Applying Design-Thinking to Sales with Ashley Welch - The Transaction - Ep #8
May 2, 2024
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Sales thought leader Ashley Welch discusses applying design-thinking to sales, emphasizing curiosity in customer interactions and co-creating solutions with buyers. The podcast highlights the importance of understanding the customer's broader ecosystem and fostering a mindset of innovation within the team through principles of design-thinking.
Prioritize curiosity in customer interactions to build trust and uncover deeper insights.
Shift from presenting solutions to co-creating with customers for tailored and engaging results.
Gain a deeper understanding of the customer ecosystem to develop strategic and impactful solutions.
Deep dives
The Importance of Curiosity in Sales Reps
Hiring sales reps with high curiosity levels is crucial for successful sales processes. Curious reps ask better questions, leading to deeper insights about customers. Encouraging curiosity through leadership and coaching enhances the quality of customer interactions, focusing on customer stories and motives.
Enhancing the Sales Process with Customer-Centricity
Adopting a customer-centric approach transforms the traditional sales process. Enabling sales reps to focus on understanding the customer's needs and motivations, rather than following rigid procedures, can lead to more effective and engaging sales interactions. Prioritizing customer-focused conversations and stories can improve forecasting accuracy and relationship building.
Incorporating Design Thinking in Sales Interactions
Implementing design thinking methodologies in sales processes can enhance creativity and problem-solving abilities. By starting with customer-centered insights, reps can co-create solutions with clients, leading to more tailored and impactful sales strategies. Design thinking encourages continuous learning, testing, and adaptation to meet evolving customer needs.
Expanding Stakeholder Engagement in Sales Enablement
Encouraging reps to consider stakeholders beyond the immediate decision-makers can deepen understanding and improve relationship building. Expanding on traditional stakeholder mapping to include customers of customers offers new insights into customer motivations and challenges, leading to more comprehensive sales strategies.
Promoting Collaboration and Curiosity in Partner Relationships
Fostering curiosity and collaboration in partner ecosystems can strengthen relationships and drive mutual value creation. Encouraging partners to understand their customers' needs and motivations aligns partner engagements with customer-centric approaches. Building strong partner relationships requires a focus on shared goals and customer-oriented sales tactics.
Please welcome a phenomenal sales thought leader that is bringing some much-needed fresh ideas to the world of B2B sales. Ashley Welch is the Co-Founder of Somersault Innovation and the author of Naked Sales. Ashley joins hosts Craig Rosenberg and Matt Amundson to discuss the core idea of “Selling by Design”, how to craft a collaborative co-creating process with your buyers, and why you need to know how to navigate your customer’s customer map.
Also, Craig gives an update on his son’s Instagram followers and Matt takes a sip of something scrumptious.
Takeaways:
Prioritize curiosity in customer interactions. Understanding the customer's needs, fears, and motivations through genuine inquiry can build stronger, trust-based relationships and uncover deeper insights into how to meet their needs effectively.
Shift from presenting solutions to co-creating them with customers. This approach not only makes the solution more tailored and relevant but also builds a sense of ownership and partnership with the customer, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
Push for a deeper understanding of the customer's broader ecosystem, including their end-users and other stakeholders. This comprehensive perspective can inform a more strategic and impactful solution that addresses wider organizational goals and challenges.
Foster a mindset of innovation and creative problem-solving within the team by adopting principles of design-thinking. Encourage them to always start with the customer perspective and iterate solutions based on feedback and changing requirements.
Chapters:
00:00 - BRIEF Final Four Recap from Junior Sports Correspondent, Craig Rosenberg
02:53 - Introducing Ashley Welch!
05:17 - Drink Break
05:29 - Does Expertise Trump Curiosity in Sales?
15:29 - Putting Yourself In The Customers' Shoes
22:12 - Deep-dive into Design Thinking in Sales
40:38 - Get More Creative With Your Discovery Process
43:53 - Creating Your Customer’s Customer Map
53:11 - 4 Doorways to Deeper Discussions with Prospects
Quote of the Show:
“At the end of the day, I think everybody just wants to feel loved and listened to. That is your job as a seller. Love them, listen to them.” - Ashley Welch
Sponsor:
Ringmaster Conversational Marketing - The Transaction is sponsored and produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through Branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/