Actionable Books

The Long Tail

Published by Hyperion

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This workshop is designed and best suited for sales teams.

In The Long Tail, Chris Anderson explains the three areas of impact the internet has had on the way we, as a society, buy and sell goods and services.  In this workshop, we tackle how to apply the learnings from Anderson’s book directly into our own sales process.

Exercise Overview

1 Lecture (10 minutes)   |   “The Long Tail and You”

A recap of the article and quick discussion on the “Long Tail Mentality”; namely that customers are now looking at more than just the price.  Variety, customization and accessibility are now major factors in peoples buying decisions.

2 Group Discussion (20 minutes)  |   “VIP Status”

As sales representatives, we can often get caught in the rut of “standardizing” our presentations.  This exercise is about re-examining key stages of the sales process with the purpose of identifying (and then maximizing) opportunities for customization by client.

3 Group Discussion (10 minutes)   |    “Connecting ‘New’ to ‘Comfort’”

Most companies in today’s competitive market are innovating; creating new products, or enhanced versions of the same product.  Often times though, potential customers can be left confused as to the value of the new product or feature.  To make the sale, we need to help the new to something they’re already familiar with.

4 Solo Assignment (5 minutes)  |  “The Feedback Filter”

The data we are able to collect after making a sale can often be as valuable as the sale itself.  This exercise walks your sales reps through the value and process for effectively following up on a sale.

Key Deliverables

This workshop explains and teaches the value of embracing the three new factors the largely dictate why a consumer buys from you, or from someone else.  Upon completing this workshop, your sales representatives will understand that while price and quality are important, they’re not enough to build true loyalty, or raving fans.  They will also have tangible takeaways on how to improve their own sales presentation to better meet the needs of today’s customer.

This workshop only requires that you bring the standard Pen and Paper.  This is a standalone workshop, and no additional follow up work is required.