Rick Page’s book, “Hope is Not a Strategy: The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale”, is a must-read for anyone in sales. The book focuses on the complexity of the modern-day sales process and highlights six key elements that are essential to winning complex sales.
The book is structured around six key elements that are essential to successful selling:
This is where Rick's book comes in.
The first key element to winning complex sales is Target Account Selling.
This involves identifying your ideal customers and focusing your efforts on them.
According to Page, many salespeople make the mistake of trying to sell to everyone, which results in a scattergun approach and wasted resources. Instead identify the key decision-makers in an organisation and focus on building relationships with them.
Page coined the term R.A.D.A.R. ® which stands for R.eading A.ccounts and D.eploying A.propriate R.esources.
The R.A.D.A.R approach is:
and is covered in the 6 items below.
Proactive Prospecting involves identifying potential customers and reaching out to them before they start looking for solutions.
According to Page, proactive prospecting is essential because by the time a customer starts looking for solutions, they may have already made up their minds about what they want.
Proactive prospecting involves researching potential customers, understanding their needs and pain points, and reaching out to them with a tailored message that addresses their specific needs.
Competitive Positioning is about understanding your competitors and positioning yourself in a way that differentiates you from them.
According to Page, many salespeople make the mistake of trying to sell on price alone, which results in a race to the bottom.
Competitive Positioning involves understanding your strengths and weaknesses relative to your competitors and positioning yourself in a way that emphasizes your strengths.
Qualification is when you determine whether a potential customer is a good fit for your solution.
Page recommends not trying to sell to everyone, especially if the customer is not a good fit for their solution.
Qualification involves understanding the customer's needs and pain points and determining whether your solution can meet those needs. It also involves understanding the customer's decision-making process and determining whether you have the resources and support to win the deal.
You just don't win a sale by showing up.
In the summary of SPIN Selling on this site the author makes the point aboiut planning you r sales approach. Thinking beforehand about small wins you might be able to achieve to keep the sale moving forward.
Strategy Development means you have to develop a strategy to win the deal.
Page believes it's a mistake trying to wing it, as it often results in a lack of focus and wasted resources.
Strategy Development involves understanding the customer's decision-making process, identifying the key decision-makers, and developing a strategy to influence them. It also involves developing a clear value proposition that addresses the customer's needs and pain points and positions you as the best solution.
The final key element is Relationship Building which involves building strong relationships with key decision-makers and influencers in the customer's organisation.
According to Page, many salespeople make the mistake of treating customers as transactions, rather than people.
Relationship Building involves understanding the customer's needs and pain points and building a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. It also involves staying in touch with the customer after the sale and continuing to provide value to them over time.
Of course, the first step in building relationships is to establish rapport.
But there's more ...
“Hope is Not a Strategy” by Rick Page is a valuable read for anyone in sales. Especially if they are involved in bigger sales.
The book provides practical advice on how to win complex sales by focusing on the six key elements: Target Account Selling, Proactive Prospecting, Competitive Positioning, Qualification, Strategy Development, and Relationship Building.
Page emphasises that sales professionals need to be proactive, strategic, and highly focused to succeed. The book provides a roadmap for salespeople to win complex sales by taking a systematic and disciplined approach to selling.
By following the six key elements outlined in the book, sales professionals can improve their sales results, win more deals, and build stronger relationships with their customers.
For a more detailed summary go here