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Guide | Sales Stage 4: Validation Template

The validation stage is about building, sizing & presenting pricing proposals. Use this template to set your sales reps up for success.

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What is the validation stage of the sales cycle?

What is a Stage 4: Business Case & Proposal Opportunity?

You have confirmed with the prospect that your multi-threading technology is a solution that will solve their problem and now you are building a business case & proposal with solid ROI metrics. They intend to buy the solution, and the executive/economic buyer is aligned with a Company executive and on board with the decision to move forward.

👤 BUYER IS DOING: Internally evangelizing to all Decision makers that our Platform IS the solution, starting to submit our paperwork to legal and security review, allowing access to the buying team

Exit Criteria:

Seller Activities:

Customize the below template for your organization and surface this coaching directly where your reps are prospecting to drive pipeline with Spekit.

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Sales Resource | Master Proposal Deck

What is a Proposal Deck and when should it be used?

The proposal deck should be used during stage 4 of the sales cycle. It enables us to communicate our company's specific value to a specific prospect in a compelling, polished way. It helps us establish credibility and builds confidence in our product to accelerate momentum towards a closed won deal.

Why is a Proposal Deck important?

The proposal deck serves a few key purposes:

Differentiates our company from our competitors/alternatives
This grants us another opportunity to:
- Confirm their pain points, goals, and use cases
- Further, cement our partnership
- Counter any remaining objections and remove any blockers to the deal
- Set expectations with the prospect
- Establish our company as the right solution
Helps streamline the pre- to post-sales handoff by ensuring the prospect’s team (AE, CSM, Content, Support, etc.) is aligned and well-versed on the customers' needs, goals, and concerns.

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Words that close

1. SAY “APPROVED PRICE”

❌ In negotiations, most reps say list price or typical price or standard price - MAJOR no-no.

That language extends sales cycles by 19% when it’s used at any point in a deal. Saying list price TRIPLES the time you spend on pricing if it’s said in your first two sales calls.

✔️ Instead, say the approved price.

The buyer believes the price was set by someone else and can’t be changed.

2. USE “I” NOT “WE”

❌ Feels counterintuitive, right? Words like we and you are imperative in establishing connection and trust with your buyer. But once you hit negotiations, drop it.

✔️ Switch to “I’m pleased to offer you X price on our product.”

Buyers will happily push back against an organization when they hear “We have a great price for you.” They have a harder time pushing back against you as a person when you say, “I have a great price for you.”

3. TRY: CAN I BOUNCE A FEW THOUGHTS OFF YOU?

❌ When a buyer raises any issue during negotiations, don’t counter with “I have the perfect solution” or “Can I make a suggestion?” Those phrases put buyers on the defensive.

✔️ Before offering a solution, use this phrase: “Can I bounce a few thoughts off you?” It creates genuine openness in the buyer, so they want to hear what you have to say.

4. SAY SORRY, BUT ONLY IN THIS SITUATION

❌ Apologizing is a great tactic, just don’t ever apologize for your actual price. As in... never say, “I’m sorry the price seems high to you.”

✔️ Use apologies in negotiating phrases like, “I’m sorry. I want to offer you that number, but I’ve been told it’s not doable.”

If you apologize for the price, the buyer feels justified in balking at it. But using sorry in negotiations creates a mutual sense of empathy, and buyers will accept your final offer more easily if they empathize with your position.

5. USE THE ‘F‘ WORD

Before you’re too shocked to read on, we mean the word fair.

✔️ Top performers use the word fair ~1.7x in each deal. Average and low-performers - Just 0.2x.

Use a phrase like, “Would that be fair” in the end-stage of a deal to ask a question, handle an objection, get buy-in, or set the next steps.

Everyone wants to be perceived as fair, and be treated fairly. Say this word out loud to get agreement that it’s really happening. It’ll feel good for everyone.

6. ASK HOW MORE OFTEN

There’s nothing wrong with letting your buyer feel in control of negotiations.

❌ So when they ask for four free months and a 12% discount, don’t say no.

✔️ Give them the reins by asking them, “How am I supposed to do that? How can I ask my CFO to give you 30 days AND erase the implementation fee?”

It puts them in charge. And if they can’t give you a decent answer, it makes your predicament clear and helps them understand your position.

7. USE YOUR BUYER‘S WORDS

❌ Don't assume what your prospect is referencing

✔️ People reveal more than normal when they hear their own words said back to them... as a question. And that’s what you want from them — more information so you know which strategies will win a deal.

It’ll make sense when you read this:

Buyer: Our reps don’t handle objections well. They always fumble the ball and it’s really frustrating.

Sales rep: Fumble the ball?

Buyer: Yeah. They answer inconsistently, but we’re not sure why.

Sales rep: Inconsistently?

Buyer: Yes, I suppose that’s my big-picture problem: All my sales reps handle their calls differently. I can’t get them to stick to the approved narrative or process.

There you go. It’s everything you need to frame their problem and your solution. It elicits information from your buyer without directly asking for more information, which can sometimes make buyers clam up.

Source: Gong's Words That Close Cheat Sheet

Budget: Operation Expenses vs. Capital Expenses

Budget in any company falls into 2 main buckets: Operating Expenses (OpEx) and Capital Expenses (CapEx)

Operating Expenses:

These are the day-to-day expenses a company incurs to keep its business operational.

These expenses must be ordinary and customary costs for the industry in which the company operates. Companies report OPEX on their income statements and can deduct OPEX from their taxes for the year in which the expenses were incurred.

The following are common examples of operating expenses:

Rent and utilities
Wages and salaries
Accounting and legal fees
Overhead costs such as selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A)
Property taxes
Business travel
Interest paid on debt

OPEX also consists of research and development (R&D) expenses and the cost of goods sold (COGS). Operating expenses are incurred through normal business operations. The goal of any company is to maximize output relative to OPEX. In this way, OPEX represents a core measurement of a company's efficiency over time.

Capital Expenses:

These are major purchases a company makes that are designed to be used over the long term.

CapEx are purchases of significant goods or services that will be used to improve a company's performance in the future. Capital expenditures are typically for fixed assets like property, plant, and equipment (PP&E). For example, if an oil company buys a new drilling rig, the transaction would be a capital expenditure.

🔗 Operating Expenses vs Capital Expenses article

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Executive Alignment

Bringing up and achieving executive alignment during a sales call is crucial for ensuring a successful and smooth sales process.

Some steps and strategies to help you handle and bring up executive alignment on a Sales Call:

ROI Calculator Template

👇 Below is a template for an ROI (Return on Investment) calculator that you can customize to suit your specific product or service. This template will help your prospects estimate the potential financial benefits of implementing your solution.

[Your Company Logo] ROI Calculator: [Your Product/Service Name] Instructions: 1. Enter your current data in the "Current State" column. 2. Enter your projected data after implementing our solution in the "With [Your Solution]" column. 3. The calculator will automatically calculate the ROI and other financial metrics. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Metric | Current State | With [Your Solution] | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Total Annual Revenue | $ | $ | | Total Annual Costs | $ | $ | | Gross Margin | | | | (Revenue - Costs) | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Cost of [Your Solution] | $ | | | Implementation Expenses | $ | | | Training Costs | $ | | | Maintenance Fees | $ | | | Other Costs | $ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Net Annual Benefit | | | | (Gross Margin - [Your | | | | Solution Costs) | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ROI (%) | | | | (Net Annual Benefit / | | | | [Your Solution Costs]) x 100 | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Payback Period (months) | | | | (Total Costs / Net Annual | | | | Benefit) | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Breakeven Point | | | | (Months until ROI reached) | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Additional Notes or Assumptions:] [You can include any additional information or assumptions that were used in the calculations here.] This ROI calculator is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Actual results may vary based on specific circumstances. For a personalized ROI assessment or to discuss the potential benefits of [Your Solution] for your organization, please contact us at [Your Contact Information]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Running a pre-sales workshop template

Pre-sales workshops are a great way to engage with prospects, understand their needs, and showcase the value of your product or service. Here's a template you can use to outline the agenda and key details for running a pre-sales workshop.

Pre-Sales Workshop Agenda

AGENDA

Prospect security questionnaire

Instructions: This questionnaire is intended to gather information about your organization's security practices and protocols. Your responses will help us better understand your security requirements and ensure that our products/services align with your needs. Please provide detailed and accurate information for each question.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the Prospect Security Questionnaire. Your responses will help us tailor our offerings to meet your security requirements and ensure a successful partnership.

Please return this questionnaire to your designated contact at our organization or email it to [Your Email Address].

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

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Additional Resources:

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