There’s a gap in the way organizations think about and implement sales methodologies. The sales processes of many organizations place undue emphasis on merely going through the motions of their defined process—tracking interactions, updating CRM records, acknowledging methodology, and refining metrics—expecting as if by magic, revenue will become predictable, and sales will accelerate. In fact, the entire sales ops function was born out of the need to “mind the gap;” to capture sales campaign data and analyze metrics in an attempt to divine revenue predictability for the business.
Indeed, revenue predictability has incrementally improved. But to realize an order of magnitude improvement in revenue predictability, I’m sad to say, simply going through the motions, checking the boxes, is inadequate.
Let’s take a step back. At the heart of every successful sales campaign is a connection; the prospect clearly sees how your solution's value prop and features address each of their specific pain points. Your most effective sellers (the so-called “sales unicorns”) not only create that linkage, but they do so using their prospect’s point of view, nomenclature, and context. Creating that connection is the entire point of sales. It demonstrates not just an understanding of what you're selling but also a deep insight into how it directly addresses and alleviates the buyer’s challenges. It’s what separates average sales performers from top performers. Imagine your organization if the average salesperson could be made as effective as those unicorns.
In many organizations, the entirety of the organization’s sales process is codified within the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, relying heavily on the data and metrics it provides. Most often, sales methodologies are modeled in the CRM, answering key questions such as: Who are the stakeholders? What are their roles? Are they supporters, detractors, coaches, or champions? Have they agreed to the project’s success criteria? Is there access to power? The methodology-specific CRM content tends to be limited to the specific elements of the methodology which are CRM-friendly.
While these questions are critical, they most often overlook the prospect's perspective or point of view. It’s an approach that centers more on the sales process and what the sales team needs rather than the prospect’s buying process and what the prospect needs. Moreover, the reliability of data entered into the CRM by the sales team can be unreliable as it is subjective. After all, a common pitfall in sales is optimism bias. Teams sometimes have happy ears; they hear what they want to hear.
What's lacking is an approach for fostering genuine engagement via authentic collaboration between sales teams and prospects. For example, many sales methodologies advocate for documents designed to capture information essential for achieving the methodology's primary objectives. Examples would include requirements documents, mutual success plans, or go-live plans. Each of these documents provides insight into the pain-solution connection and a tangible measure of the prospect's engagement and interest. After all, if the prospect is genuinely engaged, the project naturally progresses. The reason? Genuine engagement is a signal that your prospect is deeply involved in their buying process and strongly considers your offer a key part of their solution.
We staunchly believe that this content cannot be limited to a series of Q&A fields in the CRM. Instead, it must be represented in a physical tangible document. Why? These documents come about through intentionally collaborative efforts with prospects, meeting them where they are—in their buying journey. To yield revenue predictability, the document must be collaboratively authored and revised throughout the buyer’s acquisition journey. Anything less will confine the buyer/seller relationship to the constrained world of query-and-response, subject to the aforementioned optimism bias so often disguised within our opportunities, even if inadvertently. Using documents transforms the transactional buyer-seller interaction into a genuine collaboration.
Bridging the Gap with TakeTurns
TakeTurns serves as a vital link between the sales-driven approach and the prospect's process of solving a problem or making a purchase. It facilitates external collaboration on documents that allow prospects to define how their challenges align with the benefits of your product.
Regardless of your preferred sales methodology, TakeTurns' external collaboration platform will both enable it and elevate its effectiveness. TakeTurns invites prospects to co-author and revise documents that define and drive both their project's success and, ostensibly, your revenue predictability.
By organizing content, revisions, communication, and structured collaboration, TakeTurns keeps prospects vested and engaged. In the realm of sales, engaged prospects are the key to success. Where the connection is clear between buying and selling teams, and between problem and solution definitions, revenue predictability is at its highest.
TakeTurns' advantage lies not just in facilitating collaboration but in transforming it into a strategic asset. It's about creating an environment where clients don't just buy, they co-create and co-own the success journey, ensuring a more profound and enduring partnership. Both sales management and sales ops will fall in love with the byproduct. That being, TakeTurns places the complete context and status of their sales teams’ collaborations—their prospect’s engagement—at their fingertips, providing complete transparency.
In conclusion, enabling your sales methodology using TakeTurns isn't simply a tweak—it's a transformative shift. It's a shift towards a client-centric ethos, an approach that not only acknowledges the importance of understanding the client's point of view but actively integrates it unfiltered into every facet of your sales strategy. The TakeTurns advantage lies in its ability to turn collaboration into a competitive differentiator, making your sales methodology not just a playbook, but a dynamic, client-driven journey toward success.
If you’re ready to elevate your sales process, interested in a demo, or just want to reach out, click here to discover the transformative impact TakeTurns can have on your sales outcomes.
.png)