Logically, once an organization has a list of prospects with the right profile, it is time to take their offering to market. In real terms, many organizations get through the first step and immediately use a “divide and conquer” sales methodology.

By this, we mean they divide the list among their sales team. The sales force charges off with the new found list and company waits to see how good the list really is.

There is a better way. Before launching the sales resources to chase the list, honing the message and the company story for effective application is essential. It is important to give them the best tools possible. One of the strongest tools a company can employ is the use of a universally consistent story. Here are five excerpts from our practice checklist for use in crafting the next step:

The short pitch (clear, benefit-rich and brief)
Well conceived, tested and consistent with objectives
Universally accepted by the organization
Backed with a strong, detailed value proposition
Reference based

The second point, a clear and concise message, seems obvious. Yet each time a sales representative or another employee takes fifteen minutes to describe the value of their offering, there is a high probability a prospect is lost. Avoiding common errors in message composition and make-up is crucial to success. Prospects are drawn to benefit rich descriptions that align a solution with a problem. Avoiding technology driven explanations and complex product information and taking the prospect’s perception as the prime driver for a message breeds success.

OneAccord advocate a company-wide campaign to accomplish the following with five activities listed here:

• Build the message using consensus. Discuss and create a short, clear and concise statement summarizing your offering. “We have an ear cleaner that can reduce ear infections by 96%.” It is pointed, clear on the benefits and short.

• Don’t rush the process and practice first. Get the sales tools needed in the hands of the sales force a week to two weeks before they get the list of prospects. Make sure they are trained on the use of the tools. Get them to practice with the tools in front of an internal audience. (This is one of the most telling exercises as it tests them and the message and tools.)

• Make sure the message is consistent. Have everyone in the company carry a card with the short message on it and stop people in the halls to recite it. Give prizes for accomplishment, and have some fun with it! The point is, no matter where a prospect calls into your organization, they will get consistency. If everyone in the company has to repeat the story and they are committed and rewarded for success, your organization will have a better story.

• Build a reference based story. Go back to your customers and find out why they bought your offering and how it is working. Get the details. Put the value proposition in an organized and detailed piece and use it on the new prospect list. If you have identified a source of pain and you have captured a solution, the theory of large numbers will work to support your efforts. Through conversations with your customers, they will articulate the best ways to describe and relate your value.

• Turn the reference list into a tool to close business. Finally, wrap up your “proof points” and build a reference list. This is the derivative jewel that comes from the exercise of canvassing your customers for their perception of the value of your offering. These references are fine gold, a storehouse of immense value. Use them wisely and avoid the temptation to lead with them. There are extremely effective sales methods to exploit a list of references, and our best practices process can illustrate how to do so.

Build your message around this practice and relentlessly manage your human resources to consistently take the company story to market. Avoid “one-off” creativity and innovation with your message. Sales will grow and customer expectations will come in line. The result is quality and a message that can scale to very large market sizes.