Rethinking the Sales Cycle: How Superior Sellers Embrace the Buying Cycle to Achieve a Sustainable and Competitive Advantage

Align your selling methods with their buying habits for a win-win relationship! “The digital age has dramatically changed the selling profession. John Holland and Tim Young will bring you up to date on their new rules for a customer-centric approach.” —Al Ries, bestselling coauthor, War in the Boardroom Since its founding in 2002, CustomerCentric Selling, one of the world’s leading sales training firms, has dramatically changed how selling is viewed—from simply promoting a product to empowering customers to achieve goals or solve problems through the use of offerings. Today, buyers don’t want salespeople telling them what they want or need; they’ve already gone online and informed themselves—which makes the job of selling more difficult than ever. So how do you reestablish the relevance you previously took for granted? How, in the world of Web 2.0, can you develop long-term relationships with customers and maintain your competitive advantage? You must stop focusing squarely on the selling cycle—and pay closer attention to the buying cycle. In other words, learn how customers want to buy and align your selling techniques accordingly. In Rethinking the Sales Cycle , two leaders from CustomerCentric Selling provide the latest research into the buying cycle. They present a step-by-step model that helps you seize market share and hold it by understanding the five stages of the buying cycle. Learn how to: Interpret buying behavior at different stages Assess your competitive position based upon buyer behavior Read the impetus behind a buyer objection Merge your selling process with a buyer’s buying process Take a committee through a buying cycle to maximize the chance of consensus at the end When it comes to the buying cycle, today’s customers want control. You can give it to them when you have a selling strategy aligned with their behavior. It’s the best and perhaps only way to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive world. Rethinking the Sales Cycle gives you unprecedented insight into the mindset, emotions, and behaviors of buyers. Armed with this information, you will find the solutions you need to lead your organization to new heights of success.

Align your selling methods with their

buying habits for a win-win relationship!

“The digital age has dramatically changed the selling profession.

John Holland and Tim Young will bring you up to date on their new

rules for a customer-centric approach.”

—Al Ries, bestselling coauthor, War in the Boardroom

With the proliferation of social networking and other online platforms, you are no

longer in control of customers’ perceptions of your products or services. Only by

focusing on buyer behavior can you keep your competitive edge fresh and sharp.

Rethinking the Sales Cycle reveals how buyer behavior has changed and explains why traditional

sales approaches don’t work. You’ll gain critical insight into:

• The unprecedented power customers wield for

  building—or killing—your business

• The psychology of buyers and how it changes throughout

  the buying process

• Developing an organization-wide strategy that aligns your

  selling techniques to buyer behavior

With Rethinking the Sales Cycle, you will enjoy not only increased sales but, more

important, provide superior buying experiences—the foundation of a healthy, lasting

seller-buyer relationship.

John R. Holland is cofounder and principal

of CustomerCentric Selling®. His articles

have been published in Sales and Marketing

Executive Report, Selling Power, and American

Salesman.

Tim Young is CEO of CustomerCentric

Selling®. Earlier in his career, he served as

president of Harte-Hanks Marketing Services

before founding TECHMAR Communications,

which became one of the fastest-growing

private companies in America.

Power has moved to the buyer Odd couple Five stages of the B2B buying cycle Stage 1: Awareness and urgency Initiating the buying cylce Stage 2; rewards Stage 3: Preferences Stage 4: Reassurance Stage 5: Risk-the go/no-go buying decision Fostering a sales cultuure that facilitates buying How raditional selling conflicts with the new buying process Getting product marketing right Managing sales to facilitate the buying process MAGIC moments: creating a great customer experience Using a sales process to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Providing the latest research into the buying cycle; this guide gives you unprecedented insight into the mindset; emotions; and behaviors of buyers and will help you find the solutions you need to lead your organization to new heights of success. -- Edited summary from book