viofn hga thevingm the launmdered laundered in the in na theme name of enofviro ennviromentnmental resapol renssipobilitnsyi.b Inilit they. In e xtheperi emxperientm, theent re, thesea rercsherearsc hopehers hoped d to promoteto promote guest guest compli coanmcepli anbyce offering by offering to don toa dteon a aportiote a portion of then of e ntheerg ey nergy savinsagsvi tong as ntoot-for-profit a not-for-profit enviro ennviromenntalme protectionntal protection organ orgizaantioniza: tiona “yo: au “you do thisdo for this m fore, I ’mll doe, I ’thll doat fortha yot foru” yopropou” propositions itiosimnilar sim toilar m yto chil myd rechiln’ds rebend’s be-d - time routintime routine. Interee. Interestinglsyti, nthiglsy in, thicesn intivecen retivesulte redsu inlte ndo iadn nditioo adnaditiol degreenal degree of of ompliance to the requet. Hoswt. eveHowr, evewher,n w thehen rese thea reserchersarchers rever reversed thsede the complic ance to the reques orderorder of the of i nthecen itivencen btivey stati byn sgtati thatng theythat theyhad hadalrea adlreay dodnay dteodna ate portiod a portion n of theof a thenticip anticipated asavingted savings to thes to n theot-for-profit not-for-profit enviro ennmviroennmtale protental protection ction organorgaizationization, then degree of, the degree of cooper cooperation ainctioren asincedre basy ed45 b%y .45%. 5858 5858

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt WhatW thihas tmea this nsmea whensn w ithe comen it csome to cuss toto cusmerto engagememer engagement is thatnt is therthate there is tremis etrendmoeusnd beousnefit be ntoefit adding to adding value v walithue everywith every intera inctiontera,c etionspe, ceiallyspe cin ially in advanacdve aofn caen ofy a asnk.y Taeaskc.h T eayocuhr yocusutor cusmertos manerds proands peproctsspe thcatts thetha te thexpe expe- - riencerien ofc workinge of working with wyoithu iyon you iunr yoroleur willrole cwillons icsontenstlyiste yieldntly yieldtools toolsand and insightsinsights that w thilla helpt will thehelpm the. Form e. xForam eplxaem, inspltee, ainsd ofte apidn ofgi pingn yoginugr proyousrpe proctss pects with thewith a ll-too-fthe all-too-familiaarmili jusat-rc jheust-ckicheng-ickinn eg-imanils ema or phoils orn phoe canllse, cawhylls, n wothy poi notnt point themthe to ma helpfto a helpful artiucl lea rtiorc lebus orin beusss inbeook,ss b orook, ma orke ma ank ein atrodn inutrodctionu ctioto a n to a like-miliknde-mied cusnded customertomer or third-party or third-party expert ex thatpert ca thatn help can themhelp them in their in theirrole? role? ThereThere are d aozere dnsoze of nthingss of things you cyouan do can to do add to vaddalue v toalu the atot cthustoat cmustoer mer buildb reuilcdiprocit reciprocity, buty , thebut k theey i sk eyth aist wthhaat teverwhatever you dyouo, it d hoas, it to has b e to be and and nostringsnostringsattacheattdache. Whiled. W youhile hopeyou hope that thoneat daoney theday otherthe other party p wilartyl will reciproreccaiprote thecate f athevo rf, ainvo otherr, in other word ws, orgiveds, yougive ayouccess ac tocess their to theirbusin besusis ness or ultiorm ultiatelym atelymake ma a purchke a purchase, yourase, yourgesture ges neetured nees tod sts andto st aandlon ea loasn a e as a value-value-addeaddd experiened experience whetherce whether they dtheyo or d noto or. not. Secret #2: Punch with the Secret #2: Punch with the Weight ofWeight of Your Your OrganizationOrganization RecentlRecy,entl I way,s I cwahastti cnhga ttiwnithg wa ithfello a wfello salesw smaalesn amagern awgerho wmhoen tiomennetiod ned his sahiless srepaless repweres w hereavin hga vitronubg trole ubgenerle generatinga enoughting enough pipelin pipeline. Soue.n Sd ound familifaarmili? ar? “Wha“tWh’s the issat’s the issue?” Iu ase?k” Ied. as “Dkeod. yo “Duor yorepsur notreps h notave henoughave enough leads le?”ads?” “No,” “Nhe osa,” he id. sa“Theyid. “ Theyhave lots have lots of ac couof acncouts ton ctsa toll o cn,a llb outn, they but ’theyre jus’ret just not cnalliotn cg oallinn eg ononu egh nokuey gh stkaey keholstakdeholers.”ders.” d agad in.ag “Daio they n. “Do they not knownot know how hoto getw to c getusto cmustoersm on ers on “Why“?Wh” I ays?k” Ie aske the phothen phoe?” ne?” “No,” “Nhe oc,” ontinhe continued. “Iue think itd. “I think it’s just th’s juast t tha lotat of a lotm y of samlesy sarepsles a repsre are new tone the tew to the team andam they and they’re not ’re cnonfideot confident callingnt ca high-levellling high-level custo cmustoer mer executivesexecutives and t aanlkid ntgalki ton theg tom the abmou abt their out their businesbusiness” s” “And w“Anhyd’ ws thhya’t?s th” I aat?sk”e I d.as I kshoed. uI shold meuld ntiomenn here thtion here that I’ma a t I’mfan oa ff an of the 5 theWhy 5 sW mhyethos mdethoologdyolog. y. “Beca“uBesec atheyuse theyfeel they feel dtheyon’ dt hoanve’t h the highvave the highvalue storiealue stories and s and insightinssight yet. sThey yet. Theyfeel they feel they lack crelacdk icrebilitydib ailitynd w anod wn’t boe nab’t blee toab aled tod add value to the value to the conversconversationa. tioTheyn. ’Theyre afr’re aida.”fraid.” 5959 5959

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 The rootThe prorootb leprom:b feleam:r ca feuasr caed busye lad bcky of lacckre of dicbreilitdyi.bility. We teWache te saalechs srepaless torep csall to high call highinto theirinto theircusto cumstoer orgmeran orgizatioanizations witnsh with the intentionthe intention of eng ofa engginga gisenngior-level senior-level decis deionc-imasionk-ermas. kTheers. probleThe problem is m is mostmost sales salesreps arerep sn areot, nornot, h norave hbaeeven b, coeemn, pcoanmyp eanxeycu etivexecus.tive Theys. Theymay may not unnotdersta undnerstad whnda twh it’sa tli kite’s tolik bee to in be the in s thehoe ss hoeof thes of people the people they ’theyre ’re askedas toke calld to. Ucallnfortu. Unfortunatelnay, ltelacky, oflac cok ofnfi codennficed ecausnce ecausd bye da dbyim ai ndisheimind ished sensesen ofs ecre ofd icrebilitydib cilityan becan a bebig a bbigarrier ba rrierto c utosto cmuserto menerg aegengmaegentm, ent, especiespecially forally ne forw, neyoungew, younger, or ler, ssor e lexperiess experiencednc saleeds srepaless. repOns. the On fli thep flip side, sida messe, a message delivereage delivered withd wtheith f uthell gr fuallvit grasa vitof asyo ofur yoorguanr orgizaantioniza ctionan can be highly cobe highly compellimnpellig. ng. Here Hereare aare fe wa sfeuwggestio suggestions forns inforfu siinngfu syoinur sales g your salerepss repwiths wthithe the confidenconfidence ancde creandd ibilitycredibility they theyneed n toeed bre toa kb rethroaku throgh theirugh theiraudie audnceie’s nce’s inertialinertial resista resistance. nce. 1. Write your stories down.1. Write your stories down. ChanChaces narcees, ifar yoe, uifr yoorguran orgizaantioizna htioasn bheeasn b ieen nbus ini nbusessi neveessn eve forn a for a little whillittlee whil, youe ,have you havesome some happy ha cusppyto cusmertos — mercs — ustocmuserstom forers w forhom w hoyomur your solutionsolu htionas delivere has delivered valude val. Theseue. These custo cmuserto smtorieser stories are yo areur yogreuar tegrest atest sourcesource of credibility of credibility in a sinale as scaleycsle c, yyetcle ,you yet wyouou lwd obuel dsu brprie suserprid hosew d how rarelyr atheserely these storie sstorie are sw areritte wnritte downn d orown m eorm morieamlizeorida lizein thed in for them forof cam sofe case studies,stu dwhiteies, white paper papers, or tes, sortim teosntiialmo vindialeo vis.d Ifeo yos.u If wyoanut w yoanutr yosaleurs srepales s reps to be crediblto be credible, theye, they need n toee kdn toow k ntheowse the storiesse stories. . Don’tDo juns’tt wjuritest w theritem the domw nd oandwn mandak em suakree sutheyre theyread retheadm. the Holm.d Hold themthe acmco uantccoableunt aforble k nforow kinnogw theingm! the Ham!ve them rattle Have them r atheirttle theirstorie sstorie off s off to youto inyou a poiin as epoid, csoed,nfi cdoennfit,d setorytellingnt, storytelling mann manner. Haever. H themave them be ver bey very clear cleabaoutr a btheout v thealue v areluealized rea lizedand theand le thesso lensss boothns byoothur yoorguran orgizaantioizn ation and theand cu thesto cumserto lemaerrn leeda ralonedn galo theng wa they. waThey . bTheetter b etterthey theyare a at retelli atn tellig ng thesethe storiesse stories, the ,more the more cred icrebled theyible ’theyll be,’ llthe be ,m theore m vorealue v theyalue ’theyll add’ll tao dd to the custothe cmustoer, amnedr ,the and m theore m caorells theycalls ’theyll ma’klle m toa khigh-levele to high-level stakeholder stakeholders. s. 2. Remember who the credit belongs to.2. Remember who the credit belongs to. Let’s Lbeet ’cs lebear: c Ifle ayor: uIf oryo youru or yourcom pcanomyp aanrey n aerew, nyoewun, yog, unor gles, ors elesxpse expe- - rienceriedn, chacedn, chaces nacesre yo areu haveyou havevery verylittle littlecred icbreilitdyi.b Thilitay.t ’sTh wahyt’s wsahyyin sag ying thingsthi linkgse “ liWkhe a“tW I’hveat foI’veun dfo iusn . d. .i”s or. . “.”I orthi n“Ik thi . .n .”k ca. .rrie .” cas rrielittles littleweight weight. . GuesGues whsas t? wNhaot? onNeo c oarenes w carehas wt hyou think. at you think. 6060 6060

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt On theOn other the other hand, h ayond,ur yocuustor cmusertosm anerds theand colle the ccolletive cetivexperie experience onf ce of your yoorguran orgizaantioniza ctionarry c marryuch m muchore m woreeight weight and creandd icrebilitdyi.b Ailitftery. A afterll, th ae ll, the stories of success and value are rooted in those experiences. So how do stories of success and value are rooted in those experiences. So how do you shift the burden of credibility? Easy. Phrase your talk track in the con - you shift the burden of credibility? Easy. Phrase your talk track in the con - text ofte xthet of people the people to w hoto mw hothem c thered icbreilitydib bilityelong belongs. Stas.rt Sstaayirtn sga yithingng things s like “liOkure “cOuursto cmustoersm heraves hcaonsistentlyve consistently foun dfo thunadt .th . a.”t or. . “.”Wh or a“tWh wea’tv e we’ve seen stieenme atinmde ti amnde tiagmae ina igsa . .in .” is . . .” NoteN thatote thethat po thesitioning positioning of the of secon the second phrdas phre isas sueb istle su bbutlet i mbuportt imaportnt. ant. By saByingy sa yingwe in weste adins teofad I, yoofu I , iyonvou kien votheke collective the collective experience experience of yo ofur your organizorgaationniza. tion. WhileWhile this concept seems simple, this concept seems simple, it requires it requires practic prea.ctic Wee’re. W seo’ reus sedo uto sed to sharinshga oriunrg per ousron perals perspectiveonal perspectives thats phrthaat siphrnga storiessing stories in the in cont the econtxt of ext of anotheranother’s experie’s experience isn socem isethi somnethig yonug n yoeedu n toeed get to in get the in h theabit h ofab doiit ofn g doing in custoin cmustoer-fmacinger-fa sitcingua tiosituanstio. ns. 3. Cultivate a challenger mentality.3. Cultivate a challenger mentality. I’ve aI’lwave ysalwa beeysn b aee fann a of fan the of C thehalle Cnhgeralle nsagerles samleethos mdethoologydology beca ubsece ause it’s bait’ses dba osend theon premisethe premise that , thasa t,a assa lesa saprofeles professionsalsio, younal, youofte n often knowkno morew more about ab theout l athetes tl atretesntd tres anndds iannsightsd insights in your in yourfield fielthand thyouanr your custocmuserstom doers. Whether do. Whether we’re w lookinge’re looking to bu toy a b neuyw a suneitw, asu citar, ,a or c aar ,piec or ae piece of tecofhn teologchnyolog, moys,t m ofo usts oflooki us nlookig ton bug toy a bu prody a uprodct oru ctservice or service rely o relyn th oe n the expertiseexpertise of a s ofale as personsalesperson to help to helpguid egui ourde p oururc hapusrec.ha Thsaet. ’sTh at’s why, when why, when professional credi professional credibility is a block to sales, it helps to remind your team bility is a block to sales, it helps to remind your team that they, with the collective wisdom of your customers and organization that they, with the collective wisdom of your customers and organization behind them, are indeed experts. behind them, are indeed experts. If you’re selling a marketing automation solution, for example, ask If you’re selling a marketing automation solution, for example, ask yourselfyou horselfw homawny ma timnyes ti yomesur yocustour cmustoer hmaser purch has purchased aase sold uatio solnu litioke n like yoursyo verurssu vers hosuws homawny ma ofny the ofm the yomu andyou yoandur yoorguran orgizaantioizna htioaven hsaolved. sold. I’m wI’illingm w illingto bet to the bet a thedvan advtagean tsaitsge s qusitsa relysqu aonrely yo onur yosiduer. sGidivinge. Giving your your teamte thisam perspective this perspective will give will thegivem the them m theojo m theyojo theyneed n toee cdonne to connect witch t with confideconfidence. nce. Secret #3: Lead with WhatSecret #3: Lead with What You Believe You Believe On SeptemOn September 2b0er, 220130, 2, 013at 2:, 30at 2:a.m.,30 a.m.,tech tewcriterh w riterStewa Stert waWolpirt Wn olpin arriveadrrive at thed a tApple the Apple flags hipflag storeship store on Fifth on FifthAven Aueve innue Ne iwn NYorkew CYorkity. HiCits y. His 6161 6161

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 goal wasgoal to was be to one be of one the of fir thest to fir purst toc hpurasec hthease mu thech mu anchticip anaticipted aiPhoted niPhoe ne 5S, goi5S,n ggoi onn gs aolen thesale n theext nmeorxtn mingor.n Singtewa. Stert walikelyrt li feltkely hi felts early his earlyarriv aal rrival would help himwould help him secu sre froecure front-of-the-linent-of-the-line statu sst. aHetu was. Hes 3 wa00sth 3.00th. By noByw , nowew ,all we k nallow k nthatow thatStewa Stert’was storyrt’s s toryis not is unniqot uueniq. Inu efac. Int, fitac’s t, it’s amazinglyamazingly cons iconstentsis tentwith wwithha tw weha thave we havecom ec otom ee xtopect ex pectfrom froApplm e Apple product-launproduct-launch dachys .da Eventsys. Events that thhaavet habveeco bmecoe smyneo nsyymononusymo wusith with overnoverightn ightcam pc aomupts, ogrouts,w gron-uwp n-giudpdine gidssdine, ss, and manasdsive mas cusivesto cumstoer fmanfera fraenf. Bautre w. Bhutat w’s hso at’s so magimcaagil abcaolu abt Appleout Apple that mthaaktes m acokesns ucomnserus mers reactre thatact wthatay? way? In hisI nbook his book Start SWtaithrt WWhithy Wh, notay , bnleota aubthole aur thor SimoSni mSinoekn S ainssekerts ass thertsat cthustoat cmustoer remaerctio renactios ns like thelikes ethe ares rooted in e are rootedan in org ana nizorgaationizna’s tion’s abilityability to t atop itnatop ithento sthehare sdh avreadlu evsa lanued s and beliefsbeliefs of their of theircustomer customers. In s.short In short, peopl, people e reactre thatact wthatay bwecayaus bece austheye they“don ’“td buony’t wh buayt what you dyoo,u they do, they buy buwhyy yowhu dy yoo itu d.” o it.” To exTploa einxpl t ahein cont hec eptcon cfurtheept further, Sinekr, Si inntroek dinucestrod ucesa codified a codified approa approach ch calledc allethed G theold eGnol Cdirclene C. irclThee .approach The approach uses auses simple a simple diagram diagram consistin consisting g of threeof three con ceconntricec ncirclestric circles to describe to describe the levelthe levelof awareness of awareness an an organorgizaantioizna — tioann — d toan ad great to a great extent extent, its customers — has, its customers — has with itswith purpos its purpose e or vaorlue v saystemlue system: spec: ifispecallcifiy, citsall why, itsat, wh hoawt,, hoandw , whandy. whSineky. Sinek explains explains how how everyevery orga nizorgaationniza tionin the in worlthe dworl undderstands understands what what it does: it does: the basithe c basic princpriiplenc ofiple its ofbu itssine busss.ine Wess. ma Wnufacturee manufacture ball bearings, ball bearings, we ba weke badeliciouke delicious s cupcackupesca, wke provies, we provide investde investment products and advicment products and advice, for ee, for xamplexample. e. He goesHe goeson to o nd etosc ribedesc ribehow hofewerw fewer orga norgaizationnizastion knosw k n how they ow how they do whatdo what they theydo: the do: fu thenctio funnactiol nnauancl neuancs theast sthepata rsaeptea theratem the fromm frothme the competition.competition. We u Wsee au unse iqa uune iqandue proprietand proprietary maanury mfacanuturifacngturi prongc epross cess with a carbon-neutral footprint. We make our products by hand in small with a carbon-neutral footprint. We make our products by hand in small batchebats ctohe spreserve to preserve qualit qyu. alitAlly .of All o uofr aodviur saordvis sundors ergound ergoa rigoro a rigorous us 15-w15-eek traiweek training procening process, for ss, examfor eplxame. ple. Finally, he asserts that very few organizations understand why they Finally, he asserts that very few organizations understand why they do whatdo what they theydo: their do: theirintrins inictri motivnsic motivation,a tiotheirn, theircore cvorealu evsa thlueast dthrivate drive the organization’s behaviors and decision-making process. But indeed the organization’s behaviors and decision-making process. But indeed 6262 6262

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt nailingna ilingthe w thehy iws hythe i sk theey to key disrupting to disrupting your yoauudrien aucdeien’s inertiace’s inertia and danrivd dri-v - ing maingss maive samsiveou amntsou ofn Apple-lits of Apple-like custoke cmustoer amffiern itayffi. Thenity .e Theasiest eas waiesty twao y to descridbeescri thebe g thealva gnizingalvanizing pow erpo ofw erwhy of isw hywith is wa conith ac eptcon cI eptcall , Ithe call b, theelie f belief statemstateentm. ent. For ApplFor eAppl, moes, tm ofo sitst of pro itsdu proct dulauctn clhesaun cinhes re cinent re cyeentar sye feaartures fea sturelick slick videosvi dweosith wcoithmm coentmmaryent froarym froApplem Apple Chief Chief Design Design Officer Officer Jony JonyIve. Ive. TheseThe videose videos, whiles, w camhile ouflcamaouflgeda ages bde aasutif beualutif proudl uproct dshouctwca shosewcas, asere s, are actuallyact upallyack epda cwkeithd wstithate mstaetentsm enotnts abnotou abt wohuat tw thehat prothedu proctsdu dcto,s b duot , but the design thinking behind them. In essence, the tightly held beliefs with the design thinking behind them. In essence, the tightly held beliefs with which thewhich the Apple Apple desigdne teasignm teaoperm aopertes. ates. “We believe our users should be at the center of everything we d “We believe our users should be at the center of everything we do.” o.” “We b“Welieve the believe that a pieceat a piece of te cof tehnologychnology shoul should be ad bs bee aasutif beual utifas uit l as it is funisc tiofunnactiol.” nal.” “We b“Welieve the believe that maakingt ma dkingevic des thinnerevices thinner and lighte and lighter, butr m, borute more powerfpouwl erfrequires iul requires innovnanovtive proative problemb solvinglem solving.” .” TheseThese belief b selieftate mstaetentms earent ss oare co smo pellicomnpellig bencga ubseec,a auss eb,uyers as buyers, they , they resonreateson waithte wourith per ourson perals onbeliefal b seliefyste smystes. Theyms. Theyhelp helpalign a anlignd vanalidd atvae lidate us, evenus, even if those if those beliefs beliefs are a spirare aationspiraationl. Fora l.e Forxam eplxame, ifpl I es,ee if Imyself see myself as as someonesomeone who wshoulho sdhoul visitd thevisit gy them gyanmd loseand soloseme so wmeighte weight, a well-ti, a wmell-tied med ad froamd froa hema alth he clualthb orclu fba norcy f akitchenncy kitchen blend berle ndevaerngelizi evangelizing theng b theenefit benefits s of a heofa althy hea lifestyle lthy lifestyle may bmae enoughy be enough to quickly to quickly convertconvert me. me. In theIn c thease cofa seAppl of eAppl, thee ,phe then pheomennomeon thnonat rethsaultst re sisults mo isb sm ofo bsms ofitte smn itten consuconmerssum aersrriving arriving at stores at stores in droves in droves, braving, braving long lines and paying long lines and paying pre premium prices, as if to say “Yes! I do believe I should be at the center mium prices, as if to say “Yes! I do believe I should be at the center of everything you of everything you do! Tedcoh! nTeologychnology shoul sdhoul be db be eautifbeualutif! Thinul! Thinner? Lighterner? Lighter? ? More powerful? Of course! We share the same vision! We’re both cool!” More powerful? Of course! We share the same vision! We’re both cool!” AlthoAlthough theseugh these actua alctu wordal ws ordare sunli arek elyunli to kelybe spo to be spoken. ken. Many sales methodologies focus on uncovering a buyer’s personal Many sales methodologies focus on uncovering a buyer’s personal and eandmotion emotional motival maotivtionsations, for ,the for verythe veryreaso ren athsoant ththoats etho elementse elements s inspire the quickest and most decisive action. But belief statements inspire the quickest and most decisive action. But belief statements aren’at relimnite’t lidm toite thed to co thensu comnersu worldmer world. In the. In co thent ecoxtn ofte hoxt ofw hogrewa tgre leadater les aders inspire action, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s now famous “I Have a Dream” inspire action, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s now famous “I Have a Dream” 6363 6363

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 speechspeech is a perfectis a perfect exam eplexam ofple ho ofw hodeepw d ceeponvictio conviction aronund aro aund set a o sf et of beliefs beliefs can quickly gcan quickly galvanizealva a manize a massive sasudiveie ancudeie. nce. So howSo howcan yo canur yobuusrin buesssi nharessn eharss ntheess po thew erpo ofw erva lofue vsa anlueds b aneliefd bselief to s to engaengge yourage yourtarget target custo cmuser?tom Sier?mpl Seim. Lpleaed. Lweaithd wwhithat wh youat b yoelievu beeliev. Firset., First, thinkthi abnoku at bwhatout what your yoorguran orgizaantioizna believetion believes thast dthiffereat differentiatensti aitte fros itm from your yourcom petitioncompetition. Next. ,N cerxtaft, car asftta tea mstaenttem (orent s erie(or ss erieof sst aofte mstaetentms)e yontu s) you can use canac use rossac yoroussr yo saleurs and sales and mark maetinrkg efforteting efforts. Fors e. xamFor eplexam: ple: “We believe“We believe you sho youu shold bue ladb blee toab rleun to yo runur yobuusirn buesssi fronessm froyoumr yophonur phone.” e.” “We believe“We believe that tra thadtitio trandalitio perfornal performancme areviewnce reviews are ols adre a noldd o auntdda oteutdda.” ted.” “We b“Welieve the believe that eating heat eating healthy, aorglthya, niorgc fooanic d fooshodu sldhon’ut lcdons’tt mcoorste m.” ore.” Here Hereare threeare three tips totips maki to nmakig bneliefg b eliefstate mstaetentsm ewnorkts w forork yo forur your businebusiness: ss: • Point to a specific, well-understood challenge.• Point to a specific, well-understood challenge. Don’t force Don’t force your customers to make huge mental leaps in their own belief your customers to make huge mental leaps in their own belief systems. Simple, yet polarizing, and customer-centric messages systems. Simple, yet polarizing, and customer-centric messages are great places to start.are great places to start. • Don’t refer to your products or services directly.• Don’t refer to your products or services directly. Nothing kills Nothing kills the mood of a lofty, altruistic belief statement faster than mixing the mood of a lofty, altruistic belief statement faster than mixing it with a blatant pitch. For example: “We believe our Acme Co. it with a blatant pitch. For example: “We believe our Acme Co. mobile app is the best way to run your business from your mobile app is the best way to run your business from your phone.” Keep it all about the audience and their opportunities.phone.” Keep it all about the audience and their opportunities. • Ask yourself whether your target audience would be smiling • Ask yourself whether your target audience would be smiling and nodding.and nodding. If you want a quick litmus test to determine If you want a quick litmus test to determine whether or not you’re on the right track, ask yourself if a typical whether or not you’re on the right track, ask yourself if a typical member of your target audience would immediately smile and member of your target audience would immediately smile and nod when he or she hears your belief statement. If the answer nod when he or she hears your belief statement. If the answer is no, you have more work to do.is no, you have more work to do. DisruptiDisrupting yourng yourcusto cumserto’sm inererti’s ian ertianda mandovi mngovi hinmg orhi mher or to her ac tot i nac a t in a worldworld full of full dis oftrac ditiostrnsactio andns fl aasndhy fl asmhyessa mgeesssa canges b cane to buegh to. uBught w. Buhetn w in hen in doubdout, leadingbt, leading with withwhat w yohaut byoelieveu believe is one is ofone the of mo thest mo poswt erfpouwl erfwauyls ways to buildto b masuilds masive asmiveo unamts oof funtass of ft anasd tlo annd g-lloasntig-lngas atiffingn aityffi. nity. 6464 6464

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt Secret #4: Focus on Their Problems, Secret #4: Focus on Their Problems, Not NotYour Solutions Your Solutions SalesS aisles a isstr ana strgean profesge profession. sOnion . oneOn onehan d,h athend, rolethe roleof a ofsa lea s sales profeprofessionsasionl is athl isat thofa ta ofguide a guide or trorusted tru stedadvisor ad:visor to : altrtou istialtrcauistilly cally helpcuhelpcustomserstom improveers improve their theirlives livesand groandw gro theirw theirbusines business by esxposi by exposing ng themthe tom ne tow netoolsw tools, servi, cservies, ancesd, coanndcepts concepts. On .the On otherthe other hand h, anin dth, e in the pursuitpur ofsuit these of these lofty loftygoa lsgo, saalsle, s saprofeles professionassiols naarels inarecentivize incentivized by d by lucrativelucrative com pencomsatiopennsatio plann s,pl theans, ma thegnitu magnitude ofd we hichof w hichare r aarelyre r asrelyeen seen beyobneyod thend C the-su itCe-s. uForite .n Forew nsaewles srepsales , repsespe, ceisapelly,c ithisally , dthisichoto dicmhotoy camn y can create intercreate internal conflinal conflict whenct when it com it ceso tom wesho to wse ihonterese insteret to prioritizst to prioritize. e. As a Asfor ma erfor cmustoer cmustoer ofm erthe of co them pcoanymp aatny w hiatc hw hiI lechad I lea adsale as stealeams te, am, my gomayl gohasa lb heeasn b toee ren dtou creed theuce amb the iguityambiguity of thi ofs this dilemma for our new dilemma for our new recruits. recruits. Despite my large quota and shared sense of urgency, I am very Despite my large quota and shared sense of urgency, I am very clear on this topic. clear on this topic. “Guess what?” I typically begin when broaching the discussion with “Guess what?” I typically begin when broaching the discussion with my team. “Your customers don’t care about our solutions, our sales pro - my team. “Your customers don’t care about our solutions, our sales pro - cess, or whether or not you make your quota. They really only care about cess, or whether or not you make your quota. They really only care about one thing: growing their business.” one thing: growing their business.” A keen focus on your customers’ problems has many benefits, A keen focus on your customers’ problems has many benefits, including creating that critical initial interest and affinity. As we discussed including creating that critical initial interest and affinity. As we discussed earlier, transitioning to more customer- or buyer-centric messages can earlier, transitioning to more customer- or buyer-centric messages can have a meaningful impact on both your bottom line and your brand. have a meaningful impact on both your bottom line and your brand. So what’s the secret to crafting customer-centric messaging that’s So what’s the secret to crafting custom er-centric messaging that’s co compelling enough to capture your audience’s attention? Here are three mpelling enough to capture your audience’s attention? Here are three tactics guaranteed to get your customers to notice. tactics guaranteed to get your customers to notice. Pick an Enemy Pick an Enemy Make your message polarizing and easy to get behind by focusing Make your message polarizing and easy to get behind by focusing it on a single problem that is already well understood by your target it on a single problem that is already well understood by your target audience. For example, our last business, Rypple, was a feedback, audience. For example, our last business, Rypple, was a feedback, coaching, and recognition solution designed to help people get ahead at coaching, and recognition solution designed to help people get ahead at work. As it turned out, people, especially Millennials, love feedback but work. As it turned out, people, especially Millennials, love feedback but universally hate the old, antiquated annual performance review process. universally hate the old, antiquated annual performance review process. As a result, performance reviews became our enemy, and we generated As a result, performance reviews became our enemy, and we generated 6565 6565

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 a greata great deal ofde high-profileal of high-profile press pre thasst helpethat helped ourd t aorgetur ta argetudie ancudeie qncuickle qy uickly understaunderstand hownd how we c oulwed coulhelpd helptheir butheirsin buesssi.ness. Use the Right WordsUse the Right Words Who Whois the is target the target buyer bu foryer yo forur yoprourd uproct doru cstervi or cseervi? Dcoe ?yo Duo kyonouw k? now? SinceSin mcaeny m orgaany norgaizationnizastion feels theirfeel theirservice services haves haa vebro aad berro adauderie audnce ience base basethan thatheyn theyactually actually do, it d’so ofte, it’sn ofte a helpfn a helpful exerul ceisxeer tocis use toe daustea dato ta to understaunderstand thend k theey d keeym ographidemographics of csyour of yourtarget ta burgetye bur. Inye otherr. In other words wor, ds, ask yoaskur syoelfu: rWselfha: tW typehat typeof per ofs opern iss oacn tiuas acllyt uabullyyi nbug yiounrg s ooluurtio solnu? tioWhn?a t What type of persontype of person is res ipos rensspoiblens forible the for ma thejority majority of ou ofr reve ournu revee?nue? But theBut e thexerc eisexer dcoesise nd’oest endn’t therende ther. Once.e Onc youe zero you izeron on i nyo ounr yotargetur tasrget, s, engaengge theagem the anmd listeandn liste to then to s pethec ifispec wcifiordc ws ordtheys theyuse to us dee toscri dbeescri theiber their probleprombs and the v lems and thealue v atheylue theyget fromget fromyour yosolutiour solution. Then.n The usen thouses e those specificspe worcificd wors in yods uinr yo salesur sa and mles and marketiarnkgeti effortng efforts. s. In a 20In0 a2 20 stu0d2 yst, Dutudyc, hDut recseha rerchersearcher Rick VRiacnk B Vaaanre Bna aforeundn fo thundat inth aotn ine one restaurarestaurant, servernt, servers weres w aberele abto leinc tore iasncere theirase theirtips btipy s70 b%y 70sim%ply sim bplyy by repeatingrepeating their theircustomer customers’ verbs’ averblizatioaliznsatio bacnsk bacto kthe tom the exacm tleyxac. Wtlhily. e While this mirrorithis mirroring, orn gm, iorm imcking,imic king,tech nteiqcuhen iqmuaey mseeaym s eesillym atsilly fir satt, usfirsint,g us thine g the samesame words wor asds ou ars t oargetur ta burgetyer bus proyersm prootems otemores m raorepid r aapissdim ailsastioimilna otiof n of our meourss meage ssaandge eanndga egengmaegentm weithnt w ouithr b orandur b.rand. Teach Them SomethingTeach Them Something Helpful,Helpful, insightful insightful mess mageesss aarege sgre area tgre fora engt fora engginga giyonugr yotargetur ta argetudi aud- i - ence forence for three three reaso reans:sons: They Theyinvok invoe theke po thewer po ofw reerc ofipro recciproity. Wcithey. nW yoheun te yoacuh te soacmheo sonmeeo sonmee som- e - thing and ad thing andd vadalued v toalue their to theirexperie experience wncithe wyoithu, yoyouu, eyoncuo euncrageou ragethem them to respond in kind. to respond in kind. They Theybuild build value v inalue your in yourbrand. br and.They Theysubs tsubsantiatante tiyoateur yoorguanr orgizaantioizna’s tion’s position as a leader in the field, making you a go-to resource for your position as a leader in the field, making you a go-to resource for your targetta argetudien aucdiene. Theyce. Theyalso waloson ’wt boen ’sto b qe usioc kq touic dkelete to delete new nmeewssa mgeessas ges from you! from you! They Theycan help can helpuncover uncover hidde hidden painn ppoiainn tpois. Inn tms. anIn ym casanesy cas, yoesur, yoauduri aud-i - ence may not realize how problematic their current state is. Showing ence may not realize how problematic their current state is. Showing themthe whmat w theha futuret the future could co lookuld lilookke ma likye cmareayte cre theate awa there awanessre yoneuss n yoeeud n. eed. 6666 6666

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt For sForales s alesand amarnd kmaretinkgeti organg norgaizationnizastion, cusltivating, cultivating a cu asto cmuserto-mer- centricec napproachtric approach that focthaut sesfoc uosesn the on k theey bu keysine busssine challess challengesn ofges you ofr your targettarget audien aucdiene is cceritical is critical to ac tohievi achieving long-terng long-term sumcce sssuc. ceWsshile. W nhileot not alwayalways secso nsedc onnaturd neatur, foceus, focingus oinng meons smeagesss athatges thatare polariziare polarizing, ng, relevrelevant, andant, inandsightf insightful mayul maybe ju best the jus tthing the thing you need you need to both to both disrup disrupt t your yourcustomer customers’ inertias’ in ertiaand raiandse raitheirse theirinitial initial level level of in tereof insteret arostun arod und your syourolutio solnu.tion. Secret #5: RefineSecret #5: Refine Your Pitch Your Pitch Your sYaourles spitchales pitch, whether, whether delivere delivered in persod in person, virtun,a virtully, ora llthroughy, or through myria md yriad markmetingarketing outlet outlets, is as,rg isuab arglyuab thely mtheos tm baossit c,ba strsic,aightfor straightforwardwa wardy wato y to conveyconvey the v thealue v ofalu youre of yoursolutio solnu totio yon tour yotargetur ta audrgetie audnceie. Unncefortu. Unfortunatelnay, tely, mostm saolesst sapitchesles pitches fall fl afat llb flecata ubsece atheyuse theyfail to f atellil to the tell ve thend veor’nds storyor’s story in a in a simplseimpl, differentie, differentiated,a anted,d manods tm imosportt imanportt, manetm, moreabmleor abfashionle fashion. So ho. Sow how can yocaun am youp amup pa nupd refineand refine your yopitucrh pit soc ith’ ss opo itw’s erfulpow erfulenough enough to di storup dit srupt your yoauudrie anucdeie’sn inceerti’s ian?erti Looka? Lnoook fu norther fu rtherthan thyouran your2:00 a.m.2:00 televia.m. television sion best frienbest d:frien the infod: the infomercimalerci. al. Isn’t Isitn ’fta scinit faascintinga tihongw hoinfow minfoercimalercis caalns cmaank ema norkem noral, meveryal, everyday day productsprod uctslike kitchenlike kitchen knives knives, blen, dbleners, daersnd, avnacud umvacus umseesm s eelikme thlike e the solutiosolnu tioto nw toorl dw orlpeda cepe? aIcne ?these In these progr programs, ams,carefully carefully orche orchestratesd trated dialogdiuaelog, anueima, antionimas,tion ands, aqnduirky qu deirkym ondesmtratioonstrations seensm see tom ma togi macallgiy cally overcoovercome bumyere bu inyerertial inertial resist reansciste aanncde m anoved m theovem the to ma purch to a purchase. Whilase. e While oftenoften captiv caaptivtinga, tingrepetitiv, repetitive, ande, aa nbdit aschlock bit schlocky, theyy, theywork w, workhere, w hereman y many fted corporate pitches fail, because theyuse utheyse a usisem aple sim forplem ulforam, ula, carefcaullyref crually crafted corporate pitches fail, beca leadinglead theing viewer the viewer through through a serie a sserie of esa ofsily e aasilygree aabgreele aabrgule marguentms aennd ts and culmcinulamtining inatin ag in cle aar c clealla r cto aallction to action. . BeforeBefore we d wivee diniveto einxtoam eplesxam, pleslet’s, firlets’ts lookfirst lookat a siatm apl siem, fopluer-ste, foupr-ste, p, codifiecod dbreified akbredoawknd oforw an typifor aca typil incafolm inerfocmial piterciachl pit: ch: 1. Here’s a problem with what you’re doing today.1. Here’s a problem with what you’re doing today. 2. Here’s the ideal solution to that problem.2. Here’s the ideal solution to that problem. 3. Here’s what makes the solution difficult or less desirable.3. Here’s what makes the solution difficult or less desirable. 4. Here’s how our product makes it easier.4. Here’s how our product makes it easier. UsingU thissing cothisde co, thede ,pit thech pit brecha kbdreoawknd oforw na forper as onperals onbleandl berle ndlikeer th like e the famofuas Mmoaugics M Baugicllet Bumllet ight lookmight look like this like: this: 6767 6767

ChChaapter pter ChChaapter pter 55 55 1. Eating too many processed foods is destroying your health.1. Eating too many processed foods is destroying your health. 2. The solution is to eat more fresh fruits and juices.2. The solution is to eat more fresh fruits and juices. 3. The problem is typical juicers are too large, hard to use, 3. The problem is typical juicers are too large, hard to use, expensive, and difficult to clean.expensive, and difficult to clean. 4. Our awesome, compact, easy-to-clean, and affordable juice 4. Our awesome, compact, easy-to-clean, and affordable juice machine is what you need.machine is what you need. And aAnd pitc ah pit forc ha sforet aof s etwor ofk wouort kDoVuDst D orVDs fitne or ssfitne eqssuip eqmueipntm meightnt m looightk look like thislike: this: 1. You want to lose weight and get in shape, right?1. You want to lose weight and get in shape, right? 2. The solution is going to the gym for a full workout on a regular 2. The solution is going to the gym for a full workout on a regular basis.basis. 3. The problem is you don’t have time for that and gym 3. The problem is you don’t have time for that and gym memberships are expensive.memberships are expensive. 4. What you need is our awesome, cost-effective, home workout 4. What you need is our awesome, cost-effective, home workout DVDs/machine.DVDs/machine. FromFro a clam ssa icclaalss saleicals saleperss peperctivspee,c tivthies, pitthicsh pit forchmu forlamu is sola ieffes soc tiveffee ctive becausebec aatuse ea cath eastacgeh s tyoageur yocusutor cusmerto ims teraki isn tga skimnagll s, mincallre, imncerentalme snteptals steps towatowrd yourard yoursolution solution. Step. sS rooteteps rooted in bothd in bothuniver unsaiverl trusathl trs uandths e andmotio emnotio. n. NothingNothing jarring. jarring. No b Nigo leapbig sleap of faiths of faithrequ irereqd.u ireMored. More spec ifispecacllifiy, cathlle y, the infomercialinfomercial code co woulde would bred bak dreoawn k dolikwn e thilikse: this: 1. Illustrating the pain, sometimes hidden, associated with your 1. Illustrating the pain, sometimes hidden, associated with your current state.current state. 2. Outlining an aspirational or desired future state and the path to 2. Outlining an aspirational or desired future state and the path to get there.get there. 3. Highlighting the risk or uncertainty associated with that path 3. Highlighting the risk or uncertainty associated with that path and framing the need for a better solution.and framing the need for a better solution. 4. Suggesting a simpler, alternative solution to mitigate or 4. Suggesting a simpler, alternative solution to mitigate or circumvent that risk circumvent that risk — in other words, your product.— in other words, your product. JumpingJumping back binatock theinto worl thed worl of ted cofhn teologchnyolog, usiny,g u thisinsg for thimus forlamu to pitla toch pit, ch, say, asa mobiley, a mobile produc protivityductivity app toapp a satole as salealeds erlea mdighter m lookight looksom ethisomnethig ng like thislike: this: 1. Your sales team is losing business because members don’t 1. Your sales team is losing business because members don’t have the key customer or product information they need when have the key customer or product information they need when they’re on the road.they’re on the road. 6868 6868

DDriving Criving CDDriving Criving Cuustomer Engstomer Enguustomer Engstomer Engaagemengemenaagemengementt tt 2. The solution is getting them mobile access to your back-office 2. The solution is getting them mobile access to your back-office database so they can access key data from anywhere.database so they can access key data from anywhere. 3. The problem is that creating a custom app and connecting it to 3. The problem is that creating a custom app and connecting it to your back office is difficult, time consuming, and expensive. your back office is difficult, time consuming, and expensive. 4. The good news is we have an amazing mobile connector 4. The good news is we have an amazing mobile connector framework that allows a nontechnical business user to do the framework that allows a nontechnical business user to do the same thing in a fraction of the time.same thing in a fraction of the time. Now,No tryw with, try withyour yoursolu tiosolnu. tioUsnin. gUs theing inthefomer infomercial approcial approach nacoth onnotly only makes it easier for your customers and prospects to understand what you makes it easier for your customers and prospects to understand what you do anddo theand s pethec ifispec vcaifiluce v yoaluue a yoddu, baddut ,by bu helpit by nhelpig yonugr yosaleurs satealems tea refimn e refine their theirpitch pit in cthih isn wa thiys, yowau’y,ll yo beu’ helpill be helping thengm the rampm r aumpp qui upck quier, icnkterer, ninaliztere nalize your yovaluure v propositioalue proposition, andn ,eve andn eveartin cuartilatecu itlate without it without slide ss lideor des orm odes.mos. Maintaining a Customer-Centric MindsetMaintaining a Customer-Centric Mindset A numbA nerumb of erye ofars ye agoars oneago ofone m yof s amlesy srepsales repscame c amto me eto follo me wfolloingw a ing a custocmuserto mmeetinger meeting and as ankded as mkeed to m proofreae to proofread an edma anil e hema wail hes pl waansni plnang ning on seondn ingsend toing the to ktheey stkeyak eholstakdeholers. dHierss . oHibjes cotivebje cwtiveas towas re toca pre thcae p the contentcontents of thes of m theeeti mneetig andng creanda tecre aate a compelling value proposition to compelling value proposition to move forward with our solution. move forward with our solution. “What do you think?” he asked. “What do you think?” he asked. “I don“I’ tdo knno’tw k,”n Io repliedw,” I replied. “If you. “I fw youere w thieres cu thistos cumserto wmoerul wd oyouuld fi yound you findr your note compelling enough to move forward?” note compelling enough to move forward?” The lookThe lookon his on f ahisce fmadace emad it clee itar cleto abr othto bofoth us of th usat thethat notethe notewas was indeed not his best work and that another revision, or two, was needed. indeed not his best work and that another revision, or two, was needed. Over the years, I’ve found the litmus test of “If you were the customer, Over the years, I’ve found the litmus test of “If you were the customer, woulwd oyouuld eyounga egneg?”a gtoe ?b”e to a bgooe ad goo oned inone figuring in figuring out if o suomeonet if someone is on is on the right track. the right track. Here’Hers ae ’recs aa prec ofa pthe of stheecrets secrets we dwisec udsseiscdu sseto dhelp to helpyou yoaloun g along your way: your way: 1. Assemble a toolbox of value-added resources. Don’t get stuck 1. Assemble a toolbox of value-added resources. Don’t get stuck trying to figure out how to build reciprocity with your target trying to figure out how to build reciprocity with your target audience. Plan for it. Pulling together lists of articles, books, audience. Plan for it. Pulling together lists of articles, books, and helpful content in advance will help you add value quickly and helpful content in advance will help you add value quickly and consistently. and consistently. 6969 6969

Chapter 5 2. Check your phrasing. It’s very easy to fall into the “I feel . . .” or “I’ve found . . .” trap. Punch with the weight of your organization and build credibility by changing your phrasing to “we” or “our customers have found . . .” 3. Get your customer stories straight. Your customers have found success with your solutions. Writing those stories down and sharing them is the best way to ensure they’re told consistently and help new sales and marketing people ramp up quickly. 4. Build your arsenal of belief statements. Leading with what you believe is very powerful. Craft these messages and ensure your team delivers them with conviction across their customer-facing activities. 5. Practice pitching without slides. An easy-to-understand sales pitch should be quick, simple, and compelling. Next time, ditch the slides and practice nailing your pitch in 10 seconds or less. Every business has strategic and operational pains they need to address. They also have unprecedented choice and access to information about solutions that can address those pains. Add to that ample amounts of internal distractions and conflicting priorities, and your customers have created a fortress even the most seasoned sales and marketing machine will have trouble breaching. Arming yourself with a sound strategy for ensuring your sales and marketing messages are customer centric is critical to breaking through those defenses and generating high-intent leads. But like all positive habits, mindful practice and repetition are the key to making these strategies second nature. Good luck! 7070