1. Focus Questions Using the Successful Sales Formula
Pain:
“What high priority pain has the prospective
buyer admitted to you?”
“What is it costing them today?”
Power:
“Have you met with the person you believe is the Power Sponsor and why do you think he/she is Power?”
“Can we gain access to and influence them?”
Vision:
“What is the vision you created or reengineered with Power?”
“How is it differentiated from competition?”
Value:
“What is the quantifiable value of the solution?”
“Is that quantifiable value sufficient for them to act?”
Control:
“What have you done to get a Evaluation Plan in place or otherwise control the buying process?”
“Who is in control of the buying process?”
Purpose: To provide high level debrief questions for the variables in the successful sales formula
Key Instructor Notes:
Review this focus question and explain how it could be used to start a dialogue with the seller. Several things are included in each question. For example, just within the pain question there are three important aspects…
a valid Pain (personal)
High-priority
customer has admitted to you
The bolded questions (in orange) tend to be the easier question to ask.
This gives you a quick snapshot of where the opportunity is.
Transition: “Because these are important factors, we want to improve the quality or strength of them as we progress through the sell cycle…” 1

2. Opportunity Review Checklist
Check these items and outcomes below to verify status
Plan and Engage
Conduct opportunity planning
Conduct opportunity assessment
Create interest
Gain initial meeting
Name and title of potential Sponsor
Business development approach and job aids used
Appointment or call logged in calendar 0%
Opportunity Created In Sales Online
Diagnose
Get pain admitted
Diagnose and document admitted pain and create or reengineer vision of Sponsor
Negotiate access to power
Diagnose and document admitted pain and create or reengineer vision of Power Sponsor
Determine evaluation criteria and propose next steps
Confirm dialogue and agree upon plan of next steps
Pain articulated by potential Sponsor
Differentiated vision and value articulated by Sponsor
Power Sponsor’s name and title
Sponsor Letter/ sent and content agreed upon
Pain articulated by potential Power Sponsor
Differentiated vision and value articulated by Power
Power Sponsor Letter/ & draft Evaluation Plan sent
Evaluation Plan modified or agreed upon
25%
Gain agreement with Power Sponsor to next steps
Propose and Close
Execute Evaluation Plan steps
Engage appropriate overlay
Present solution
Refine value proposition
Agree upon transition plan
Identify success criteria
Create RFP to reflect Office Depot differentiators or Respond to RFP or Bid
Engage bid team
Finalize T’s & C’s
First step accomplished (Go/No Go Step Letter)
Customer approval process understood?
Customer key players identified and engaged (as applicable)?
Transition issues identified and addressed?
Negotiating Worksheet and Get-Give List
Who is negotiating? What is agreed upon?
75%
Signed contract / Gain verbal agreement to buy
Implement
Engage implementation manager
Execute implementation plan
Engage IT Integration manager
Test order placement and billing
Implementation activities have been followed up
When? Who? Status?
100%
First Orders Placed
Purpose: To introduce the Opportunity Review Checklist - a management job aid that extends activities of the sales process (pipeline milestones) to specific points for inspection – both at the activity level and the Verifiable outcome level.
Key Instructor Notes:
the columns are:
Stage or Step name with associated Yield percentages
Activities required to move from one milestone stage or step to the next
Lists of items subject to inspection including the verifiable outcomes
This checklist is a guide for the review dialogue – It is combined with the key questions just discussed.
The first question is used to determine the status of the opportunity: “What is the accurate status of the opportunity – i.e. in which milestone does the opportunity lie?” Depending on the response given, the seller may be asked to verify it by “inspecting” the appropriate item in the right column.
For managers that want to conduct the coding of opportunities, they can still use this as a personal tool to guide them through independent analysis.
Key Facilitation Notes:
For example:
during a dialogue a seller may indicate the status of an opportunity to be "DEVELOP”. Upon request to see the Power Sponsor Letter and Draft Evaluation Plan (for verification). If this cannot be produced, the logical questions then leads to the last verifiable activity: and associated item of validation.
In response to the question, of the last activity, the response may be: “The Power Sponsor has admitted Pain”. In which case the manager asks for his Power Sponsor’s Pain - not what the seller thinks the pain to be, but what the customer articulated in their admission of pain. If the seller cannot answer the questions with “items of proof” the progression is “up the activity list” and possibly upwards past a previous verifiable outcome.
The questions progress until the seller “proves” an activity, and if appropriate, the opportunity should be regarded in the CRM
The closing part of the dialogue then centers around the next “real” set of activities to be executed.
Transition: “As a manager inspects the evidence, it is important to recognize some difficulties associated with writing and executing …” 2

3. Pipeline Analysis Worksheet Annual View
Quota: B
Average sell cycle length: C
Average opportunity size: D
Months left in the year: E
Year-to-date attainment not reflected in the completed step “Fulfill”:
Step completed
Revenue X
Yield % =
Yield
Diagnose
25%
Propose & Close
75%
Implement
100%
Pipeline revenue total: F
Pipeline yield total: G
Projected yield for the year (F / B) x (D): H
Gap * (A – G – E):
* Gaps are negative I
Additional “Diagnose” opportunities required to close the gap (H / C) x 25:
Purpose: To provide a worksheet for the exercise
Key Instructor Notes:
Debrief by finding out what answers participants came up before revealing the answers on the page that follows
It may be appropriate to provide the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet version and allow participants to conduct the exercise using it
Key Comment:
 Customization  – This page should be customized to reflect the client’s sales process and win odds
Transition: “Here is the answer you should have arrived at…” 3

4. G R F A GRAF Coaching Model GAP REASONS FOLLOW-UP ACTION
Understand / acknowledge the GAP between what is wanted or expected and the reality of the situation (Admit the Pain)
Understand / acknowledge the REASONS for the GAP
FOLLOW-UP to ensure that the ACTIONS were satisfactorily completed (Determine if the GAP has been addressed)
Commit to a joint plan of ACTION to address the GAP (What will be accomplished to remedy)
Purpose: To describe the 4 components of the GRAF Coaching Model
Key Instructor Notes:
This GRAF Coaching Methodology is not dependent on Solution Selling® (although the underlying principles are compatible), it is relevant for any sales process being used
Read each component clockwise starting with “G” – Gap
This model can be applied in both opportunity and skill coaching
Key Facilitation Notes:
On a flip chart write: OPEN CONTROL AND CONFIRM
These are elements of good questioning etiquette
Remind that the G R A F Model is in reality a questioning technique
Transition: “This model provides us the components by which to both hold a coaching session but also to prepare for a coaching session …”
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION 4

5. GRAF Coaching Preparation: Notes / Worksheet
Salesperson Name:
Coaching Type: Opportunity  Skill 
Date of Coaching Event:
Opportunity Description:
GAP
REASONS
What is the GAP between performance expectations and actual results?
What are the REASONS for the GAP?
Expectations:
Reasons:
Results observed:
Who is involved:
Salesperson’s perspective:
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
What FOLLOW-UP will you and the salesperson agree to in order to close the GAP?
What ACTIONS does the salesperson agree and commit to do?
Specifics of follow-up actions (evidence of completion):
Options to close the gap:
Salesperson’s commitment:
Date for completion:
Time for follow-up:
Help needed: G R F A
Purpose: To introduce a worksheet and thought-process designed around the GRAF Coaching Model
Key Instructor Notes:
This worksheet (which actually is as much a mental model as it is a literal worksheet) is designed around the GRAF Coaching Model
The manager may use this to prepare for a coaching session or they might segue from analysis to coaching with little prep time. This would be an instance where the manager uses the methodology but not the worksheet
The approach clearly shows that the salesperson’s input is valued
Not all of the fields will need to be covered or have information provided (e.g. “who is involved” may not be applicable. The “salesperson’s perspective” may not be used very often during the preparation but more so for note-taking later)
This is also an excellent documentation – this is backup information. It allows a sales manager to identify seller follow-up issues.
This worksheet follows Human Resources Best Practices
Transition: “Let’s apply the coaching techniques in an exercise…” 5

6. Ideal Time in Step 6 Ideal Time in Step (approximate # of days) Step
3 month sell cycle
4 month sell cycle
6 month sell cycle
8 month sell cycle
9 month sell cycle
12 month sell cycle
Plan & Engage 9 15 0%
Diagnose 18 24 40
25%
Propose & Close 30 42 80
120
150
180
75%
Implement 33 39 45 65
125
100%
Note: When a salesperson spends “days in step” they are allotting those number of days toward executing the sales activities leading to the next milestone (denoted here by win odds)
Purpose: To offer a view of Ideal Time-in-stage values
Key Instructor Notes:
Key point: Based on experience with Solution Selling® these are typical (ideal) numbers of days an opportunity spends in each stage. Why is the most time spent at in the PROVE step? Again, this is when the Evaluation Plan is executed
There are no # of days associated with CREATE (completed) because the true time measurement of the sell cycle begins when the opportunity is identified and interest has been stimulated
The # of days (4) after CLOSE (completed) is a reflection of “revenue not yet recognized” – the period of time between a “win” and “recognition” – obviously this too can change from organization to organization
These metrics are certainly only a starting point. There are many exceptions to these numbers but as a whole they provide a realistic, useable starting point for good analysis. We will use this information later as we do more pipeline analysis.
Knowing these averages helps pinpoint stalled opportunities
Key Comment:
 Customization  – This page should be customized to reflect the client’s sales process and win odds
Transition: “Let’s look at an application…” 6

7. Pipeline Milestones Worksheet™
Time in Step
OPPORTUNITIES
PIPELINE MILESTONES WORKSHEET™ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Latent or Active (L/A)
Potential sale amount ($K) 9
Plan & Engage
Conduct planning activities (new or existing)
Create interest
Gain initial meeting 0% 18
Diagnose
Get pain admitted
Diagnose admitted pain and create or reengineer vision of Sponsor
Negotiate access to power
Confirm dialogue and agree upon next steps
Diagnose admitted pain and create or reengineer vision of Power Sponsor
Determine evaluation criteria and propose next steps
Confirm dialogue and agree upon plan of next steps
25% 30
Propose & Close
Execute Evaluation Plan steps
Engage appropriate overlay
Present solution
Refine value proposition
Agree upon transition plan
Identify success criteria
Create RFP to reflect Office Depot differentiators
Engage bid team
Respond to RFP or bid (if appropriate)
Finalize T’s & C’s
75% 33
Implement
Engage implementation manager
Execute implementation plan
Engage IT Integration manager
Test order placement and billing
100%
* Premature delivery of a proposal is not a sign of progress

8. Opportunity Coaching or Skill Coaching? Characteristics
Problem identified in opportunity 
Problem is pervasive across multiple opportunities
Short-term, immediate actions
Long-term sustained actions
Specific to opportunity
General
Quick results
Delayed Improvement
Goal: Opportunity Win
Goal: Competency Improvement
Often done coupled with Opportunity Analysis
Often done as a result of Pipeline Analysis
Key Question:
What is needed by this person at this time?
Purpose: To contrast opportunity coaching with skill coaching and skill coaching.
Key Instructor Notes:
Review each of the rows
Select several rows and compare –foe example:
results at the opportunity level tend to be immediate (advancing an opportunity) vs. results at the skill level which tend to be long term and sustainable (ability develop value and offer an investment case)
To summarize:
Long term impact – helps grow the individuals
You will notice a longer term impact for skill coaching
Short term impact – helps advance opportunities
When analyzing a gap – consider application to a specific opportunity or a skill.
Transition: “The GRAF coaching model applies to skill coaching as well as opportunity coaching.