Sharing a current customer story for an account in a similar industry as the prospect is an approach that can help the sales rep educate the prospect about their offerings and solutions. A customer story is a testimonial or case study that showcases how the sales rep’s solution helped a customer achieve their goals, overcome their challenges, and improve their situation. A customer story can help the prospect relate to the solution, understand its value, and trust its credibility.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/customer-stories/#customer-stories-tips

Professional competency is the ability to demonstrate knowledge and skills that are relevant and valuable to the customer. By collecting and processing information on products, competitors, and industries, a sales rep can show their expertise, credibility, and confidence in providing solutions that meet the customer’s needs and expectations. References:https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/modules/sales-representative-certification-prep/sales-representative-certification-prep-prepare-for-your-exam

A challenge that the sales rep could encounter when developing the scope of a sales solution for a new customer who has provided an abundance of information about their company’s goals and objectives is the available discounts and payment terms to offer to the customer. The sales rep needs to balance the customer’s budget and expectations with the company’s profitability and policies. The sales rep also needs to consider the competitive landscape, the value proposition, and the customer’s decision criteria. The sales rep should consult with their manager or team to determine the best pricing strategy and negotiation tactics for the deal. References: [Sales Rep Training: Negotiate and Close], [Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative: Negotiate and Close]

The customer role that the sales rep should meet with to address the concerns about a liability risk is legal. Legal is the customer role that is responsible for reviewing and approving the contractual terms and conditions, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and mitigating any potential risks or liabilities. The sales rep should consult with their own legal team and work collaboratively with the customer’s legal team to resolve any issues or objections, and to finalize the agreement. References: [Sales Rep Training: Negotiate and Close], [Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative: Negotiate and Close]

Create is the phase of the sales process where this deal is when the sales rep is working to understand a prospect’s pain points, desired outcomes, and emotional drivers. Create is the phase where the sales rep presents and demonstrates how their product can address the prospect’s pain points and needs, and deliver tangible benefits and outcomes. Create is also where the sales rep builds rapport and trust with the prospect by showing empathy and understanding of their emotional drivers.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-process/#sales-process-stages

The create phase of the sales process is where the sales representative works to understand the prospect’s pain points, desired outcomes, and emotional drivers. This phase involves asking open-ended questions, conducting discovery sessions, and identifying the prospect’s challenges and goals. The create phase helps the sales representative to build rapport and trust with the prospect, and to uncover the value proposition and the solution fit for their needs. References:

• Sales Rep Training: Define the Scope of a Solution, unit “Use Discovery to Understand Customer Needs”.
• Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative, unit “Define the Scope of a Solution”.

The stage in the sales process where a sales representative delivers a proposal and checks in with the prospect on the perceived value and alignment is typically known as the "Confirm" stage. During this phase, the sales rep seeks to ensure that the proposal meets the prospect's needs and expectations, and that there is a mutual understanding of the value the solution offers. This step is crucial for moving towards closing the sale, as it involves resolving any outstanding questions or concerns and solidifying the prospect's commitment to proceeding. Salesforce outlines various stages in the sales process, and the confirmation stage is critical for validating that both parties are aligned before finalizing the deal.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are detailed instructions that describe how to perform a specific task or process. SOPs help to ensure consistency, quality, and compliance in fulfilling orders for different customers.References:https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/modules/salesforce-essentials-basics/salesforce-essentials-sales-process

Realized value is the difference between the expected value and the actual value that the customer receives from using the solution. If the customer is experiencing issues with the solution, the sales rep should reassess the customer’s expected value based on the current situation, identify any gaps or discrepancies, and work with the customer to resolve them and ensure their satisfaction.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/customer-success/#customer-success-metrics

Identifying potential trigger events as the reason to reach out to prospects is what the sales rep can do to gain their interest when assigned to high-value prospects. A trigger event is an occurrence or change that creates an opportunity or need for a product or service, such as amerger, expansion, launch, etc. Identifying trigger events helps to show relevance, timeliness, and value to the prospects, as well as to capture their attention and curiosity.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/lead-generation/#lead-generation-strategies

Leveraging additional expertise and resources is why collaborating with departments such as marketing and service is crucial to generating a new pipeline. A pipeline is a set of opportunities or potential customers that a sales rep is pursuing or managing in order to close sales. Collaborating with marketing and service helps to access their knowledge, skills, and tools that can help the sales rep generate more leads, nurture more prospects, and close more deals.

Asking open-ended questions to understand the prospect’s challenges and goals is the approach that the sales rep should take during a discovery conversation with a prospect. A discovery conversation is a conversation that helps to uncover information about the prospect’s situation, needs, pain points, and objectives. Asking open-ended questions is an effective way to elicit detailed and meaningful responses from the prospect, as well as to show interest and empathy for their challenges and goals.

Offering promotional discounts is a way to convince an indecisive customer to find the solution invaluable and close the contract by creating a sense of urgency, exclusivity, and reciprocity. Promotional discounts can motivate the customer to act quickly before they miss out on a good deal, as well as make them feel special and appreciated for choosing your solution.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-promotion/#sales-promotion-examples

Extending a free trial is a good way to convince an indecisive customer to close the contract, as it allows them to experience the value of the solution firsthand and overcome any doubts or objections. A free trial also creates a sense of urgency and scarcity, as the customer knows that they have a limited time to take advantage of the offer. By extending a free trial, the sales rep can demonstrate confidence in the solution and show the customer that they are willing to accommodate their needs and preferences. References:

• Turn Undecided Customers into Successful Sales - Upnify, section “Offer guarantees and flexible policies”.
• How to Handle Indecisive Customers? - Bitrix24, section “Offer a free trial or a money-back guarantee”.

Appreciating the customer's time is a communication approach that fosters trust by acknowledging and respecting the value of their time. This approach involves being punctual for meetings, ensuring communications are concise and relevant, and expressing gratitude for their engagement. Building trust with customers is foundational to long-term relationships, and demonstrating respect for their time is a tangible way to show that their needs and priorities are taken seriously. Salesforce highlights the importance of trust in customer relationships and recommends practices that contribute to a respectful and professional interaction.

Proactively engaging with the customer to renew or expand the contract is how the sales rep should adapt their sales activities to address the upcoming end-of-contract period for a key customer. Proactively engaging means reaching out to the customer before the contract expires, and initiating a conversation about their satisfaction, needs, and goals. This helps to build trust and loyalty, demonstrate value and differentiation, and identify opportunities to renew or upsell the contract.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/account-management/#account-management-renewals

Earning a deeper level of trust and access to decision makers within the customer’s organization is important for a sales representative in the context of deal management, because it can help the sales rep to enhance their understanding of the customer’s needs, challenges, goals, and preferences. This can enable the sales rep to tailor their solution and value proposition to the customer’s specific situation, and address any objections or concerns that may arise during the sales process. It can also help the sales rep to influence the decision makers and persuade them to choose their solution over the competitors’. Increasing the sales rep’s personal network and influence or gaining access to information about the customer’s competitors are not the best answers, because they are not directly related to the customer’s needs, which are the primary focus of deal management. The sales rep should use their network and influence to support the customer’s needs, not their own. The sales rep should also focus on differentiating their solution from the competitors’, rather than obtaining information about them. References: Certification - Sales Representative - Trailhead, [Sales Rep Training: Create Effective Selling Habits - Trailhead]

Sharing a customer success story is a powerful way to convince a contact to make an introduction to the decision maker, as it demonstrates the value and credibility of the sales rep’s solution. A customer success story should include the following elements: the customer’s challenge, the solution they implemented, and the results they achieved. The sales rep should also tailor the story to match the contact’s industry, role, and pain points, and highlight how the solution can help them achieve their goals. By sharing a customer success story, the sales rep can create a sense of urgency and curiosity in the contact, and motivate them to introduce the sales rep to the decision maker who can benefit from the solution as well. References:

• Sales Rep Training: Create Effective Selling Habits, unit “Use Customer Success Stories to Sell with Value”.
• Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative, unit “Close Deals with Value”.

 Analyzing the potential deal size and decision makers’ authority is the best strategy to increase the pipeline health, because it can help the sales rep to prioritize the most valuable and likely opportunities, and focus on influencing the key stakeholders who can approve the purchase. This can increase the average deal size and the win rate, and ultimately help the sales rep to achieve their quota. Being patient or challenging the manager are not effective strategies, because they do not address the root cause of the low pipeline volume, and may result in missed targets or reduced motivation. The sales rep should take proactive actions to improve their pipeline quality and quantity, and seek feedback and guidance from their manager if needed. References: Certification - Sales Representative - Trailhead, [Sales Rep Training: Create Effective Selling Habits - Trailhead]

According to the Salesforce Sales Representative Learning objectives, the proposal stage is the next step after the demo stage, where the sales rep should summarize the customer’s needs, present the value proposition, and address any objections or concerns. The proposal stage is also where the sales rep should negotiate the terms and conditions of the deal, and ask for the customer’s commitment to buy. References:

• Sales Rep Training: Create Effective Selling Habits
• Sales Pipeline Stages: A Visual Guide

Promoting a prospect’s content on social media is a customer-centric approach that can be used by the sales rep to engage with a prospect at a greenfield account on a digital platform, because it shows that the sales rep is interested in the prospect’s work and values their expertise. This can help to build rapport and trust with the prospect, and create an opportunityfor further conversation and relationship building. Upselling to a prospect at an existing account or sending an email with content links to a prospect are not customer-centric approaches, because they are more focused on the sales rep’s own goals and interests, rather than the prospect’s. Upselling to a prospect at an existing account is not relevant to a greenfield account, which is a new account with no prior relationship or history with the sales rep or the company. Sending an email with content links to a prospect may be seen as spammy or intrusive, and may not capture the prospect’s attention or interest. References: Certification - Sales Representative - Trailhead, Sales Rep Training: Customer Engagement - Trailhead

During the prospecting stage, a sales representative identifies and reaches out to potential leads to assess their interest and fit for the company's offerings. Completing a qualification call with new leads at this stage is crucial to understanding their pain points, needs, and whether the company's solutions can meet those needs. This step is essential for efficiently allocating resources to leads with the highest potential for conversion. Salesforce emphasizes the importance of effective prospecting and qualification processes to ensure sales efforts are focused on the most promising opportunities.

Routinely scrubbing pipeline records and consistently dispositioning deals is a best practice that the sales reps can use to satisfy management and maintain a healthy pipeline. Scrubbing pipeline records means reviewing and updating the status, accuracy, and quality of the opportunities in the pipeline. Dispositioning deals means moving the opportunities to the next stage, closing them as won or lost, or removing them from the pipeline. These practices help to ensure that the pipeline reflects the reality of the sales situation, as well as to identify and prioritize the most promising opportunities.References: https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-pipeline/#sales-pipeline-management

Stage velocity is the pace a deal moves from one stage to another in a sales pipeline. It is a measure of how quickly and efficiently a sales representative can move an opportunity from the initial contact to the final close. Stage velocity can help the sales representative to forecast more accurately, identify and remove any bottlenecks or obstacles, and optimize their sales process. The number of stages an opportunity must go through or the average length of a customer’s contract are not the correct definitions of stage velocity, although they may affect it. The number of stages may vary depending on the complexity and size of the deal, and the average length of a customer’s contract may depend on the type and value of the solution. References: Certification - Sales Representative - Trailhead, [Sales Rep Training: Create Effective Selling Habits - Trailhead]

Co-creating strategies based on confirmed challenges is what customer-centric discovery allows a sales rep to do, in addition to learning more about customers. Customer-centric discovery is the process of asking questions and listening to customers to understand their situation, needs, goals, and challenges. Co-creating strategies means working with customers to design and propose solutions that can address their confirmed challenges and deliver value and outcomes. Co-creating strategies helps to build trust and rapport, demonstrate expertise and differentiation, and influence purchase decisions.

Developing a targeted plan and coordinating a series of touchpoints is a way to ensure the largest return on investment for attending a conference by maximizing the opportunities to connect with potential prospects, customers, and partners. A targeted plan should include identifying the goals, audience, and message for the conference, as well as scheduling meetings, events, and follow-ups with key contacts.References: https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-conference/#sales-conference-tips

According to the Salesforce Sales Representative Learning objectives, one of the skills that a sales rep should have is to ensure customer satisfaction through streamlined fulfillment and order management. This includes collaborating with internal teams to handle any special requests or requirements from the customer, such as tax, shipping, or billing issues. By working closely with the relevant departments, the sales rep can ensure that the customer’s tax requirements are met and that the order is processed correctly. This will also help to avoid any delays, errors, or disputes that could affect the customer’s experience and satisfaction. References:

• [Sales Rep Training: Prepare Your Team to Sell Successfully], Unit 4: Manage the Order Process
• Salesforce Certified Sales Representative Exam Guide, Section 5: Fulfillment and Order Management, Objective 5.2: Given a scenario, demonstrate how to handle special requests or requirements from the customer.

Cold calling is the process of contacting potential customers who have not expressed any prior interest in your product or service. Cold calling can be a challenging but rewarding task for sales representatives, as it can help them generate new leads and opportunities. One of the benefits of cold calling is that phone calls provide immediate feedback whether the lead is worth pursuing or not. Unlike other methods of contact, such as email or social media, phone calls allow the sales rep to gauge the level of interest, need, and urgency of the prospect, as well as to address any objections or questions they may have. Phone calls also enable the sales rep to establish rapport and trust with the prospect, and to move them along the sales process more quickly and effectively. References:

• Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative, unit “Generate Leads and Opportunities”
• [Sales Rep Training], unit “Prepare Your Team to Sell Successfully”

A summary is a closure practice that the sales rep should use to gain a commitment with a prospect who is in discussions with multiple vendors. A summary is a concise recap of thevalue proposition of the solution, highlighting how it addresses the prospect’s pain points and needs, and delivers tangible benefits and outcomes. A summary helps to reinforce the value of the solution, differentiate it from competitors, and persuade the prospect to take action.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-process/#close

Basing the pitch on discovery research into the prospect’s customers’ challenges is a way to build credibility with the prospect and increase the chances of a successful pitch. This shows that the sales rep has done their homework, understands the prospect’s business and market situation, and can provide solutions that can help them serve their customers better.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-pitch/#sales-pitch-tips

A statement of work is a document that the sales rep prepares to finalize a deal with the customer. A statement of work defines the scope, deliverables, timeline, and terms of the engagement between the sales rep’s company and the customer. A statement of work helps to clarify expectations, responsibilities, and obligations for both parties, as well as to prevent any misunderstandings or disputes.References: https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/statement-of-work/#statement-of-work-definition

Multi-channel is the strategy that supports an engagement solution that works seamlessly across all media. Multi-channel means using different communication channels (such as email, phone, social media, web chat, etc.) to reach and interact with customers and prospects. Multi-channel helps to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention by providing them with convenience, choice, and consistency.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/multichannel-marketing/#multichannel-marketing-definition

Asking questions to determine if they can get the deal back on track is the next step that the sales rep should take to address the objections from the customers after understanding their reasoning and negative emotional reaction. Asking questions helps to understand the root cause, scope, and impact of the objections, as well as to show empathy and respect for the customers’ concerns. Asking questions also helps to clarify any misunderstandings, provide relevant information, and propose solutions that address the objections.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-objections/#sales-objections-handling

Tracking which opportunities in their pipeline contain items that customers need for an event next month helps the sales rep manage risk by allowing them to expedite these deals if required. Expediting means accelerating or speeding up the delivery or completion of these deals to meet the customer’s urgent or specific needs. Expediting helps to ensure customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, as well as to increase revenue and profitability.References:https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/sales-pipeline/#sales-pipeline-management

A cold call is a phone call to a potential customer who has not expressed any prior interest in your product or service. The key elements of a successful cold call are a compelling hook and open-ended questions. A compelling hook is a brief statement that captures the attention of the prospect and shows them how your product or service can solve their problem or meet their need. Open-ended questions are questions that require more than a yes or no answer, and that encourage the prospect to share more information about their situation, goals, challenges, and preferences. By using a compelling hook and open-ended questions, you can engage the prospect, build rapport, qualify them as a lead, and move them to the next stage of the sales process. References:

• Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative, unit “Generate Leads and Opportunities”
• [Sales Rep Training], unit “Prepare Your Team to Sell Successfully”

Whether the lead has sufficient buying power is the relevant information that the job title typically indicates about the lead to the sales rep. A lead is a prospect who has shown interest in the product or service that the sales rep offers. A job title is a designation or position that a person holds in an organization or company. A job title helps to indicate whether the lead has sufficient buying power, which means that they have the authority or influence to make a purchase decision or approve a budget for the product or service.