Managing Competition

The Value Map

A critical success factor in sales achievement is the ability to play the role of strategist. Salespeople who know their competitors' approaches and have strategies to outmanoeuvre the competition provide their own organisation with a source of advantage. Salespeople must be able to analyse a competitive situation and select the right strategy to compete and win.

The Managing Competition module of the Sales Advantage Series helps high-performing salespeople learn how to outmanoeuvre the competition. In this module, sales professionals learn about the competitive landscape using The Value Map™. This tool will help them assess their value and their competitors’ value from the customer's point of view.

In Managing Competition, salespeople learn how to leverage The Value Map™ to anticipate competitors' strategies and execute effective competitive strategies. Salespeople will understand the importance of evidence to support their competitive strategies. They also learn how to adapt strategies to minimise the impact of competitors' moves.

Programme Outcomes

Managing Competition helps salespeople see the selling organisation as the customer sees it relative to competitors. It also teaches salespeople how to implement a competitive strategy that aligns the selling organisation closer to the customer than the competition's strategy does.

Approach

Wilson Learning believes that learning must be transferred to day-to-day work practices. To achieve this, Managing Competition includes components and activities that address the following factors:

Participant Readiness: Prepares salespeople for the overall learning experience; pre-workshop communication and an online learning module set the context for learning.

Learning Design: The half-day module equips salespeople with strategies and tools to provide advantage to the selling organisation. The module uses real accounts for practice and planning.

Sustaining Learning: An optional Extended Learning System supports the transfer of learning to work performance and an optional half-day custom application session provides expert consulting on specific sales opportunities.

Enabling Improved Performance

Sales Advantage Series modules feature application, reinforcement and support tools. These tools ensure that salespeople can hone newly acquired skills and behaviours back on the job. Involving sales managers early and training them to coach for improved performance is also fundamental to successful implementation.

To discover how we ensure learning is reinforced and applied for improved performance, see our Learning Transfer Approach.

Measurement

Organisations that implement the Sales Advantage Series also have access to Wilson Learning measurement and impact evaluation tools. The application session can serve as a leading indicator of behaviour change and potential results. Account planning and coaching tools indicate and demonstrate progress with strategically important accounts.

We are committed to helping you succeed. We will work with you to set up measurement systems to help move desired change forward and sustain the momentum of your implementation.

Learn more about our Measurement and Evaluation Services.

Series Modules

The Sales Advantage Series modules introduce strategic approaches that equip your sales team to provide greater value to your customers and compete more effectively for business. The modules include:

Aligning Sales with Business Value
Conducting Strategic Business Calls: Discovering Critical Success Factors
Aligning with Customer Buying Behaviours
Creating Differentiated Offerings
Managing Opportunities
Managing Decisions
Managing Competition

Modules can be taken independently or as a complete series over time. Participants complete pre-work for each module to better leverage session activities that bring the concepts to life through reflection, case work and application of new tools. Salespeople also work on their own client opportunities to advance their understanding and use of the tools.

This offering, like all others from Wilson Learning, can be customised to reflect your sales environment and business priorities and can be integrated with your sales process.