Class description
Today’s harsh reality demands new rules as companies are threatened with financial stress and survival risk. As an IBM STG seller, you must be able to provide complete solutions with compelling business cases that address your clients’ pressing and complicated business challenges. STG Sales School is designed to enhance your abilities to do just that, leading to higher close rates, increased revenue, and enhanced client satisfaction.
STG Sales School is Face-to-Face Classroom education. It builds value-driven solution selling skills through Role Pay scenarios and other highly interactive exercises during this 3.5-day training.
With IBM’s Smarter Planet and Smarter Computing strategies providing a framework for this education, sellers will work in small teams using scenarios based on real IBM case studies. They will enact role-play meetings with clients to uncover their business needs and compelling reasons to act, explore IT requirements and solution characteristics, and articulate the value of an IBM solution. Focus areas include developing comprehensive “total” solutions that incorporate services, software, and hardware offerings from GTS, SWG, and STG. Sellers will learn to use consultative, value, and financial selling techniques and learn how to create and deliver effective value propositions. Sellers will also learn how to identify the full range of IBM resources (including other IBM brands, IBM Business Partners, IBM Global Financing) to help close opportunities with their clients. They will also become more familiar with the competitive landscape.
Duration
3.5-day Face-to-Face Classroom Training
Audience
STG Sales School is an IBM Only class exclusively for Systems and Technology Group sellers that have (approximately) less than three years of sales experience within STG.
Note: Student enrollments must be validated by their geo Skills Leader and/or country sales leaders.
Objectives
STG Sales School is designed to enhance the participants’ ability to:
- Sell total, end-to-end solutions
- Leverage IBM strategy(s) and resources
- Identify Smarter Computing opportunities
- Deliver VALUE to their clients
- Understand and effectively Win against the Competition
Prerequisites
- Completion of Global Sales School
- IBM TGVL: Systems Foundation(16 hours) or equivalent knowledge and experience
- IBM TGVL: Software Basics(7 hours) or equivalent knowledge and experience
Agenda
Day
Topics
Day 1
- Class Orientation
- Smarter Computing: STG Systems Strategy
- Skill Builder: Smarter Computing Whiteboard Exercise
- Consultative and Financial Value Selling for STG Sellers
- GEO Specific Topic (ie. Sales Incentives, Cloud, BAO)
Day 2
- Understanding the Client’s Business and Needs
- Role Play: Scenario 1, Meeting 1
- Identifying the “Right” Platform that addresses the Customer’s specific requirements
- Exploring Requirements for Business and IT Alignment (defining Solution Characteristics)
- Role Play: Scenario 1, Meeting 2
- Understanding the Competition
- Engaging STG Resources – both Locally and Globally
- Exploring the Appropriate Solution Options
- Role Play: Initial Solution Design
Day 3
- Creating Effective Value Propositions
- Developing Client Value via Active Listening Techniques
- Role Play: Scenario 1, Meeting 3
- Creating Value-Driven Presentations
- Role Play: Develop the Presentation
- Proposing the Solution to the Client – How to Effectively Handle Objections
- Team Activity: Finalize the Presentation
- Role Play: Scenario 1, Client Presentation
Day 4
- Enhancing Cross-Business Unit Collaboration
- Skill Builder: 4 Corners Exercise
- Enhancing Client Value through Cross-Selling
- Closing Ceremonies
Schedule/enrollments
Scheduled classes:
- February 12-15, 2013: Mumbai, India - Ralph Barbato
- April 9-12, 2013: Seoul, Korea - David Tydeman
- April 9-12, 2013: Ljubljana, Slovenia - Ralph Barbato
- May 7-10, 2013: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Tim Schuetz
- May 21-24, 2013: Sao Paulo, Brazil - Ralph Barbato
- July 2-5, 2013: Bogota, Colombia - Ralph Barbato
- July 16-19, 2013: Manila, Philippines - Tim Schuetz
- August 6-9, 2013: Beijing, China - David Tydeman
- August 6-9, 2013: Bangalore, India - Tim Schuetz
- August 27-30, 2013: Warsaw, Poland - Ralph Barbato
- October 8-11, 2013: Mexico City, Mexico - Ralph Barbato
Student Quotes
“A must attend for every new employee within 3 months!” Specialist, Bangalore, India
“It is definitely not just a product selling course. It is more a value selling, with emphasis on financial selling.” Server Sales Specialist, Jakarta, Indonesia
“The purpose of this school for me was to learn and to improve value-selling skills. I also learned how to determine the client’s strategic priorities, objectives, business issues, etc.” Technical Specialist, Istanbul, Turkey
“It was a great class with great content for personal growth.” Server Sales Specialist, Sao Paulo, Brazil
“Very dynamic, a lot of practice activities. Really interesting!” Storage Sales Specialist, Bogota, Colombia
“This is one of the best courses at IBM that I have ever attended. It is very interesting and helpful to my daily business.” Software Sales Specialist, Beijing, China
“The first time training feels fun and is still very informative. Thought it was the best training I’ve attended ever!!” Jakarta, Indonesia
“It’s a really good class for junior sellers.” Server/Storage Specialist, Seoul, Republic of Korea
“A very good follow-up on the recent GSS course that I took last month.” zITA, Manila, Philippines
Class managers
Tim Schuetz
tschuetz@us.ibm.com
