1. Turbo charging the sales team
Best Practices

2. Delivering The Power of Now Since 1985
“TIBCO literally wrote the book on real-time information distribution, business organization, and business process.” (Gartner, September 6, 2001)
17 years of giving businesses The Power of Now
1,800 customers around the world
Proven best practices and vertical solutions
Proven technology and cutting-edge innovation
Rich ecosystem of solution and implementation partners
January 3, 2019

3. What do sales people need to succeed?
Expert support in the field
Fast response times from HQ
The right sales tools
Open communication channels with HQ
Partner participation
Proper training
Compelling demos
Recognition & guidance
Happy customers
January 3, 2019

4. “Walk a mile in their shoes”
Get out in the field
“Walk a mile in their shoes”
Spend quality time out on the road
Show your commitment to their success
Get to know them beyond specific work goals
Put that name to a face
Present to your customers face-to-face
Get direct feedback from your customers
Customers will feel valued from the special attention
Participate in quarterly and annual sales conferences
Global visibility ensures the right contacts
Sponsor a session
January 3, 2019

5. “When sales needs your help, they need it now!”
Form a SWAT Team
“When sales needs your help, they need it now!”
Hand pick your members from various groups
Product Management + Product Marketing
Engineering + Support + QA
Field Ambassadors
Hold weekly conference calls
Keep everyone informed
Share new leads, opportunities and outstanding issues
Keep the momentum going
Create effective communication channels
aliases
Archived Discussion Groups
Form product Ambassador teams
Each region gets a centralized “expert”
January 3, 2019

6. Create open communication channels
“Make remote teams feel ‘plugged in’”
Ask for feedback
Product Enhancement requests
What can you do to help?
Give prompt feedback
Why we will or won’t do something
Don’t be a “black hole”
Set expectations
Don’t sugar coat it or make commitments you can’t keep
Give credit where credit is due
Let them know they are making a difference
January 3, 2019

7. Provide the right tools
“Help sales, help themselves”
Corporate portal provides easy access to information
Document repositories
Discussion Groups
Enhancement requests
Support status
Build internal communities
Share tips & tricks
Upload “project ware” for re-use
Demos
Collateral
Sales Presentations
Competitive Briefs
Press and Analyst Reports
Reference customers
January 3, 2019

8. “Effective partnering strategies execute in the field”
Engage with partners
“Effective partnering strategies execute in the field”
Organize “Meet & Greets”
Introduce your regional sales forces to regional partner teams
Focus on opportunity recognition
Create effective compensation plans
Sales reps are motivated by CASH $$$
Comp both reps for a win/win situation
Rules of engagement must be crisp and clear
Joint Webinars
Great for lead generation
Road shows & other events
Always insist that local sales teams participate
January 3, 2019

9. Organize boot camps to prepare and train the sales team
“Arm the sales force with the latest sales training”
Regional events ensure the best participation
Expense to regional sales team
Split your boot camp into sales and technical tracks
Sales will only be interested in the messaging & competition
SCs will want to see it all
Provide sales guidance
Who to target
What to pitch
Competitive landmines
“Hands On” labs are most popular by demand
Avoid PowerPoint overdose and make it interactive
Repeat as necessary
New product launches
New employee hires
January 3, 2019

10. Build compelling demos
“A picture is worth a thousand words”
Hosted Demos
Accessible around the globe
Packaged Demos
Starter Portal
Recorded Demos
Recordings of previous demos are reusable
Flash demos are also effective
Useful in POC scenarios
Great demos can reduce actual POCs by up to 40%
Mandatory POCs can build upon a pre-built demo platform
January 3, 2019

11. Showcase a successful sales person
“Leadership by Example”
Create an internal case study
Show how your champion used effective techniques
Who did they compete against?
How did they “seal the deal”?
Sales teams are always looking for success stories
How did they position?
How did they deal with competitors?
Recognition goes a long way
Sales champions become an asset to you
Others will want to keep you “in the loop” for their shot at fame
January 3, 2019

12. Promote their customers as shining examples
“Happy Customers = Happy Sales Teams”
Showcase their customers in:
Case Studies
Press editorials
Webinars
Awards Nominations
Sponsor customer user groups
Customers “in the loop” have better relationships with sales
User groups allow you to demonstrate upsell potential
Create a Customer steering group
Limited membership makes customers feel exclusive
Customers with direct impact always feel more important
Understanding customer requirements leads to success
January 3, 2019

13. Utilize sales throughout the product lifecycle
“Field experience can help you identify and develop new ideas”
new product
ideas
concept
incubation
maturity
What are the gaps in the marketplace today and in 18 months?
Bounce new ideas & validate concepts
Get flagship early adopters.
Provide higher compensation
Ramp up sales.
Get continual feedback.
Leverage reference customers.
Adapt to emerging trends.
January 3, 2019

14. Thank You Questions & Answers Contact David Hickman
ActivePortal Product Line Manager
January 3, 2019

15. Abstract
The sales team is one of the most critical success factors for a product. The sales team touches the customer directly, and the product manager must take responsibility to provide the sales tools and attitude needed to ensure success. Smart companies know that the information that comes back from the field is often just as important as what you send out. Best practices that encourage active participation between sales and product management and marketing can give your products the necessary edge in highly competitive technology markets.
January 3, 2019