Ep.8: Implementation Planning as a Sales Tool

The Sales Podcast - #8 – “Implementation Planning.”

This SalesCast is brought to you by, well, SalesQualia. Improve Sales Performance with:

1. Self-learning resources, including books on Amazon.comand self-paced online courses.
2. Workshops & Training, hosted at venues across Silicon Valley and the US.
3. 1:1 Coaching & Consulting for company founders and sales professionals that want a personalized plan.

In this episode, Scott and Robert discuss the importance of discussing the implementation plan for your product with your prospective new client both early and often. Key areas we cover are:

• How implementation plans factor into the four major stages of an enterprise level sales (spoiler – they’re a big factor).
• When you should start to bring up your implementation plan with a prospect and how you can use this process to evaluate where you are in the sales cycle and push the sale forward.
• Some of the pros and cons of the world of implementation plans and how effectively using an implementation plan can help you deal with detractors at the prospect company.
• How to alleviate the prospect’s fear of implementation of your product by having great checklists to help reduce risk.
• How talking about implementation plans with a prospect let you know if they are actually going to become a client.

We hope you enjoy the podcast and would greatly appreciate feedback! Any suggestions on future topics you would like to hear covered and/or podcast guests you’d like to hear would be great! Enjoy!

Podcast Notes

01:50 – What are implementation plans and how are they used.

02:15 – The four major stages of an enterprise sale.

03:13 – When to start thinking about implementation planning and start talking about it with a prospective client.

04:45 – What happens after a client says, “Yes.”

06:32 – How to use Implementation planning to help in the sales process in general.

11:00 – The pros and cons of implementation planning using different approaches.

16:08 – How a good implementation plan helps a purchaser deal with detractors within a company that may not want to implement your product.

18:30 – How to handle using third party implementation planning consultants, when you and your prospect have your own preferred processes.

20:58- How to avoid being blamed when a process doesn’t happen, by documenting your interactions.

21:43 – As a startup, you need to own the implementation process and avoid Outsourcing.

23:20 – Defining the success of your implementation plan.

27:00 – How to alleviate that fear of implementation planning.

32:38 – Having a checklist to help reduce risk.

34:27 – Software that helps with collaboration.

36:50 – The biggest piece of advice when it comes to implementations plans.

39:00 – How to think and qualify if a prospect is actually going to become a sale.

Resources mentioned or related to this podcast

• “Major Account Sales Strategy” by Neil Rackham

• Blend, a cloud based lending software.

• com, Online Project Management and Task Management Software.

• Google Spreadsheets, Software to create and edit spreadsheets online for free.

• Evernote, Online workspace software.