Countering Supplier Strategy with Effective Messaging

The second of three sessions in our Deal Leader Certification Track, IT Deal Strategies, Tactics and Messaging will focus on how to counteract supplier incumbency by identifying prevailing strategies, predicting supplier tactics and developing messaging plans to counteract them with in the sales process.

Identify Sales Strategies & Tactics, Then Neutralize Them

This course will allow you to identify supplier sales strategies and develop messaging which will neutralize them. Traditional
negotiation training often fails to identify, create and exploit leverage in cross-functional buying situations. This enables
suppliers to control spending events and consistently outperform enterprise buyers. By focusing on messaging which motivates
the sales team and clearly outlines leverage, buyers can regain control in their negotiations.

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Key Learning Objectives

• Learn how to identify the prevailing IT supplier sales strategies

• Understand suppliers’ deal approval process and the role of the forecast

• Anticipate the tactics a supplier will use to support their sales strategy

• Use frameworks to develop messages that influence the forecast and change the dynamics of a deal

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Approach​

The course combines interactive discussions and self-guided work built on real world case studies, actual contract examples,
and real supplier situations including Microsoft, Oracle, and Salesforce. Participants will return to their organizations with tools
in hand to improve execution on their next deal. Frameworks and worksheets include:

Sales Strategy Identification

Buyer Leverage Assessment

Sales Tactics Identification

Sales Tactics Neutralization

Buyer Message Development

Sample Agenda

Module 1: Supplier Strategy

• Introduction to Supplier Strategy - Discussion

• Strategy Identification - Workshop

• Workshop Output - Discussion

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Module 2: Tactics & Execution

• Tactics Supporting Strategy - Discussion

• Strategy & Execution - Workshop

• Workshop Output - Discussion

Module 3: Neutralizing Playbooks

• Supplier Strategy Playbooks - Discussion

• Neutralizing Supplier Playbooks - Workshop

• Workshop Output - Discussion

Module 4: Effective Messaging

• Messaging & the Role of the Sales Funnel - Discussion

• Messaging to Impact the Sales Funnel - Discussion

• Measuring Messaging Effectiveness - Workshop

• Messaging for Specific Sales Scenarios - Workshop

"The strategy identification and messaging frameworks provided are tools I'll always keep within reach.  They allow me to quickly assess the situation, predict the supplier's sales strategy and begin to formulate my response."

VP of Infrastructure - Fortune 100 Retailer