Stringboard vs Pipeline CRMs
Stringboard vs Pipeline CRMs
Who is Stringboard really built for?
- Sales Leaders
Why do Sales Leaders Love Stringboard?
- To help their teams close complex enterprise sales more effectively in consultative sales environments
What Kind of Products or Services are best sold with Stringboard?
- Complex products with bespoke engagement models
- High cost service engagements
- Deep consultative sales models
- Ongoing Relationship Management
Key Outcomes for Sales Teams with Complex High Cost Products or Services with Stringboard
- Visually Identify powerful decision-makers who can make or influence purchase decisions
- Teach your sales team to develop informal relationships to gather the intel that will help them close more deals
- Build detailed observational profiles of your key contacts at your target accounts so you can capture the critical human intelligence other sales teams miss
- Work with your team to understand and predict the buying decision making group behaviour that leads to winning major business
- Strategically navigate office politics at your target clients, with the ability to track and leverage key champions, relationships, and sub-networks
- Hit sales targets without costly delays and wasted resources – stop getting blindsided by hidden office politics at your target client organisations
Who are Pipeline CRMs really built for?
- Management teams
Why do Management use Pipeline CRMs?
- To predict revenue across large field sales forces and enforce standardised sales playbooks
What Kind of Products or Services are best sold with Pipeline CRMs?
- Simple low cost products with repeatable playbooks
- Low cost service engagements
- Transactional sales model
- Short sales cycles
- Zero value for salespeople in filling in the Pipeline CRM systems – These tools track revenue realisation, but does nothing to actually help sales teams sell
- Difficult for sales leaders to offer strategic guidance on major accounts, with little to no visibility of the political dynamics within the accountr
Selling with a Pipeline CRM Tool vs Selling with Stringboard: A Tale of Two Enterprise Sellers
Jon and his Enterprise Sales Pipeline CRM tool
Part 1: Enterprise Salesperson gets a Fresh Lead from Marketing
Jon emails Fred in Marketing Team
Fred agrees to meet for a Coffee
Jon learns for this kind of sale, Daniel from IT, Sally from the Business and the CEO will need to be Involved in the decision
Fred lets Daisy know he has to run to his Daughter Jessica’s Clarinet practice
Jon creates a new opportunity in the Pipeline CRM and marks it as a “Qualified Opportunity”
Jon adds Fred and Daniel’s email addresses as contacts in the Pipeline CRM
Part 2: Presentation to the IT Team
Fred Arranges Initial Presentation to Daniel in IT.
Daniel is willing to learn, but says he needs to think about how the purchase fits into the IT Team’s priorities for the year.
Jon updates Pipeline CRM to move the deal forward into “Needs Analysis” Stage 2 in his pipeline
Part 3: Blocked, Closed Lost
Daniel blocks the deal on the basis of IT team priorities for the year
Fred is disappointed, and says he is very sorry it didn’t work out
Jon marks the deal “Closed Lost” in the CRM
Act 2: Daisy Finds A Better Way with Stringboard
Part 1: Enterprise Salesperson gets a Fresh Lead from Marketing and Discovers useful intel
Daisy emails Fred in Marketing Team
Fred agrees to meet for a Coffee Daisy learns for this kind of sale, Daniel from IT, Sally from the Business and the CEO will need to be involved in the decision
Fred lets Daisy know he has to run to his Daughter Jessica’s Clarinet practice
Daisy creates a Stringboard on her phone on the way home
In her profile for Fred, she notes his Daughter plays Clarinet.
She adds Sally, Daniel and Erica to her Stringboard, and marks them as part of the Decision Making Group
Part 2: Presentation to the IT Team
Fred arranges initial Presentation to Daniel in IT
Daisy surprises Fred with some Clarinet sheet music she had from her old school for Jessica
Fred is very impressed Daisy remembered Jessica’s practice
Daniel is willing to learn, but needs to think about how the purchase fits into his priorities for the year
Daisy updates Stringboard, upgrading Fred to a Champion for the deal
Daisy Marks Daniel as a Neutral
Daisy highlights what she has learned about the good relationship between Fred and Sally as a channel to influence Sally
Part 3: Blocked, Enterprise Salesperson Daisy Finds a New Path to Close the Deal with Stringboard
Daniel blocks the deal on the basis of IT team priorities for the year
Fred is disappointed, but suggests to Daisy that he also has a great relationship with Sally from the Business Team who might be able to help
Fred has lunch with Sally from the business, she’s interested
Fred lets Daisy know lunch went well, and to expect a call from Sally
Daisy updates her Stringboard, noting that Daniel is a blocker to the deal, and adding Fred and Sally’s lunch as a key event
Daisy marks that Sally is a supporter, and might be the path forward to close the deal
Part 4: A Hidden Relationship Comes in Handy for Enterprise Salesperson Daisy to Close her Biggest Deal
Sally meets together with Daisy, she shares that she knows Phil the General Manager has money left in the budget before the end of the financial year
Sally also lets Daisy know that her kids and Phil’s play football in the same team most weekends
Sally raises Daisy’s proposal with Phil on the sideline
Phil is sold, agrees to present to CEO and influence Daniel
Sally sends Daisy a quick text message to let her know the good news
Daisy updates her Stringboard, adding Phil as a key player
Daisy adds the hidden relationship between Sally and Phil through their kids football team so she can clearly show her manager the pathway to close the sale
Part 5: Enterprise Sale Closed Won with Stringboard
Key Decision Makers are all on board
Erica the CEO, Daniel and Sally sign off on Purchase
Sally’s manager shares her Stringboard with the whole sales team to show how closing complex enterprise sales is done right