Methodology: The Value Based Conversation and Value Cards

What are the components of the Value Based Conversation?

A Value Based Conversation begins with an understanding of the customer’s current situation: the Before Scenario and the tangible Negative Consequences (or “so what?” of the Before Scenario).​

The Before Scenario = think “Current State” … which solves Seller Deficit Disorder #1: Don’t Understand My Business​

Negative Consequences = think “How Big is the Problem” … this will be hard for you in your role plays tomorrow​

The After Scenario stands customers in a better, future state that they may not have realized possible. Positive Business Outcomes are benefits that result from this future state. They are typically expressed as revenue increases, cost decreases, or risk mitigation. They appeal to Economic Buyers.​

After Scenarios = think “Future State”​

Positive Business Outcomes = think “Key word is business”​

The Delta is the gap that needs to be filled between the current state and future state.​

The Required Capabilities are solution requirements that bridge the gap between the current and future states in order to achieve the PBOs.​

Required Capabilities = think “Decision Criteria” … these are GOLD and should be influenced by your Differentiators, if you saw these in an RFP, are you smiling or crying?​

The Metrics describe how the customer will measure the degree to which you satisfy their Required Capabilities.​

Metrics = think “How High Do I have to Jump?”​

Notice that, up to this point, you haven’t mentioned your product or service offerings at all. It’s been all about the customer. To use a golf analogy, this is the “Front 9” of the Value Based Conversation.​

Only after you fully understand the customer’s Required Capabilities should you then describe How You Do It, and… The “It” in “How We Do It” ties directly to the Required Capabilities that the customer deems most important. This combats Seller Deficit Disorder #2, “you don’t listen” and avoids making you sound too expensive.​

How You Do It Better than competitive alternatives – to include “do nothing” and “do it internally.” ​

Proof Points offer tangible evidence that you’ve been able to satisfy the Required Capabilities -- and achieve the Positive Business Outcomes -- for other customers. How We Do It, How We Do It Better and Proof Points are the “Back 9” of the Value Based Conversation. They are only relevant within the context of the “Front 9.” ​

What fuels this conversation are Discovery and Trap-Setting Questions? Discovery Questions draw out customer needs by essentially asking: How are things going now? …how would you like them to be? …and what’s required to bridge the gap? Trap-Setting Questions sound like Discovery questions, but they are asked with the specific intent of trapping the competition by introducing your Differentiators into the Required Capabilities.​

What is the "Mantra" and how is it used?

The point of this concept is to be able to, at all times, play back for the client what you’ve heard so everything that comes out of your mouth about your product and services is attached back to what they need and care about. It proves that you’ve listened and that you understand their business. ​

Think of it like a golf swing (or other appropriate analogy). You just don’t walk up and hit the ball. You take an appropriate back swing first in order to create momentum that pulls through striking the ball with maximum impact. The concept applies here as well – I take 3 things from this conversation: PBOs, RCs, Metrics; my backswing. Then, have great momentum to hit the ball with maximum impact – HWDI, Better, Proof Points”

Think about the power of this statement especially when you can use it time and time again as the conversation continues to expand, change and bring in the perspectives of additional people.”