The Value Digest – June 16th, 2020

At DecisionLink we’re all about value. When we’re not building enterprise-class software solutions for Customer Value Management (CVM) like ValueCloud®, we’re busy exploring what’s going on in the world of value and sales leadership. In ‘The Value Chronicles’, published every second week, we’ll be sharing some of the news and editorial that has caught our eye.

We’re not post pandemic yet, in fact some weeks it feels like there’s a long way to go! And as for the new normal, that keeps changing too. So, it’s important to find some constants in the way we work and the way we sell and market to our customers. For us, that constant is customer value. First as a strategic asset and secondly as a something that can deliver growth and leadership in just about every market space. Judging by what we see in the media related to enterprise value management and the success of companies that have focused on customer value to drive success, we’re not alone.

Here’s a few things we’ve seen this last week or two:  

• According to IDC, COVID-19 is forcing companies to re-evaluate their technology and processes. In a feature entitled, “COVID-19 Response: SaaS Supports Digital Transformation” you can explore how SaaS and cloud software is supporting digital transformation.
• CRN Magazine reported “ServiceNow Partner ‘Fired Up’ For Changes Aimed at The C-Suite”. ServiceNow is taking aim at the C-suite with changes to its partner program using a down-the-middle pitch that the company can save customers $5 to $10 for every dollar they spend on the platform. One new offering, Now Value, is a suite of services and tools for partners to showcase the cost savings and efficiencies that customers can find using ServiceNow. It includes an online calculator. Partners can use this tool to determine what companies can expect to save, and in which areas the platform can streamline. “It’s hard to listen to these guys without getting fired up and have your mind racing about the potential of this,” Rob Rishel, executive director of the ServiceNow practice with CAI, Inc., tells CRN.
• In Forbes, Julie Thomas, President & CEO of ValueSelling Associates, and a speaker, author and consultant, wrote “Three Keys Of Value-Based Selling”. Julie adds, “Value-based selling focuses on your buyer and the value they receive by doing business with you. As a sales leader, your team has an advantage when they can compete on value, rather than price. Although the idea is easy to understand, it takes skill and practice to make value-based selling work for you.”
• Harvard Business Review suggest the “4 Questions Sales Leaders Should Be Asking Right Now”. Whether a business faces a sales slump or sales bump in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s difficult for sales leaders to predict what comes next. Most have already taken urgent actions, such as moving to virtual selling, redeploying sales effort, and reducing sales force capacity if faced with a badly damaged business.
• Here are “3 Big Lessons Gainsight Learned Creating Pulse Everywhere 2020 For 22,000 People” and how they turned a 5,000 person tech conference into an epic 22,000 online experience in 45 days. Lesson number one: Value Drives Value!
• McKinsey and Company offer advice on “Elevating customer experience excellence in the next normal”. Companies that make the right investments now could build an enduring advantage in serving customers. Three priorities will be key.
• Entrepreneur can tell you “What a Sales Team From Any Industry Can Learn From Innovative SaaS Companies”, adding “The best of these companies have experienced meteoric growth, not just because of their products, but because of the innovative strategies they incorporate into their sales processes.”
• In Fortune magazine you can hear from, “14 CEOs on how to reopen businesses in the coronavirus economy”. They asked 14 Fortune 500 CEOs in an array of industries to share how they’re thinking about next steps. All of them advocate caution. Many are using the moment to focus on fundamentals. And a few see a glimmer of opportunity at an otherwise dreadful moment for humanity.

In our own news:

• As buyers undergo major cost-cutting evaluations, businesses need to demonstrate the economic impact of their solutions for every rep and every deal. Download the IDC Perspective, “Value Selling: The Only Way to Close in 2020” to learn why organizations need to be scaling their business value selling across the entire customer lifecycle in order to succeed in this challenging year.
• Building trust is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Face to face meetings have always been the preferred manner to connect, relate and build trust but are becoming increasingly difficult as we adjust to our “new normal” in a world of digital selling. With travel slowing down, our ability to meet face to face with customers and prospects is no longer an easy option. Check out this webinar, “Selling Value and Building Trust in the New Normal” where Jim Berryhill, DecisionLink’s CEO, and Ben Allard, VP Strategic Segment at Apptio, discuss how we overcome this obstacle to build trust and sell value.
• Jim Berryhill was a panellist on a recent webinar with Vendor Neutral, “What Expectional Sales Playbooks Look Like (And How You Can Build Them Too!)” Check out the recording and learn the characteristics of great playbooks, what reps should do with intent data leads and much more.

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