The New Power Base Selling: Master The Politics, Create Unexpected Value and Higher Margins, and Outsmart the Competition

Moving Up the Sales Value Chain to Include Political Value

Assume that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in our theater example is the Situational Fox. His Personal Motivator is to enhance the perception among the senior executives, particularly the CEO, that the IT Department is more than a cost center; it can be a strategic business asset that drives new revenue. Because your POS solution supports this Personal Motivator, we will assume that the CIO is a Supporter. Do you have an opportunity to convert him to an Ally? This brings us back to the difference between expected value and Unexpected Value. The POS solution will provide solid but expected value, while the key to forming Allies often relies on your ability to offer Unexpected Value.

This is where a Stage IV Customer Advisor shines. As a member of a major software company, you realize that your company trains thousands of software developers each year. They use hotels and conference centers to conduct the training; however, you find out that your Technical Training Department does not care what type of venue you use as long as it fits within their budget. You then discover that your customer’s movie theaters sit vacant before noon every day of the year.

By combining that intel with your unconventional thinking, you approach the customer’s CIO with an idea as to how the two of you could convince your company to use the movie theaters each morning for the software training. Intrigued, the customer CIO agrees to collaborate ...