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Zhongwei Li
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skills/sales-strategy/SKILL.md
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skills/sales-strategy/SKILL.md
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# Sales Strategy
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**Sales process, pipeline management, and forecasting best practices**
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## Sales Framework
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### Sales Process Stages
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1. **Prospecting** - Identifying and researching potential customers
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2. **Qualification** - Determining fit, budget, and priority
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3. **Discovery** - Understanding needs, pain points, and goals
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4. **Proposal** - Presenting tailored solution and value proposition
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5. **Negotiation** - Addressing objections and finalizing terms
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6. **Closing** - Securing commitment and signature
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7. **Onboarding** - Ensuring successful implementation and adoption
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---
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## Qualification Frameworks
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### BANT Framework
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**Budget**
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- Can they afford the solution?
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- What's their budget range?
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- Who controls the budget?
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- When is budget allocated?
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**Authority**
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- Who makes the final decision?
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- Who influences the decision?
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- What's the approval process?
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- Who are the stakeholders?
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**Need**
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- What's the pain point?
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- How urgent is it?
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- What's the cost of inaction?
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- What alternatives are they considering?
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**Timeline**
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- When do they need it?
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- What's driving the timeline?
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- Are there any blockers?
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- What are the consequences of delay?
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### MEDDIC Framework (Enterprise Sales)
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- **Metrics**: Quantifiable value and ROI
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- **Economic Buyer**: Person with budget authority
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- **Decision Criteria**: How they'll evaluate solutions
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- **Decision Process**: Steps and stakeholders involved
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- **Identify Pain**: Specific problems to solve
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- **Champion**: Internal advocate who sells for you
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---
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## Pipeline Management
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### Pipeline Stages
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```
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Lead → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed Won/Lost
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```
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### Pipeline Health Metrics
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**Coverage Ratios**
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- Pipeline value : Quota (Target: 3-4x)
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- New pipeline created : Closed won (Velocity)
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- Stage progression rates
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**Quality Metrics**
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- Conversion rates by stage
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- Average deal size
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- Sales cycle length by segment
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- Win rate overall and by competitor
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### Pipeline Hygiene
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**Weekly Reviews**
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- Move stalled deals (30+ days inactive)
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- Update close dates realistically
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- Validate qualification criteria
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- Document next steps
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**Monthly Audits**
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- Remove zombie opportunities
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- Re-qualify large deals
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- Update forecasts
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- Clean up data quality
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---
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## Forecasting Methodology
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### Forecast Categories
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**Commit** (90-95% confidence)
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- Verbal commitment received
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- Contracts sent or in legal review
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- Decision maker engaged
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- Timeline confirmed within 30 days
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**Best Case** (70-85% confidence)
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- Strong engagement and interest
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- Budget confirmed
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- Decision process understood
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- Timeline within 60 days
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**Pipeline** (25-50% confidence)
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- Qualified opportunity
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- Active conversations
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- Needs identified
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- Timeline within 90 days
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### Forecast Formula
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```
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Commit + (Best Case × 0.75) + (Pipeline × 0.35) = Forecast
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```
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---
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## Sales Methodologies
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### SPIN Selling
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**Situation Questions**
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- Understand current state
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- Gather background information
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- Build context
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**Problem Questions**
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- Uncover difficulties and dissatisfactions
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- Identify implied needs
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- Create awareness of issues
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**Implication Questions**
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- Explore consequences of problems
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- Build urgency
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- Quantify impact
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**Need-Payoff Questions**
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- Focus on solution value
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- Get buyer to articulate benefits
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- Build commitment
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### Challenger Sale
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**Teach** for Differentiation
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- Teach prospects something new
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- Reframe their thinking
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- Provide unique insights
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**Tailor** for Resonance
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- Customize message for stakeholder
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- Speak their language
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- Address their specific concerns
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**Take Control** of Sale
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- Drive the conversation
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- Push back constructively
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- Maintain momentum
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### Solution Selling
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**Focus on Business Issues**
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- Not product features
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- Customer's business outcomes
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- Strategic objectives
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**Quantify Impact**
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- ROI calculations
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- Cost of status quo
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- Time to value
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**Demonstrate Value**
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- Proof of concepts
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- Case studies
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- Customer testimonials
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---
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## Objection Handling
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### Common Objections & Responses
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**"It's too expensive"**
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- Reframe around value, not price
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- Break down cost per user/month
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- Compare to cost of problem
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- Offer payment terms
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**"We're happy with current solution"**
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- Acknowledge their satisfaction
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- Uncover hidden pain points
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- Highlight opportunity cost
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- Differentiate on unique value
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**"Not the right time"**
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- Understand timing concerns
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- Quantify cost of delay
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- Offer pilot or phased approach
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- Set future follow-up
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**"Need to think about it"**
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- This is not an objection, it's a stall
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- Probe for real concern
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- "What specifically do you need to think about?"
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- Address underlying issue
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**"Need approval from others"**
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- Map decision-making process
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- Offer to present to stakeholders
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- Provide materials for internal selling
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- Identify your champion
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### Response Framework
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1. **Listen** actively without interrupting
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2. **Acknowledge** their concern is valid
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3. **Clarify** to understand the real issue
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4. **Respond** with value and evidence
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5. **Confirm** the concern is addressed
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6. **Move Forward** to next step
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---
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## Sales Tools & Tech Stack
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### CRM Systems
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- **Salesforce** - Enterprise standard
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- **HubSpot** - All-in-one platform
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- **Pipedrive** - Pipeline-focused
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- **Close** - Inside sales optimized
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### Sales Engagement
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- **Outreach** - Sequencing and automation
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- **SalesLoft** - Cadence management
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- **Apollo** - Prospecting and enrichment
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- **LinkedIn Sales Navigator** - Social selling
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### Proposal & Contract
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- **PandaDoc** - Proposals and e-signature
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- **Proposify** - Proposal software
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- **DocuSign** - E-signature
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- **Qwilr** - Interactive proposals
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### Intelligence & Data
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- **ZoomInfo** - Contact data
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- **Gong** - Conversation intelligence
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- **Clari** - Revenue operations
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- **InsightSquared** - Sales analytics
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---
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## Key Performance Indicators
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### Activity Metrics
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- Calls made
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- Emails sent
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- Meetings booked
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- Demos delivered
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- Proposals sent
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### Pipeline Metrics
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- Pipeline value
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- Pipeline coverage
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- New pipeline created
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- Stage progression rates
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- Pipeline velocity
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### Outcome Metrics
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- Quota attainment
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- Win rate
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- Average deal size
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- Sales cycle length
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- Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
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### Business Metrics
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- Revenue
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- Lifetime value (LTV)
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- LTV:CAC ratio
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- Churn rate
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- Expansion revenue
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---
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## Best Practices
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### Discovery Call Excellence
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- Prepare with research
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- Ask open-ended questions
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- Listen 70%, talk 30%
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- Take detailed notes
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- Summarize and confirm understanding
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- Get commitment for next steps
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### Demo Best Practices
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- Discovery before demo
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- Customize for their use case
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- Tell stories, not features
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- Show, don't tell
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- Address their specific pain
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- Leave time for questions
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- End with clear next steps
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### Proposal Writing
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- Executive summary first
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- Focus on their business outcomes
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- Quantify ROI
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- Include customer proof points
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- Clear pricing and terms
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- Strong call to action
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### Negotiation Tactics
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- Know your walk-away point
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- Trade, don't give
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- Anchor high
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- Build value before discussing price
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- Get something in return for discounts
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- Use time pressure strategically
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### Closing Techniques
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- **Assumptive Close**: "When would you like to start?"
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- **Alternative Close**: "Option A or Option B?"
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- **Urgency Close**: Limited time offer
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- **Takeaway Close**: "This might not be a fit if..."
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- **Summary Close**: Review value and benefits
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- **Direct Close**: "Are you ready to move forward?"
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---
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## Sales Enablement
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### Onboarding Checklist
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- [ ] Product knowledge training
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- [ ] Sales methodology certification
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- [ ] CRM system training
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- [ ] Competitive intelligence
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- [ ] Pitch certification
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- [ ] Shadowing experienced reps
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- [ ] Role-playing exercises
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### Ongoing Development
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- Weekly skills training
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- Monthly coaching sessions
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- Quarterly business reviews
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- Deal strategy sessions
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- Win/loss analysis
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- Best practice sharing
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### Sales Collateral
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- One-pagers and datasheets
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- Case studies by industry
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- ROI calculators
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- Competitive battle cards
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- Demo environment
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- Email templates
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- Call scripts
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---
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## Success Metrics & Compensation
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### Typical Quota Structure
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- 70-80% of reps hit quota (healthy)
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- Top performer: 150-200% of quota
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- Average: 90-110% of quota
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### Compensation Models
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**Base + Commission**
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- 50/50 split for new business
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- 60/40 split for account management
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- Accelerators at 100%+ quota
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**Base + Bonus**
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- Fixed bonus for hitting quota
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- Tiered bonuses for overperformance
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### Recognition Programs
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- President's Club for top performers
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- SPIFFs for strategic initiatives
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- Quarterly awards
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- Career progression paths
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