networking strategies software v2

The Best Networking Strategies for Software Sales Executives

Ray Giannone

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About the Webinar Speaker

Networking Strategies for Software Sales ExecutivesRay Giannone

www.ExecSense.com © ExecSense, Inc.

Ray Giannone, Principal Sales Executive, Appregatta Technologies

• I have closed over $30 million dollars in software and services using the techniques I will discuss. I have done that at Oracle, Baan, a SAP reseller and start up companies.

• Sold to both F100 and the small and medium market place.

• Closed business at the “C” level in the US and Europe.

• The solutions I have sold changed and shaped the strategic posture of of my client firms netting millions of dollars of payback for their users.

• My experience is with Tier 1 ERP and Enterprise software and services.

• Courses taken include: Miller-Heiman Sales, Target Account Selling, Consultative Selling, Xerox Sales Training, Solutions Sales Course, Oracle MBA Sales School Sales training

Slide 2

Overview Ways to fill the sales funnel. Cold call. Go to trade show.

Call old customers to buy some more. Ahhh….. maybe I should try that networking!!

• We Just don’t do it, network. We miss sales

• We don’t do enough of it, network and we miss sales

• We don’t do it well, network and we miss sales

Slide 3



Networking Strategies• Your quick personal introduction

• General statements or questions to help initiate a conversation (at least 3)

• Open-ended questions designed to engage and learn more about someone (at least 3)

• Your value statements (at least 2)

• Exit statements (at least 1 of each type)

Slide 4



Networking Strategies• How do I connect ??

• You do it by making people better by connecting with you?

• You do it by putting your self in front of people who can say yes to your value and business proposition.

• You do it at the seminar, trade show and where ever your prospect is

• Participating in organizations is imperative

• You do it as a whole new approach to getting business and being of value to your customer, company and self.

Slide 5



Networking StrategiesThe Age of Social Media

• Linkedin has 66 million users …3 million a month join.

• Have a complete and compelling profile, watch your keywords

• Offer value first and help other achieve there goals and objectives

• Start a group and or participate

• Facebook and Twitter are great but build a great Linkedin profile first

Slide 6



Networking StrategiesBuddy, can you spare a prospect?

• You better know what you want to say when you get in front of Big Ed when your pal got you in front of him.

• The classic networker asks of a trusted friend or customer to introduce them to there target suspect on the grounds that you have something of value to tell that person as you did with your friend or customer with a commitment to return the favor in the future.

• The classic networker gets the sales appointment by the cloak of I am doing my homework and I need to know about your industry. Boy do you think they are dumb!!!

• Now that we got that out of the way what are you hear to sell me.

Slide 7



Networking StrategiesI would like to find the stockbroker who did not call me when

Apple was at $60 a share……

• You have something of value to say and sell, however, do you really know the business issues your product address's. How does your product fortify or compliment the business strategy of your client.

• With that said it is great to be persistent and it is even better to be persistent with people you want to buy

Slide 8



Networking Strategies• But I get immediate feedback from cold calling even if it is no. I got two

orders today …get out and stay out.

• Sales people do not like investment marketing they are not paid for it.

• How much great product is on the shelf because management will not take the time to back a strategy to take the time to sell the product.

• I am to busy doing_______, to actually get out and network. Fill in the blank but it is usually is doing other peoples work and not having a plan for yourself.

Slide 9



FAQs•

Number 1 - Ask, and 9 times out of 10 you will get it.

•

Number 2 - Go ahead and make that cold call it will cement the prospect in your mind

•

Number 3 - I have to make 10 calls a day, networking can supplement this

•

Number 4 - I’m not the country club type. That’s a schmoozer not a business professional networker

•

Number 5 - There is no immediate pay back to networking ..your right

•

Number 6 - I hate to impose. Me too..so be of value

•

Number 7 - Its been done to death

•

Number 8 - I don’t know where to start ..one association and a compelling profile on Linkedin

•

Number 9 - People know my product benefits…. they are just like Scamtronics the market leader

• Number 10 - Fill this one in yourself. (I bet it’s the fear of rejection & lack of confidence brought on

by not knowing the value of your goods and service and not connecting with your customer' s

benefits.)

Slide 10



Case Studies• Case Study # 1 -Tammy and the Big Party

• Case Study # 2 -Me-J&J how one turned into five

• Case Study # 3 -Jim S I know how they are going to buy, the true nature of experience and living the life.

Slide 11



Building Professional Relationships

• Strategy 1 I'm part of your project team, add value

• Strategy 2 Show and coach your project lead on how to buy

• Strategy 3 What keeps you up at night?

• Strategy 4 Help my career now that I bought from you

• Strategy 5 Transition from a salesperson to a true industry insider

Slide 12



Building Professional Relationships• Connecting

• Be Prepared :

• Know who you calling on

• Know about there business

• Know what you want to accomplish

• Know how you are going to make it happen

Slide 13



Building Professional Relationships• The gals/guys besting 5 and 6 million dollar quotas , year in

year out at the Tier One firms are players that know the value of professional relationships

• You can spend a career working with just several key account or 1000 accounts in a vertical industry.

• Ask your self how much is this sale worth to me? How about a life time of sales to me?

• Do not be afraid to start at the bottom and small. Believe or not the CEO of Exxon really doesn't give a _______, about what you have to say.

Slide 14



Building Professional Relationships• The guys and gals who keep there jobs and excel in this

economic know how to build professional relationships.

• OUTSIDE ..CUSTOMER FACING AND INSIDE

• How can you fire Walter, he has been in contact with every suspect in his territory.

• Most think of building relationships just to get in front on a prospect but you must do the same in your sales cycle internally. You are competing for resources.

Slide 15



Building Professional Relationships• Im just a sales person. I show up and tell people how

great my product and company is and move on.

• You have to do more work with your ears than your mouth.

• Find out what the other person wants and show them how to get it..Frank Bettger "How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling"

• How does your prospect expect and want to buy??

• Watch your back there are a lot of jackals out there.

Slide 16



Building Professional Relationships• Now that we have bought from you and your company how

about heaping some of those benefits and paybacks and ROI you discussed in the selling cycle.

• The Sales Person must…

• Insure a smooth project kick off from sales to post sales. It is time to stop buying and start implementing

• Stress the value of training and implementation guidance in the pre -sales calls

• Do what you said you and your company and your support team said you where going to do

• If the account is handed off to a post sales rep make sure you have notes etc and fill them in. No excuse you are still responsible.

Slide 17



FAQs• List the ten main questions/misconceptions Software Sales Executives

often have with respect to Building Professional Relationships so that you can discuss the answers during your recording.

•

Number 1 - Misconception. I don't need to know my product if I know how to build a relationship

•

Number 2 - A salesperson can never know to much about there product but they can talk to much

•

Number 3 - You get good at making sales calls by making sales calls and building relationships

•

Number 4 - He/she/they/them are my friends ..commit it to the forecast boss

•

Number 5 - Happy Ears!

•

Number 6 - I did everything they asked and I still did not get the business

•

Number 7 - You need to be working with a company and for a boss that gets it… and then deliver

•

Number 8 - Today's software companies are looking for reps that can bring business TODAY!

•

Number 9 - Sure go ahead , write, speak and go to ball games.

•

Number 10 - Get out and earnestly tell your sales story on a daily basis and build your base. Hard Work.

Slide 18



Case Studies• List at least three case studies of situations where a Software Sales

Executive employed one or more of the strategies you discussed earlier on Building Professional Relationships and how it helped them professionally. We have listed space for three case studies, but the more you can go over the better as this is an important part of the seminar. If you would prefer to put each case study on a new slide, feel free to do so and we can take care of formatting on our end (recommended).

• Case Study # 1 -Mike E

• Case Study # 2 -John H the career consultant

• Case Study # 3 -How I turned a sales support job into a $17.3 million dollar company

Slide 20



Conclusions

• Point 1 Join a industry trade group and or association and participate

• Point 2 Get on Linkedin and have a compelling and active profile. Participate

• Point 3 Know the value of what you are selling, buy a insurance policy and do your home work.

• PLEASE CONTACT ME [email protected] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN ENFORMED AND THAT I HAVE MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR SALES STYLE AND NETWORKING ABILITY

Slide 19



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