The most Important Stage in a Complex Sale

By Ernie A. Cevallos

For generations and to this day many managers swear that obtaining commitment or closing the sale is the most important stage in a sale. If you are dealing with small or transactional sales, there is evidence to suggest that closing is the most important stage supporting the notion that “if you can’t close, you can’t sell”.

On the other hand, high level or complex sales have a much longer sales cycle and closing is not the most important sales stage. Why?

Staving off Commoditization: Practical Ideas to Create Value

By Ernie A. Cevallos

Perfect competition is at one end of the competition spectrum, and one of the basis of the concept is that since firms produce undifferentiated products that any business in such an environment is a “price taker” or a firm that cannot affect the price of a good or service. Looked at another way, such commoditized products or services have many perfect substitutes. In theory, the better the substitutes for a product or service, the more elastic the demand for the product. So, how do your products and services stack up and what can you do to win in a commoditizing environment?

Customer Value Propositions and Persuasion Effectiveness

By Ernie A. Cevallos

What is wrong with value propositions?

In today’s competitive environment creating and delivering winning value propositions is a fundamental expectation in the race to win more business and out perform rivals. It is evident that properly constructed and communicated value propositions make a powerful argument, and align the solution fit with the needs and buying criteria of customers. The goal is to persuade the customer by irrefutable proof that the value proposition represents a win-win business transaction.

True Value Creation and your Customers

By Ernie A. Cevallos

This paper is based on personal experience with the larger or major sale, and insights from the research conducted by Huthwaite. Major sales are more complex, take longer to develop, and typically involve many decision makers and influencers. Knowing how to navigate these waters and creating value is key to the success of any sales force. Indeed, the customer decides if the value is real or not. Customers have different notions of value, which are based on their particular circumstances, culture, procurement policies, leadership style of decision makers, business objectives, and ROI expectations. Different customers even in the same industry have varying degrees of value notions.