The three conversations B2B sale pros must have with customers to control every step of long lead buying cycle

The most successful salespeople understand that they are fundamentally storytellers. The reality is that to succeed in sales, you need to master the art of customer conversation. The best story told in the best way will always win. Being remarkable and memorable in your conversations is very important—but it goes beyond great delivery. You must be able to articulate value.

The Three Value Conversations provides the tools and methods you need to differentiate yourself and your solutions from the competition, elevate value to the right decision maker, and maximize all sales opportunities across the entire long lead buying cycle.The book teaches you how to:

• Create value for your prospects by identifying and advising them on problems, potential threats and missed opportunities
• Articulate why your prospects need to choose you over rival competitors
• Elevate the value of your offering to your prospect’s senior-level decision-makers
• Demonstrate the business and financial acumen required to make a compelling, credible business case for your solution
• Identify unconsidered needs that only your solution solves
• Embrace the natural tension that occurs between buyers and sellers to capture and protect the value of your opportunity from unnecessary discounting

Not just another sales process book, The Three Value Conversations equips you with practical, hands-on concepts for engaging prospects and customers at any moment in the buying cycle with the specific stories and skills to create, elevate, and capture value.

Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: The Storyteller ix

SECTION I CREATE VALUE: The Differentiation Conversation
1 Create a Buying Vision 3
2 Speak to Situations, Not Dispositions 15
3 Unconsidered Needs Drive Unexpected Opportunity 23
4 Keep Your Claims Limited and Focused 47
5 Whiteboard Conversations Versus PowerPoint Presentations 57

SECTION II Elevate Value : The Justification Conversation
6 Overcoming a Fear of Heights 81
7 Know Me Before You Meet Me: Developing Customer Insight 91
8 Financial Statements and ROI 117
9 Executive Engagement 149

SECTION III Capture Value : The Maximization Conversation
10 No Last-Minute Saves 165
11 The Conversation Before the Conversation 171
12 Pivotal Agreements 177
13 Ask for More Than You Are Comfortable Asking 187
14 Dealing with Price Pressure 199
Afterword: The Last Mile 213

Endnotes 219
Index 221