Sales Chaos: Using Agility Selling to Think and Sell Differently
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  • Wiley

More About This Title Sales Chaos: Using Agility Selling to Think and Sell Differently

English

What if chaos is good? What if random complexity is not the enemy, but a competitive asset instead? Could it be possible to thrive in the chaos, to actually harness it during your sales conversations?

Sales Chaos is a groundbreaking book that outlines a new paradigm that applies the latest research and the scientific principles of chaos theory to the challenges facing today's sales professional. The result of this philosophy creates a whole new approach to business, one in which sales conversations are driven by relevance, not simple activity. It's called Agility Selling.

Agility Selling is not a sales technique. Nor is it a sales process. While techniques and processes have value, Agility Selling is bigger than that. It is a genuinely fresh approach to selling, birthed by chaos and grounded in science. Agility Selling is a methodology designed to help you identify repeatable and predictable patterns in the complex world of selling so that you can consistently be more relevant than your competition and create more value for your clients.

It doesn't matter if you are new to sales or a seasoned professional; Sales Chaos provides the key information any seller should know to turn the scientific theory of Agility Selling into more relevant sales conversations and bottom-line sales results.

Learn more about the practices behind the book at www.saleschaos.com

English

Tim Ohai, M.S., is the founder and president of Growth & Associates, a consulting group that focuses on solving sales and marketing problems for global and local companies, with an emphasis on changing the behaviors that drive success.

Brian Lambert, Ph.D., is a senior analyst with Forrester Research, serving technology sales enablement professionals in large- to mid-sized companies as they work to bridge the gap between go-to-market strategy and individual action with portfolio, marketing, and sales focused initiatives designed to drive relevant buyer outcomes.

English

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Section 1: Thinking Differently.

Chapter 1: Chaos Reigns.

Introduction.

Taking Inventory.

Chaos-The Final Frontier.

Understanding the Chaos.

Understanding the Complexity.

Introducing the Three Forces of Complexity.

Force 1: The Force of the Non-Linear.

Force 2: The Force of Full-Value.

Force 3: The Force of Community.

Using These Forces to Overcome Complexity.

Three Choices All Salespeople Need to Make.

The Demographic Shift in Sales.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Sales Chaos: Butterflies.

Introduction.

How the Complexity Works.

The Need for Theory.

Chaos Theory—Sensitivity to Initial Conditions.

The Butterfly Effect.

The Butterfly Effect—Sales Version.

Butterflies Are Everywhere.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 3: Fundamentals of Sales Chaos: Anchor Points.

Introduction.

The Power of the Non-Linear Forces.

Finding the Patterns.

Introduction to the Anchor Points.

The Impact of the Anchor Points.

Anchor Point 1: Sales Fundamentals.

Anchor Point 2: Sales Processes.

Anchor Point 3: Sales Relationships.

Anchor Point 4: Sales Technology.

Using Anchor Points to See Patterns.

The Order Matters: Securing the Anchor Points.

The Non-Linear Reality of Business.

Making Agile Adjustments.

Continuous Improvement.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 4: Fundamentals of Sales Chaos: Snowflakes.

Introduction.

Recognizing Value in the Chaos.

Introduction to Snowflakes.

Customers Are Like Snowflakes.

The Full Value Experience—Understanding Each Snowflake.

Element 1: Discovering Value.

Element 2: Positioning Value.

Element 3: Delivering Value.

Why the Traditional Sales Process Doesn't Work.

Order from the Chaos.

Embrace the Chaos.

Hello, Non-Linear Customer!

Shift Your Thinking: From Process to Experience.

An Example of the Full Value Experience.

A Quick Test: Recognizing Full Value.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 5: A Recap of Thinking Differently.

Review: Sales Chaos.

Review: Complexity.

Review: Butterflies.

Review: Anchor Points.

Review: Snowflakes.

Which Way Will You Go?

Making It Stick.

Section 2: Selling Differently, Rule 1.

Chapter 6: The Agility Selling Methodology.

Introduction.

The Challenge.

The Evolution of Professional Selling.

Pattern Recognition—The Key to Agility.

Changing Your Approach.

The History of Agility Selling.

Defining Agility Selling.

The Two Rules of Agility Selling.

Rule 1: Focus on Your Skills.

Rule 2: Focus on Justifying Full Value.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 7: The Four Habits of Agile Sellers.

Introduction.

Overview of Selling Skills.

Overcoming Obstacles to Skill.

The Emerging Definition of Sales Professionalism.

Introducing the Four Habits of Agile Sellers.

The Impact of the Four Habits.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 8: Habit 1: Influencing Others.

Introduction.

Conformity.

Motivation.

Managing Influence.

Choosing Your battles.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 9: Habit 2: Generating Insight.

Introduction.

The Importance of Insight.

Insight Overriding the Sales Process.

Basics of Gaining Insight.

Challenge Your Assumptions.

Expand Your Perspective.

Multiple Sources: Gaining Insight.

Insight and Snowflakes.

Insight and Forces of Complexity.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 10: Habit 3: Executing Your Plan.

Introduction.

Execution Defined.

Why Execution Is Important.

Why Your Customers Expect Execution.

Three Steps to Execution.

Responding to Chaos with Execution.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 11: Habit 4: Building Credibility.

Introduction.

Personal Effectiveness = Credibility.

The Importance of Credibility.

Balance.

The First Demonstration of Balance.

The Second Demonstration of Balance.

Checking Your Balance.

Checking Your Credibility.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 12: Navigating the Chaos with Agility.

Introduction.

Review: Agility Selling.

The Two Rules of Agility Selling.

The Four Habits of Agile Sellers.

Making It Stick.

Section 3: Selling Differently, Rule 2.

Chapter 13: Justifying Full Value.

Introduction.

Why Full Value Is Important.

Blending Expectations and Alternatives.

The Six Expectations.

The Six Alternatives.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 14: The Six Buyer Expectations and How to Manage Them.

Introduction.

The Six Expectations.

Satisfaction.

Cost.

Appeal.

Quality.

Efficiency.

Accountability.

Managing Buyer Expectations.

Assessing Your Ability to Manage Expectations.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 15: The Six Alternatives and How to Leverage Them.

Introduction.

Negotiation.

Buyers' Alternatives.

Sellers' Alternatives.

Using Alternatives.

Unexpected Alternatives.

Shifting Alternatives.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 16: Blending Expectations and Alternatives to Justify Value.

Introduction.

Two Ways to Blend.

Blending Expectations and Alternatives for Impact.

Leveraging Shifts and Triggers.

Repositioning.

Transforming Sales Conversations.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 17: Justifying Value with Agility.

Introduction.

Review: Agility Selling.

Justify Full Value.

Six Buyer Expectations.

Six Alternatives.

Blending Expectations and Alternatives.

Making It Stick.

Section 4: Agility Selling in Action.

Chapter 18: Agile Sales Conversations.

Introduction.

Changing Your Behavior.

Focusing on the Sales Conversation.

Agile Sales Conversations.

Discover Value Questions.

Position Value Questions.

Deliver Value Questions.

Making It Stick.

Chapter 19 Conclusion.

Introduction.

A Single Thought.

Patterns Are Your Friend.

Agility Selling Rules Revisited.

Rule 1.

Rule 2.

Thinking and Selling Differently—Now What?

Getting Started.

What to Do If Your Manager Doesn't Get It.

What to Do If Your Organization Doesn't Support It.

The Good News.

References.

About the Authors.

Index.

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