As your startup grows from a fledgling operating desperately trying to find a product-market fit to a scaling startup it can be easy to lose focus and lose consistency, especially in the sales team. It is unlikely that your sales team have years of experience working with each and it is likely that the team has grown very quickly.
No two salespeople sell in the same way, and you don’t necessarily want them to. But they are the face of your company when they are engaging with customers and so you want there to be some consistency in the approach. A sales framework or sales methodology allows you to deliver more constantly across your sales team. Here are the components that make up a good sales framework.
Unique Selling Proposition USP – Perhaps most obviously your sales framework needs to detail your USP. This is the thing that sets you apart from your competitors. It is the reason customers will choose you and why your startup will succeed.
Pain – This is why people need to buy your product. What is the pain point they are experiencing? This will vary slightly between customers but it should follow a common theme. By educating your sales team about the pain points they can better connect with prospective customers.
Trigger event – Why now? What Is the event prompting your customers to make the purchase now? Your sales framework should include any known events which cause a buying decision.
Advocate – These are the people inside your customers who passionately want your product. They advocate for you and navigate the internal politics to ensure your product is purchased and successfully implemented.
Timing – You need to be available to implement when your customer is ready to buy. If your customer isn’t yet ready to commit to purchasing, place them in your sales funnel and keep working on them.
Stakeholders – The best salespeople understand who all the stakeholders are and engage with them. Your sales framework should encourage your sales team to connect with multiple contacts in a customer’s business, competitors, industry leaders and any other relevant parties.
TAKEAWAY: A good sales framework creates consistency in your sales team and makes the onboarding process simpler and smoother. Further, your sales framework is informed by the knowledge and experience of your sales team making it a valuable corporate asset.