CHANNEL - DISTRIBUTOR SALES TRAINING CLASS  

Distribution Sales Class Outline

Our Channel and Distribution Sales Training Class is typically 3-4 days in length and is tailored to each client’s needs via our pre-workshop interview and assessment process.  Included are participant workbooks, tailored role-plays and exercises and a multitude of immediately useful sales tools.

Key Distribution Sales Competencies Developed

• Develop a company and territory sales strategy and channel plan
• Identify and target high-potential distributors, resellers and third party sales organizations
• Quickly develop rapport and trust
• Develop a “Capture Plan” to recruit distributors
• Discover new techniques for gaining distributor commitment and mind share
• Craft sales programs unique to each distributor
• Present a winning business case for long-term partnerships
• Learn how to manage distributor sales reps via “arms length sales management” techniques
• Discover methods to helping distributor reps on sales calls, proposals and closes
• Boost success rates via distributor training, coaching and sales meeting participation
• Turn around lackluster performers

Channel Sales Techniques Taught

• Time & territory management
• Recruiting distributors and channel partners
• Qualification and ranking of distributors
• Building trust and rapport
• Developing distributor capture plans
• Boosting mind share
• Creating unique sales programs
• Performing “arms length” sales management
• Supporting distributors with sales calls, proposals and closes
• Coaching distributors
• Maintaining successful distributor relationships

Channel & Distribution Sales Class Outline

Creating a Winning Distribution Business Plan

• Boost success rates with a winning business plan, complete with monthly milestones
• Create challenging and motivating “leveraged” sales goals
• Explore high-potential territory strategies and pick one to implement
• Develop a strategic approach to time and territory management
• Successfully balance distributor and direct sales
• Proactively manage potential channel conflict
• Discover how to accurately determine the pipeline needed to exceed monthly sales goals
• Create strategies to boost conversion rates for each stage of the sales pipeline

Distributor Sales Strategies

• Understand the three Distributor selling premises that contribute to sales success
• Master the five levels of Distributor sales relationships
• Discover unknown or little used sources of valuable Distributor company information and how to best isolate yourself from price competition
• Use micro differentiation to properly position yourself in each distributor organization
• Learn at least 3 ways to shorten sales cycles and reduce follow up calls
• Understand your competition for “mind share” and develop counter strategies

Qualification & Targeting

• Learn how to conduct a market analysis for improved distributor selection
• Develop an ideal distributor and salesperson profile based on such things as: firm size, support/service capabilities, reputation, products sold, track record, ethics and personnel
• Develop “A” “B” and “C” distributor qualification criteria
• Create a short list of qualification questions to sell more in less time

Creating the Distributor Capture Plan

• Use advanced questioning skills as a primary competitive weapon
• Develop and use a distributor profile to get critical information on the first call
• Discover ways to quickly identify all key players
• Analyze actual account situations and develop effective plans of attack
• Develop new strategies for displacing vulnerable competitors

Executing the Distributor Capture Plan

• Learn how to develop inside salespeople who will close the sale for you!
• Discover new ways to sell to executives and top-level decision makers
• Devise methods for bypassing purchasing departments and processes
• Implement new financial and functional selling techniques
• Enhance your ability to sell to committees and multiple decision makers
• Optimize the effectiveness of group sales calls

Gaining Distributor Trust & Rapport 

• Understand key characteristics of each personality type
• Explain at least four ways to sell each personality type
• Develop questions that are likely to be effective with each personality type
• Practice “role shifting” to better communicate with other personality types
• Describe how each personality type reacts to pressure (backup styles) 
• Discover how to effectively “climb” the 5 levels of sales relationships 
• Explore strategic, joint planning and venture activities with key distributors

Presenting the Program:  Partners in Profit

• Use key distributor objectives and motivators to make and present an iron-clad case
• Learn how “out of the box” thinking can boost what you have to “sell”
• Strengthen your competitive position through effective financial justification
• Creatively “attach” additional revenue streams to your products
• Obtain strategies for selling to diverse individuals with varying agendas
• Learn the ideal mix of presentation versus interaction and group discussion
• Discover how to use presentations and customer-centered proposals as a “stealth” closing tool

Creating the Distributor Agreement and Business Plan

• Co-create a Distributor Sales Plan with effective  targets, strategies, programs and resources
• Obtain proven strategies to boost Distributor marketing and sales effectiveness
• Develop a closed-loop tracking system to ensure goal achievement
• Obtain critical commitments that virtually guarantee their success

Clinching the Distributor Sale

• Discover your own negotiation and closing style
• Develop strategies to deal with expert negotiators and price negotiations
• Create low-cost, high-value concessions for your negotiations
• Brainstorm and use at least six powerful distributor commitments
• Discover creative methods of handling stalls and delays
• Understand common closing techniques and which to use and/or avoid
• Discover the power of “soft” closes and “implementation plan” closes

Mastering “Arms Length Sales Management”

• Understand proactive vs. reactive reporting (“sales accounting”)
• Develop a measurement system to track leads generated & contacted, needs assessments, proposals, demonstrations and closes
• Learn how to gain more accurate revenue, product and activity forecasts
• Enhance lead generation, lead distribution and lead registration effectiveness

Distributor Training & Coaching

• Outline the contents of a distributor sales training and coaching program
• Understand “Resourcitis” and how it can be both positive and negative
• Develop Distributor coaching standards and commitments
• Discover methods for coaching salespeople on joint sales calls, demonstrations, needs assessments and presentations
• Learn “Expectancy Theory” and potential coaching rewards by personality type
• Discover the discrete steps to sales coaching success
• Create sales call, presentation and demonstration coaching success checklists
• Implement a Distributor sales team skills reinforcement program
• Become a productive part of Distributor sales meetings
• Role-play coaching a difficult and challenging salesperson

Distributor Sales Strategies

• Devise strategies to re-orient distributors who fail to meet their commitments
• Learn way to upgrade distributors’ professional selling skills
• Ensure marketing materials, logos, pricing, policies and support conform to company standards
• Practice methods of discussing difficult and sensitive issues with company owners 

What’s Included and Additional Options  

This Program Typically Includes

• Pre-workshop interviews, sales skills assessment and customized sales training program design
• Pre-workshop management meeting to solidify workshop agenda and content
• Professional instruction and facilitation by experienced sales training speakers and course authors
• Workbook/reference manual, prizes and all course materials
• Best sales training materials, strategies, skills and tools
• Small-group role-plays, feedback and coaching
• Highly-interactive format using accelerated learning techniques
• More than ten group exercises, skits and case studies
• Five different games and contests
• Four role-plays
• Over 20 illustrative stories, jokes and anecdotes
• Post-workshop reinforcement and application plan

Client-Specific Sales Tools Developed in this Program

• Ideal distributor profile
• A, B, C ranking criteria
• Prospecting call opening
• Decision maker call opening
• Distributor sales planning process
• Distributor program enhancement
• Arms-length sales management plan

Workshop Modules That Can Be Added

• Phone day program (on-the-phone prospecting)
• Networking and social networking
• Presentation skills
• Negotiation skills
• Selling against the competition
• Sales management training seminar
• Sales team coaching programs

Program Options and Upgrades

• Sales process development, testing and implementation
• Corporate sales consulting
• Salesperson certification and certification process
• Content-related pre and post training exams
• Course completion certificates and reference cards
• Channel Sales Training instructor manual, course license and train-the-trainer program

All Rights Reserved.  The Sales Alliance Inc.  San Diego, California.