Microsoft Small Business Server 2003

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Microsoft Small Business Server 2003
Module ThreeSales Documentation Standing Out
in Your Paperwork
2
Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour
3
Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour
4
Defining a brand

• What is a brand?
• Personality, Values, Culture
• The promise you make to the customer
• The way you fulfill that promise.
• What impression do you leave in the mind of the
  consumer?

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Common brand principles

• Know your audience
• Innovate
• Live up to your brand image
• Keep it consistent
• Its not just about a tag line

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Identifying brands by values

• means Quality
• Taste, refreshment, sessionability.
• Quality, service, value and cleanliness
• Quality, taste, variety
• Familiarity, home, reliability

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So what are your values?

• Its important to think about how you are
  positioning your business, service or product
• Think about your target market in context of your
  brand values are they relevant?
• Consider your brand values.

Quality, Technology, Performance, Exclusivity
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Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour
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Applying your brand to sales documents
Lets look at this in the context of Contoso Ltd
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Identify your values

• Contoso Ltd 60-Second Pitch
• What do you do?
• Suitable customers
• Point of difference
• Brand values

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Create consistency

• Across all communication

Compliment Slips
Packaging
Billboards
Advertising
Transport
Stationery
Phone
Direct Mail
Faxes
Contracts
E-Mail
Web
Posters
Business Cards
Invoices
PR
Word of Mouth
Quotations
Office
Exhibitions
POS
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• Create consistency

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• Create consistency

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Maximise your message

• Co-ordinate everything
• Create templates
• Spread the word
• Designate a brand guardian
• Honour your brand promises

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Get a sanity check

• Are you maintaining consistency
• Are you moving with the trends?
• Take a look in the mirror
• What do your customers think?

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Your brand in action

• Treat customers with respect
• Be customer-focused, not customer-led
• Remember your place
• Build differentiation through ESPs
• If your own people dont get it
• Move with the times
• Stick with it

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Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour
18
Connecting with audiences

• What do you want to say?
• Lets go back to the four Ps of Sales

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Building your value proposition

• What do you want to say?
• Lets call this the 4 Cs!

What does this product or service do? Why should
I buy over a competitors? How can it save me
money? How soon? Why is it better than my current
solution? How easy would it be to change to this?
Consider the reason-why test
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Small Business Market

• Small Business lt 25 PCs or lt50 employees
• 3.8m UK Small Businesses
• 99.1 of all firms are Small
• 51,000 new start-ups in 2002
• All Small Firms are expecting revenue growth
• 46 expect to increase their IT budget in 2004

Source DTI Aug 03, AMI Partners Sept 03, Dec 03
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The Market Dynamics
Source AMI Partners Sept 2003
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What motivates a small business owner?

• 46 want independence
• Only 17 to make more money
• 80 to support a lifestyle
• Only 20 want to aggressively grow
• Only 7 want to be seen as innovators

Research Source DTI Owner/Manager research
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Connecting with Audiences

• Top Reasons for choosing supplier?
• Price
• Technical Capabilities
• Payment Options
• Referral
• Local

• What Information?
• Special Offers/Price Promotions 61
• Price Sensitive
• How to Information 53
• Guides/Instructions
• Product Comparisons 49

Source AMI Partners Dec 03
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Connecting with audiences
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Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour
26
Sales Paperwork in Action

• Brand consistency should permeate all levels of
  your business
• Sales letters
• Response to Enquiries
• Proposals and Cover Letters
• Commercial documents
• Quotes
• Invoices

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Features of a Sales Letter

• Refer to the 3-page guide constructing a sales
  letter

• 90 planning, 10 writing
• Get to the point quickly
• Personalise
• Agreement points
• Does it track effectively?
• Dont be too clever

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Features of Sales Proposal

• Refer to the template guide Sales Proposal
• Use a consistent format
• Executive summary
• Value and situation summary
• Make it unique
• Include testimonials
• Outline next steps
• Use a cover letter (refer to the guide entitled
  Proposal Cover Letter)

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Response to Enquiries
Refer to the template guide Response to
Enquiries

• Manage your response mechanisms
• Dont miss the opportunity to sell
• Include customer testimonials

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Commercial Documents
Refer to the template guides for quotations and
invoices

• Be clear and concise
• Provide enough explanation
• Use the opportunity
• Create a professional document

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Action Plan

• Review the Small Business Sales and Marketing
  Toolkit
• Read the Selling to Small Business Guide
• Visit www.microsoft.com/uk/partner and click on
  sales and marketing

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Module 3 Agenda
Module 1
Selling Technology to Small Businesses
1 hour
Module 2
Formalising the Sales Cycle

• Defining brand
• Applying your brand to sales documents
• Connecting with customers and prospects
• Sales paperwork in action

2 hours
Module 4
Microsoft SBS 2003 Technology Basics
30 minutes
Module 5
The Value of MS Small Business Server 2003
1 hour