Target Account Selling

This chapter describes how sales professionals can use Target Account Selling (TAS) methodology from Siebel MultiChannel Services to help win deals. It includes the following topics:

About Using Target Account Selling to Manage Opportunities

Target Account Selling is a separately licensed module that integrates with the Siebel Sales application.

The Target Account Selling module provides full support for the Target Account Selling (TAS) sales methodology. Using the Target Account Selling methodology and the Target Account Selling module, sales professionals can perform the following functions:

Assess opportunities, relationships with key customer contacts, and their competitive position.
Develop competitive and relationship strategies to win the deal.
Execute the strategy and track progress against the action plan.

The Siebel Target Account Selling software module provides the following features:

Full support for the Target Account Selling methodology
Automatic creation of the organization map that allows you to view both the formal hierarchy and lines of influence in the customer organization and that helps sales professionals develop relationship strategy.
Support in identifying and ranking the decision criteria of each contact
Team planning to make sure that key Customer Milestones are addressed
Automatic creation of the TAS Opportunity Plan. The report can be configured to print selected sections.
Automatic creation of the TAS Initial Plan
The TAS Opportunity Plan template that generates an editable Microsoft Word file (available to customers who have the separately licensed Proposal Generator)

Scenarios for Managing Target Account Selling

This topic describes how Target Account Selling (TAS) management might be used. You might use TAS management differently, depending on your business model. This topic includes the following scenarios:

Assessing Opportunities

A sales representative meets with a customer and discovers a new opportunity. The sales representative plans to use the Target Account Selling (TAS) methodology from Siebel MultiChannel Services (MCS) to develop a sales strategy for this new deal. TAS is supported by her Siebel Sales application, allowing the sales representative to analyze the opportunity and its multiple decision makers.

The sales representative selects the opportunity within Siebel Sales, and navigates to the Target Account Selling views to begin the process. She sees several views that she can use to profile and assess the opportunity, develop her value proposition and competitive strategy, and create a detailed action plan to achieve her goals.

She begins by developing an overview of the opportunity. She enters some high-level information, including a profile of the account and the opportunity. This information provides strategic insight that her sales team can use and helps her to connect the project to the customer’s business drivers. The sales representative also enters details about her goal for the opportunity, the solution she is offering, and the business value this solution provides. She continues by entering a description of the compelling event that is causing the customer to act to help her determine the customer’s sense of urgency to close the deal. She concludes by summarizing her high-level strengths and weaknesses for the deal.

Now that she has a general overview of the opportunity, she begins to assess her position using the TAS criteria that Siebel MCS has developed from analyzing the best practices of top sales professionals. She also rates the position of her key competitors using these criteria.

Developing Competitive and Relationship Strategies

Next, the sales representative begins to analyze her competitors for the opportunity and to determine the strategy to use to win the deal.

She continues by analyzing the prospect’s organization. She maps both the formal and informal structures so that she can be sure she is spending time with the right contacts. When she completes the analysis, she views the organization map that summarizes her assessment and identifies key players and relationships she can use to close the deal.

Now that she knows who to talk to, the sales representative begins to develop a relationship strategy. She enters the business and personal agenda, as well as key decision issues, for each contact. This preparation helps her to determine the message to deliver to each contact.

Executing Strategies

The sales representative is now prepared to develop her action plan to win the opportunity. First, she navigates to the Customer Milestones view to document key events or milestones in the customer’s buying process. This view helps her plan the activities that she and her sales team will take to address the customer’s requirements at each milestone. Then, she enters key action steps and resources needed and assigns the actions to members of her sales team. She can choose to have the activities appear in her calendar, activities, or To Do list, or in those of another assignee. She navigates to the PRIME Activities view where she can see all the activities she created to meet customer milestones, and add action items required to win the deal. She also makes some additional notes about the opportunity and makes the notes available for the entire team to view.

The sales representative’s manager requests a copy of the TAS Opportunity Plan. The sales representative configures the report to display relevant sections of the Opportunity Plan, generates the report, and then emails it to her manager.

Process of Managing Target Account Selling

Siebel Target Account Selling (TAS) consists of eight views that automate the steps in the TAS methodology. The TAS Initial Plan report and the TAS Opportunity Plan report can be generated from the TAS module.

The TAS Opportunity Plan template is available with Siebel Proposal Generator (a separately licensed module), which automatically creates the Opportunity Plan using Microsoft Word. The tasks associated with the Target Account Selling views describe how to use the Target Account Selling module.

To manage Target Account Selling, perform the following tasks:

While you are in a view, click Reports in the toolbar to access the available preconfigured reports for the data in that view. For more information about reports, see Siebel Reports Guide.

Completing a TAS Overview

The Overview view provides a starting point that sales professionals can use to consolidate their observations about the account and opportunity and share strategic insights with their sales teams.

Using this view, sales professionals can profile their customers’ important business initiatives and requirements. In addition, sales professionals can summarize the strategic goal, value proposition, and overall position.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To complete a TAS overview

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view.

In the first form, complete the necessary fields.

You can position the pointer on the information icon to see information about the view.

Some fields are described in the following table.

Field	Comments
Customer’s Business Profile	Type a description of the customer's business conditions. Identify the customer's major lines of business, affiliations, products, and markets. Include information about recent mergers and acquisitions. Note: If this opportunity is a new opportunity, then you must create a new record and associate it with an account before you can enter text in the Customer’s Business Profile field. For more information, see Opportunity Workflows
Customer’s Revenue	Type the customer's annual revenues or sales.
Fiscal Year End	Select the month and day in which the customer's 12-month accounting period ends.
Customer’s Profit	Type the customer's annual profit.

In the Overview form, complete the necessary fields.

Some fields are described in the following table.

Field	Comments
Opportunity Profile	Type a description of the customer's project or application. Identify the customer's business objectives for the project, the total cost and budget for the project, and how the project affects the customer's overall business.
Customer’s Compelling Event	Type a description of the driving influence for the customer to make a decision or change the current situation. Identify the payback if the customer makes a change, or the consequences if the customer does not act. Note the specific date associated with the consequences or payback.
Critical Success Factors	Type the actions you, the competition, and your customer must complete for you to win this opportunity.
Our Strengths	Type the business, organizational, and political issues that give your sales team an advantage in the deal.
Goal	Type a description of your projected, long-term position with the customer. Identify how a closer relationship with you advances the attainment of their business goals. Include the long-term gain for your business such as future or strategic value.
Our Solution	Type a description of the solution you plan to offer to the customer. Address how the solution works in the customer's environment and how it meets their compelling event. Include any alliances or business partner solutions required to make it operational for the customer.
Our Weaknesses	Type the business, organizational, and political issues that might put your sales team at risk in the deal.
Our Unique Business Value	Type a description of your value proposition. Make sure it is specific to this customer, defines a measurable business result, and creates credibility by proving your ability to deliver. The value proposition differentiates you from your competitors. Confirm the value proposition with the customer.

Assessing an Opportunity

Sales professionals can use the Assessments view to evaluate the opportunity using criteria developed by Siebel MultiChannel Services. Assessments must be completed before determining the best strategy. An assessment focuses on the following four key questions:

Is there an opportunity?
Can we compete?
Can we win?
Is it worth winning?

Sales professionals assess their organization’s position and the position of their top competitors against these criteria. As the sales campaign progresses, sales professionals repeat this assessment and then compare the results to past assessments to evaluate and monitor their position at each sales stage.

After some assessments are performed and you are familiar with the criteria and methodology, use the Assessments form to rate the criteria.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To begin an assessment

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record that you want to assess.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Assessments view.
The Assessments list includes all the assessments you and your sales team have performed to date. Use the Assessments list to compare opportunity assessments for your company and your competitors.
In the Assessments form, create a new record.
In the new record, the Assessment For field defaults to Our Company for self assessments.
If you are assessing a competitor’s position, then specify the competitor in the Assessment For field.
In the Assessments form, complete the assessment criteria questions.

Developing Strategy with TAS Competitive Analysis

The Competitive Analysis view helps sales professionals to develop competitive strategy. For each competitor, the sales team can evaluate strengths and weaknesses and anticipate the competitor’s strategy. The view also help the sales team to assess its own position against the competitor and to refine its strategy to win the deal.

Note: If you are analyzing a competitor’s strategy, then enter the information in the Competitors list.

When you determine your strategy, enter a summary in the Our Competitive Strategy text field in the Competitive Analysis view.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To add competitive analysis information

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Competitive Analysis view.
In the Competitors list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
After you have analyzed your competitors, you determine your strategy in the deal. Evaluate the anticipated action of your competitor to enter your strategy in the Our Competitive Strategy field.

Conducting a TAS Organizational Analysis

Sales professionals conduct a TAS organizational analysis to identify the most influential people for an opportunity and to record information about managing relationships with these people.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To conduct a TAS organizational analysis

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Organizational Analysis view.
The Organization Map view appears showing any contacts associated with the opportunity.
From the drop-down list in the Organizational Analysis view, select Contacts.
The contacts for the opportunity appear.
(Optional) In the Contacts list, add a contact.
You can create a new contact record in the Add Contacts dialog box.

Note: You can also add a contact or create a new contact in the Organization Map view. If you create a new contact record in the Organization Map view, then you must save the record to return to the Organization Map view.

In the Contacts list, review and change the field values for each contact using the criteria in the TAS methodology training program.

The following table shows the shading that appears in the contact node in the organization map for each value in the Type of Influence field.

Field Value	Shading
Low	None
Political Structure (Medium)	Light gray
Inner Circle (High)	Dark gray

Mapping the Organization’s Reporting Structure

After conducting a TAS organizational analysis, sales professionals can create organization maps that visually summarize the organization’s reporting structure. Using the Organizational Analysis view, sales professionals can depict the structure and politics of the organization and then use this information to build and expand their relationship with the customer.

The organization map displays the nodes (boxes) containing information for each of the contacts you analyze and associate with the opportunity. The node includes information about the contact, such as the contact’s title and other information from the organizational analysis.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To create the organization map

Navigate to the Organization Map view.
For more information, see Conducting a TAS Organizational Analysis.
In the organization map, click the dot at the end of the node for a manager, and relocate that dot to the other dot at the start of the node for the subordinate.
A line that reflects the reporting relationship between the contacts appears.
Repeat Step 2 for each contact until you complete the organization map.

Note: The reporting relationships are also stored in the Contacts list (toggle view). Information about the manager of the contact appears in the Manager Last Name field and Manager First Name field. Use the Columns Displayed option in the menu for the cogwheel icon to display these fields.
To delete a line that reflects a reporting relationship, click the line, and select Delete in the Actions list.
To delete a node from the organization map, select Contacts from the drop-down list in the Organizational Analysis view, and delete the record for the contact.

Using the Organization Map to Draw Lines of Influence

You can track the political structure in a customer organization by identifying lines of influence between contacts. Tracking lines of influence helps you identify contacts who are not highly ranked (and are easier to access) but have significant influence on key decision makers.

Information about lines of influence is automatically updated in the Relationships view of the Contacts screen. You can indicate lines of influence in the Relationships view.

To draw lines of influence on the organization map

Navigate to the Organization Map view.
For more information, see Conducting a TAS Organizational Analysis.
In the organization map, click the dot at the side of the node for a contact, and relocate that dot to the other dot at the side of the node for another contact.
A line that reflects the influence between the contacts appears.
Repeat Step 2 for each contact until you draw all lines of influence.
To delete a line that reflects an influence, click the line, and select Delete in the Actions list.

Developing a Relationship Strategy

Information captured in the Relationship Strategy view helps sales professionals develop a relationship strategy for each of the key players for an opportunity. The view allows sales teams to share their understanding of the business and personal decision issues for each contact.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To add relationship strategy information

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Relationship Strategy view.
In the Contacts list, create a new record, and complete the following steps:
1. From the Add Contacts dialog box, select the contact or contacts you want to add, and click OK.
  
  Note: All contacts added in the organization map automatically appear in the Contacts list, and all contacts added in the Contacts list appear in the organization map.
2. Complete the Business Agenda, Personal Agenda and Relationship Strategy fields for each contact.
  You complete this information only for the key players in the organization. Role, level of influence, and rank determine the key players in the organization.
Add decision criteria by completing the following steps:
1. In the Relationship Strategy list, select a contact.
2. In the Decision Criteria list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.
Note: The administrator might want to create a Custom record that users can select from the list of decision criteria. This record can be used to track issues that are unique to the contact and do not already exist in the Siebel database.

Adding Customer Milestones

Milestones are formal steps in the customer’s buying process. The Customer Milestones view helps sales professionals identify and track customer requirements that must be met as the sales cycle progresses. After the milestones are set, use the Our Activities list to target specific activities to accomplish to meet each milestone. These activities might include formal presentations, product demonstrations, benchmarks, proposals, and other activities required to make the sale.

Milestones are similar to Activity Plan templates that are created with predefined activities. For example, the initial milestone, Request Offering, is associated with recommended activities to be performed by you and your sales team. These activities might include understanding the problem or opportunity, defining the customer’s Compelling Event and confirming the budget, completing an opportunity assessment, and developing an organization map for the customer’s business.

A sample of customer milestone types is included with the Siebel Sales application. Your administrator can change the milestones to suit your business needs. You and your sales team can create, edit and delete activities associated with the milestones that address the opportunity.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To add a milestone

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Customer Milestones view.

In the Customer Milestones list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.

Some fields are described in the following table.

Field	Comments
Event	Select the type of event. A set of suggested activities appears in the Our Activities list. You must save the type of event for the activities to appear.
Description	Type a description of the milestone event.
Customer Responsibility	Select the customer contact who is the key contact and owner of the milestone event.

Field

Comments

Event

Select the type of event.

A set of suggested activities appears in the Our Activities list. You must save the type of event for the activities to appear.

Description

Type a description of the milestone event.

Customer Responsibility

Select the customer contact who is the key contact and owner of the milestone event.

Repeat Step 4 until you have entered all key milestone events.
Review the recommended activities for each milestone before adding new milestones.

Adding Associated Activities to Each Milestone

Complete the following procedure to add associated activities to each milestone.

To add associated activities to each milestone

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the Customer Milestones view.
In the Customer Milestones list, select a milestone record.

In the Our Activities list, create a new activity record, and complete the necessary fields.

Some fields are described in the following table.

Field	Comments
Type	Select the activity type.
Resources	Type a description of the resources required to support the activity.
Owner	Select a new owner of the activity, if necessary. Your user ID appears in this field by default.
In Display	Select a value to indicate where you want the activity to appear. If you select Calendar and Activity as the display method, then you must enter a start date for the activity so that it appears in the calendar.

Viewing PRIME Activities

The PRIME Activities view helps sales professionals develop the necessary action steps to execute the strategy and win the opportunity. The PRIME acronym underscores the initiatives that are used:

Prove your value.
Retrieve missing information.
Insulate against competition.
Minimize your weaknesses.
Emphasize your strengths.

These activities can be assigned with due dates to members of the sales team and automatically appear in individual calendars and activity lists. Use this view to update the entire sales team, and to measure progress while implementing the sales strategy.

All the activities created in the PRIME Activities view automatically appear in the Activities view associated with the opportunity. Your sales organization might want to standardize on one of these views.

Activities created in the Our Activities list in the Milestones view also appear in the PRIME Activities list, providing a method for tracking. (In the Customer Milestones list, you must select the milestone to see the associated activities.)

Using this view, you can create activities that are not specific to milestones, such as follow-up actions associated with assessments and the organizational analysis.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To add PRIME activities

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Target Account Selling view, then the PRIME Activities view.
In the list, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.

Identify the actions and resources required to implement your strategy, and then select a member of your sales team who is responsible for the activity.

Adding Notes to Opportunities

The Notes view consolidates comments (for example, notes and directions) created by various members of the sales team. These notes can be marked for general viewing or can be kept private. The Notes view allows the sales team to aggregate and track observations about the opportunity throughout the sales process.

This task is a step in Process of Managing Target Account Selling.

To add a note

Navigate to the Opportunities screen, then the Opportunities List view.
Drill down on the Opportunity Name field of an opportunity record.
Navigate to the Notes view, then the Public Notes view or Private Notes view.

In the Notes view, create a new record, and complete the necessary fields.

Some fields are described in the following table.

Field	Comments
Description	Type the text for the note.
Created	Displays the date and time that you create the note.