7 Steps to Ensure Software Adoption (A Software Adoption Manifesto)

Posted by Ron Snyder on Jan 17th, 2012 | no comments home title

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just buy a new tool and not have to do anything else to have your team use it and produce dramatic improvement in performance? Unfortunately, members of the team are already busy and having them do anything different takes effort on their part and yours. Resistance within the organization- especially the user base- and poor management of the process are the two biggest reasons software implementations fail to produce their intended results.

However, the effort is well worth it as it can dramatically:

Increase sales
Improve predictability / forecast accuracy
Enhance sales efficiency and effectiveness
Drive team effectiveness

The following process helps people rapidly embrace the adoption of new tools and methods. Missing any of these steps slows progress and increases time and cost. Though this process largely sequential, some steps can occur in parallel.

1. CREATE URGENCY

Identify user needs and how you help them do their job faster, easier , better
Understand competing pressures area

Obstacles:

Dismissing the approach because, “we tried it before and it didn’t work”
Organizational arrogance
Complacency due to lack of visible crisis, low performance standards and insufficient feedback perpetuates clinging to the status quo
Thinking steps in this process can be skipped
Not clarifying how the tool solves the problem and improves results

2. GATHER SPONSORSHIP

Put together a leadership team with enough power to lead the change process
Ensure the sponsorship group works together toward a common objective

Obstacles:

Underestimating the challenges in engaging adoption and the importance of a strong, guiding coalition
Trust issues among members of the sponsorship team
Not addressing conflicting metrics, goals and agendas
Cultural issues, including arrogance and the “not invented here” syndrome

3. DEVELOP A VISION AND STRATEGY

Create a vision to guide the effort
Develop strategies for achieving the vision
Optional: establish a pilot group for testing and fine-tuning the approach
Establish clear metrics and how / when they will be measured

Obstacles:

Underestimating the importance of having and selling a clear vision and reason for the change… and the role it plays in helping to direct, align and inspire action
Failing to emphasize the value of individual and team learning for on-going success
Cultural issues, i.e. taking short cuts or insufficient focus on any one initiative

4. COMMUNICATE THE OBJECTIVE

Communicate the intended outcome and why you are excited about it
Use every vehicle possible to constantly communicate
Make sure sponsors and managers model the expected behavior

Obstacles:

Not clarifying what each person needs to do, the support they will get and how performance will be measured
Thinking you have communicated enough
The sponsorship / management teams don’t examine their actions / “walk-the talk”
Leadership loses enthusiasm for this project and moves on to the next new idea

5. ENSURE ACTION

Have people use the new tools
Remove obstacles that undermine adoption
Encourage and reward risk-taking and nontraditional approaches
Provide needed support and promote learning
Monitor progress and act quickly to improve adoption

Obstacles:

Allowing barriers and breakdowns to block use of new methods and tools
Failure to examine existing systems and create new ones that support the vision and eliminate those that don’t
Insufficient leadership engagement to generate broad based action
Resistance to change and fear of undesirable consequences

6. PUBLICIZE SHORT-TERM WINS

Measure performance and identify “wins”
Engage management to enable success of the new approach
Visibly recognize and reward people who achieved wins and made them possible

Obstacles:

Failing to focus on short-term wins
Lack of celebration, acknowledgement and rewards for those who achieve the wins
Without feedback, the team assumes no progress has been made

7. BROADEN ADOPTION AND CHANGE

Articulate the connections between new behaviors and organizational success
Use increased credibility to change systems and procedures that don’t support the change
Reinvigorate the process with new initiatives and change agents
Hire, promote, and develop people / leaders who can implement the needed changes

Obstacles:

Declaring victory too soon
Not leveraging the progress already made to broaden adoption
Failing to connect specific new behaviors and attitudes with improved performance
Lacking the necessary leadership and management capabilities

You need this kind of process to ensure you get your intended results from new software tools!

This was informed by John Kotter’s Leading Change.

Plan2Win Software Nominated Sales Productivity Tool of the Year

Posted by Ron Snyder on Nov 21st, 2011 | no comments home title

We are very excited that Plan2Win Software has been nominated for the Sales Productivity Tool of the Year award!

It is exciting to be considered with a group including:

Salesforce.com’s Data.com (formerly Jigsaw)
InsideView
Xobni

Check it out at www.topsalesawards.com and, if you feel so inclined, please vote.

Thanks and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

How to Write a Strategic Account Plan

Posted by Ron Snyder on Oct 14th, 2011 | no comments home title

How can you write a Plan to Penetrate and Grow a Strategic Account?

In order to gain the insights you need to create a winning plan, you must ask the right questions. Use this checklist as a guide. Use your plan in your strategic account reviews and to manage your account team.

1. Analyze your Target Account’s Business

Start with what is going on in your account’s business.

What are the key trends in their industry?
Who are their top prospects and customers?
What are the top issues facing their customers?
What are the critical trends in the geography?
What is reflected in their financial reports and news about them?

2. Understand what is Driving the Account

You must understand their objectives and challenges.

What are their strategic initiatives?
What are the characteristics of their high-payoff customers/prospects?
Are there verticals that they are winning in more than others? Why?
What “pain” or business issues do they solve?
What is their competitive position?
What is their purchase history and decision-making process?

3. Clarify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

Conduct a SWOT analysis that examines how you can help this account.

What Strengths can they benefit from? For example, a unique business model or capabilities.
Which Weaknesses do you need to respond to? This includes the strengths of competitive and alternative solutions.
Which Opportunities in the marketplace will you take advantage of… and help them take advantage of? How do you uniquely meet their compelling needs?
What Threats in your selling environment will you defend against? Consider competitive moves, changes in technology, industry and regulatory standards.

4. Determine your Selling Approach

Consolidate the above insights the critical strategies and actions necessary to succeed.

How do you help them accomplish their strategic objectives?
What is your unique selling (value) proposition?
Based on your SWOT, what are the critical few strategies to win in the account?
What type of opportunities will you concentrate on?
How can you leverage your differentiators? (Sales approach can be a differentiator.)
What is your strategy to leverage current successes?

5. Engage the Resources you Need

Enroll the people and gather the knowledge you need.

Which internal resources have the skills/connections you need?
Who inside the account can help you win?
Are there external resources that can support you (partners, people “in the know”)?
What additional product/industry information do you need? What sources can provide it?
How could you improve your selling and account management skills?

6. Create and Work your Plan

Use your plan as a guide to proactively produce your intended results.

What are the high-leverage actions?
Which resources are needed for each task?
What are the due dates and key milestones?
Do you take action and update the plan on a regular basis?
Are you engaging your management, internal and partner resources?

If you don’t plan your work, you can’t work your plan. Winging it is the best way to lose a big opportunity you could have won!

Good luck and Good Selling!

How to Write a Sales Territory Plan

Posted by Ron Snyder on Oct 6th, 2011 | one comment home title

As published in Selling Power Blog, August 18, 2011

What are the critical steps in writing a successful Sales Territory Plan?

You may be wondering, “Where do I start?” The key is asking the right questions to harness the insights you need to create a winning plan. Use this checklist as a guide.

1. Analyze your Territory/Business

Start with what is going on in your territory/vertical market.

What are the key trends in your geography/ market?
Who are your top prospects and customers?
What are customers buying?
Based on your conversion rates, how much business do you need in your funnel?
What is the gap between what you need in your funnel and what you have now?

2. Understand what Drives Customers to Buy

You must understand why they are buying or not buying your products.

What are the characteristics of your high-payoff customers/prospects?
Are there verticals that you are winning in more than others? Why?
What “pain” or business issues do you solve?
What compelling events drive the purchase?
Are there specific products/services that you are selling more than others? Why?
Why do they not buy your products/services?

3. Clarify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

Conduct a SWOT analysis that examines:

What Strengths will you build upon? For example, a unique business model or capabilities.
Which Weaknesses do you need to respond to? This includes the strengths of competitive and alternative solutions.
Which Opportunities in your marketplace will you take advantage of? How do you uniquely meet your buyers’ compelling needs?
What Threats in your selling environment will you defend against? Consider competitive moves, changes in technology, industry and regulatory standards.
What is your unique selling (value) proposition?

4. Determine your Objectives

Consolidate the above trends into a few powerful objectives. Write specific, measurable goals (i.e. ‘I will add 5 new accounts in this vertical market’).

Which vertical markets or geographies will you focus on?
Based on the characteristics of your high-payoff customers/prospects, which accounts/opportunities will you concentrate on?
What products/services/capabilities do you need to highlight in your plan?
At your average selling price, how many opportunities do you need to add to your funnel?

5. Develop Strategies to Accomplish your Goals

Generate the top strategies to succeed.

How will you further penetrate current accounts?
What is your strategy to leverage current successes?
What will you do to generate new leads?
How will you improve your conversion rates?
Where do you need to improve your selling process?

6. Engage the Resources you Need

Enroll the people and gather the knowledge you need.

Which internal resources have the skills/connections you need?
Who inside the account can help you win?
Are there external resources that can support you (partners, people “in the know”)?
What additional product/industry information do you need? What sources can provide it?
How could you improve your selling and territory/account management skills?

7. Create and Work your Plan

Use your plan as a guide to proactively produce your intended results.