Continuous Selling Improvement

To understand the buyer and the buying organization as well as the seller and the selling organization, a cycle of continuous improvement (based on the continuous selling improvement approach) is needed. UPSA defines the Continuous Selling Improvement Cycle (CSIC) as seen in Figure 2.4 below. The premise of the CSIC is found in guiding philosophy of continuous selling improvement defined earlier in this section.

the UPSA Continuous Selling Improvement Cycle

The simple CSIC model helps define what buyers and sellers progress through as they buy or sell. Sales Professionals are typically familiar with how their organization's sell because they have been trained (using a traditional funnel) or they have figured it out on their own. In order for selling organizations to effectively and efficiently sell, their approach must be rooted and grounded to how the buying organization buys. The CSIC offers an approach to understanding what the buying as well as selling organizations is trying to accomplish when approaching a transaction. More importantly, it offers a way for the selling organization to synchronize to the buying organization because the elements of the CSIC provide a framework for bringing the selling organization's abilities to focus and alignment in regards to approaching a transaction.

There are five elements of CSIC model:

• Identify – Determination of need
• Examine – Set and align to vision & mission
• Enable – Put plans into action
• Engage – Ensure tasks are completed, processes are finished, etc
• Evaluate – honest feedback and measurement

Because these elements are cyclical in nature, understanding the CSIC model offers a way to incrementally improve efficiencies in the revenue-generation system.

These five elements are important to remember because they are referenced repeatedly in the CoPS as a way to understand the depth of the sales profession. To help remember the CSIC elements, notice that there is one “I” (identify), and four “E's” (examine, enable, engage, evaluate). It is sometimes helpful to use acronym “I4E” to help remember the elements of the CSIC.

By looking at the CSIC through the different frames of reference of the buying organization and selling organization, the different activities that the buyer and seller participate in are now identifiable. What happens inside each phase matters as well as who performs what activity inside each phase. In the above CSIC model, the buying cycle is seen as yellow, and the selling cycle is seen as blue.

For every action, there is an equal & opposite reaction in the CSIC model. If the selling organization reacts exactly in stride with the buying organization, a sale could have a higher probability of closing. It is interesting to note that at this level, both the buying and selling organization are progressing through the same elements. Obviously, more understanding is needed in order to sell and the CSIC does little to help understand the underlying complexities of selling. However, the approach used by UPSA to unlock the complexities of selling was accomplished by leveraging the CSIC.

By leveraging the CSIC model, UPSA first defines the buying cycle (what the buying organization goes through to buy). This process is the same for all buyers, no matter what they buy or when they buy it. By using the CSIC model, sales professionals gain more insight into how a buying organization buys. By following the CSIC model, focused on the buyer, there are five elements.

The buying organization will:

• Identify that they have a need
• Examine the options
• Enable their plan (research, examine options, etc)
• Engage in a decision with one (or several) selling organizations, and
• Evaluate their success with the purchase.

The other half of the CSIC model is the selling organization. All sales professionals (and his or her selling organization) progress through the same elements when he or she sells their product or service. Again, by following the CSIC model, focused on the seller, there are five elements because the CSIC model is embedded in the buying organization as well. Interestingly, the seller progresses through the same elements as the buyer, but from a different perspective or frame of reference. The selling organization will:

• Identify that they have a product that meets the need of potential buyers
• Examine the options of positioning against the need of the potential buyers
• Enable their plan (how they will sell, plans, etc)
• Engage in a decision (engage in the market place), and
• Evaluate their success with the sale.

By following the UPSA continuous selling improvement cycle, sales professionals lay the initial groundwork for building a solid understanding of the profession because it offers a universally applicable approach to defining the buying and selling relationship. Obviously, this process does not end here.