Bob Apollo - From Door-to-Door Sales to Sales Process Expert
Bob Apollo is truly a B2B sales expert. He didn't stumble into sales at some point for lack of clarity in what he wanted to do. Rather, he explicitly made sales his career, and the object of study, deep thought and innovation.
In this episode, we explore the context of Bob's multi-decade sales career and then dive into his insights into complex sales and his development of "Outcome-Centric Selling®", his original sales framework.
Nobody cares what you sell; they care about their personal and professional outcomes.
That's essentially how Bob boils it all down. With discussion of related topics including:
- Why so many reps chronically underperform
- Risk aversion
- Lengthening sales cycles
- Buying teams, buying journeys and buying habits
- Accountability and honest self-assessment
He started selling door-to-door. Then he trained with Hewlett-Packard when sales training was a cultural imperative for leading companies. And today he brings his expertise to clients globally.
Learn about Outcome-Centric Sales and how that may turn many of your assumptions upside down!
Connect with Bob for More of His Brilliant Insights on Complex Sales, Outcome Centric Selling, and Buying Journeys
Bob Apollo on Outcome-Centric Selling - Industrial Growth Institute Podcast Episode 3
Episode Recap
Summary
In this episode, Ed Marsh interviews Bob Apollo, the founder and chief outcomes officer of Inflection Point Strategy Partners, a UK based sales effectiveness consultancy.
They discuss Bob's career journey, the evolution of B2B sales, accountability in sales, different sales methodologies, and Bob's concept of outcome-centric selling.
Bob emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer outcomes and understanding whether a purchase is inevitable or discretionary. Additionally, he highlights:
- the need for salespeople to be honest with themselves and eliminate avoidable mistakes in the sales process
- complexities of the sales process and the importance of outcome-centric selling
- risks of relying on the BANT (Budget Authority Need Timeframe) qualification framework
- need for salespeople to adapt their approach based on prospect's familiarity or unfamiliarity of the buying process
- Impact IMPACT deal qualification framework and the importance of justifying qualification factors
- optimism regarding fixing the sales profession and the role of salespeople in influencing the buying process
Takeaways
- Sales organizations should prioritize accountability and create a culture of responsibility.
- The evolution of B2B sales has shifted from a product-centric approach to a focus on customer outcomes.
- Sales methodologies like Sandler and SPIN Selling can provide valuable frameworks for effective selling.
- Outcome-centric selling is an attitude, methodology, and process that emphasizes the importance of understanding and delivering customer outcomes.
- Salespeople should focus on eliminating avoidable mistakes and be honest with themselves about their performance and behavior. Cybersecurity issues can significantly impact sales, regardless of the potential revenue from a customer.
- The BANT qualification framework may not accurately capture the complexities of the buying process, and salespeople should be aware of the risks involved.
- Salespeople should adapt their approach based on the familiarity or unfamiliarity of the buying process for customers.
- The Impact IMPACT deal qualification framework provides a more logical flow of qualification, starting with identifying issues and impacts.
- Sales managers play a crucial role in qualifying and requalifying opportunities, challenging salespeople to justify their assessments and evidence.
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