Welcome to ASPEC Salesforce Edition.
ASPEC Salesforce application is designed to save you time and take your sales to the next level.
It minimizes the guesswork, standardizes the way probability of winning is assigned, and serves as a tool to access the situation consistently. Sales Advisor helps manage time more effectively by assigning a priority level to each opportunity.
This “Getting Started” guide contains the information about how to use ASPEC add-in. If you are looking for information regarding the installation and configuration of the add-in, please read this post: http://help.aspec.com/salesforce-addin-installation/
If you need any help or a demo, or would like to talk to us, please send us an email at info@salesways.com or call us at 416-479-3584.
Use ASPEC dashboard in Opportunity
After ASPEC add-in is configured, you will notice a new ASPEC section in the Opportunity.
Note: the first time you may be prompted to allow access to the app.
Opportunity form contains ASPEC IBO Analysis section complete with the IBO Essentials. The IBO Essentials are used to keep track of the sales cycle and to determine an accurate probability.
IBO stands for Indentified Business Opportunity.
Fig 1: ASPEC section in Opportunity
IBO Essentials contains the following fields:
- Qualified Date: enter when you learned about this IBO
- Close Date: enter your best estimate when this sale will close
- Will We Win: select – from Low, Medium, Low – the chances that the customer will buy from you
- Will It Happen: select – from Low, Medium, Low – the chances that the customer will make a purchase from you or some other vendor. Think about factors like funding, changes in needs, company politics
Instead of asking for a number 1-100% for a probability to win the sale, ASPEC asks the last questions mentioned above, and calculates the Probability based on these 2 answers. Without explicit guidelines, probability numbers are far from accurate.
Fill out all the required information on the IBO and click Save. ASPEC will update the Dashboard.
You will notice the following elements in the ASPEC Dashboard:
- Sales Cycle Graph
- Risk/Probability Assessment
- Priority
- ASPEC Advisor
Sales Cycle Graph
It displays the Sales Cycle, dividing it into 3 phases that are linked to dominant sales skills.
Probe: The fundamental skill of probing is the ability of the salesperson to find out everything about the customer’s requirements and to discover all the issues that are behind their decision to purchase a product or service
Prove: The fundamental skill of proving is the ability of the salesperson to provide evidence to the customer and to convince them that the solution that they offer is the best
Close: The fundamental skill of closing is the ability of the salesperson to uncover any barriers that prevent the customer from placing an order, and to overcome those barriers such that a decision can be made.
The three selling skills of Probing, Proving and Closing can be used together at different points of the sale, but it is helpful to think of the sales cycle as being divided into three distinct phases depending upon which skill is dominant at any given point in time.
Risk/Probability Matrix
Responses to When Will It Happen and Will We Get It are applied to a grid called the “Probability Matrix”.
There are nine boxes, or points, on the matrix, one for every possible combination of rankings. The nine points are known as the “Probability Index”. Each point on the “Probability Index” is given a probability percentage.
Priority
The way probability ranking is interpreted will change depending on the sales cycle phase. This means the same point on the “Probability Index” in one phase will mean something very different in another phase.
Consider this scenario: In the Probe phase of the sales cycle, the customer has expressed that funding would not yet be available. Even if funding materialized, the customer is favoring the competition. The rank assigned to “Will It Happen?” and “Will We Get It?” will be “Low” for both.
Sales Cycle Manager helps salespeople manage their time by prioritizing opportunities. Each opportunity is assigned one of six priority levels.
The first priority is the “Overdue” category. In this case, the customer has passed the date expected in the sales cycle and the sale is at risk of slipping away. Immediate attention is necessary.
The next most important category is Review First. These represent the best prospects, as well as opportunities that are likely to happen but still require a lot of selling. “Review Second” opportunities are less pressing than “Review First”, but still a fairly high priority. “Review Third” opportunities are typically out of reach or already likely to be won if the customer decides to buy.
Sales Cycle Manager puts up a red flag for opportunities in trouble. Opportunities that are given a “Breakthrough Needed” priority status require a bold strategy in order to get the customer’s attention, or get them more enthusiastic about buying. In these cases, a sale is likely to happen, but it’s also likely that the competition will get it. If a breakthrough cannot be achieved, an opportunity might be given a “Leave it Alone” ranking. “Leave it Alone” opportunities are of the lowest priority. Little or no time should be spent on these opportunities because the chances of winning the sale are extremely low.
Sales Advisor
Sales Advisor helps assess sales probability, prioritize opportunities, and plan the next move strategically.
By considering sales probability and sales cycle phase, the computer is able to “understand” the situation and provide basic coaching on what to do next.
By default, Sales Advisor “Pro” in enabled in Opportunities. If the sale is complex, you can consult Sales Advisor Expert.
Sales Advisor Expert
To turn on Sales Advisor Expert, click the ASPEC Advisor Expert button.
You will be redirected to a page from where you can work through the Sales Environment.
Extend Probe, Prove, Close sections to answer relevant questions. Sales Advisor Expert will assess the Probability and Priority, and display the assessment in yellow.
You will find the detailed guidelines below the Priority Result.