A sales scenario is a training method used to prepare reps for future sales situations when they need to respond to customer answers or questions. Learn about how to navigate common sales scenarios with this starter Qstream microlearning course.
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Sales Scenarios
Navigate through the Qstream questions below to preview. Each challenge is designed following Qstream’s best practices for maximum knowledge reinforcement and engagement. This Qstream is free for clients to use as a starting point.
Click on each title to preview the question in the mobile/desktop widget.
1. Enterprise License Agreements >
2. Whether to Apply Existing Discounts >
3. Opportunity Identification >
4. Business Value >
5. Opening Questions >
6. Discovery calls >
Follow the interactions on each screen to answer Qstream questions as a Participant.
True or False? When a new buyer asks if the Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) you're proposing is just another name for contract pricing, you can confidently respond with “Yes.”
Answer explanation:
Enterprise License Agreements can be the right choice when you are striving to build a long-term (and equitable) relationship with a customer.
Although it's easy to get pulled into price-per-user discussions, ELAs are often a better choice, for several important reasons. First, they establish and preserve your optimal price point, so that when new opportunities appear, you're in a strong negotiating position. Second, ELAs make it easy for your customer to drive adoption and use more of your product, which leads to more opportunities to expand your footprint. Third, it shows your customer that you are a partner who is investing in their success.
An ELA is NOT an alternate way to provide a discount.
Mina, a new prospect in an existing account, is ready to buy. She tells you, "I know my group is going to use a lot less than the other three departments you told me about, but I still think we merit the same discount as everyone else." From a pricing perspective, what is your best response to Mina?
Answer explanation:
The best approach is to pursue an ELA, to align the emerging high-volume commitment at this customer with the best price for them. Negotiating an ELA will also open the opportunity to "close down" some of the other deals, and let you negotiate for their extension.
If Mina isn't in a position to help you call higher and find the person who can negotiate an ELA, presenting her with a list price proposal for her separate purchase is the best answer.
It is not appropriate to give Mina the same discount as other departments within her company. Doing so would set a too-low "me too" pricing precedent for every future deal and future renewal at Mina's company.
Typically companies require sales managers to confirm that they have validated differentiated value with their deal sponsor within ________.
Answer explanation:
A sales manager (especially with a new team) needs to work closely with his or her reps to make sure that each deal's progression is based on identified (and agreed upon) business value, not just a successful product demo.
Sales managers need to confirm, and document in salesforce, that business value agreements are in place, within 90 days. As documented in our company's sales portal, deferring confirmation for more than 120 days requires SVP approval, and jeopardizes your team's commission for the quarter.
After a successful demo of your product, Sidney says "That looks great. I know I'm going to need to run this by my boss & also the purchasing department -- can you tell me how much this will cost us?"
What's your next best move with Sidney?
Answer explanation:
Customers often want to move immediately to a discussion about price, however, it is important to establish your value proposition and agree on the tangible benefits that your solution can provide to your customer, first.
Offering to provide the price sheet in return for another meeting with Sidney's boss OR in return for another meeting w/Sidney alone would be the best next step.
In either case, you are asking Sidney to make a stronger commitment to the buying process and signal his willingness and ability to continue. Another meeting with his boss gets you higher in the org chart, which is always desirable; another meeting with Sidney alone will provide the opportunity to deep dive into potential use cases and benefits, which helps you build the business case (together) that Sidney will need to get management and purchasing approval.
Providing the price sheet right away is not the optimal answer; it gives Sidney the opportunity to "go dark," leaves you blind to what will happen next, and eliminates your control of the sales process. Inviting all three to a social outing is probably the wrong move, and is likely too soon in the process.
You sell a product that helps companies get new employees certified in food safety handling. The government requires that clerks be certified before they can work on the retail sales floor. You're on a discovery call with a new prospect, Jim, who is the manager of new employee training.
To open the call, you should ask Jim which of the following questions?
Answer explanation:
In a discovery discussion, an open-ended question about time is often appropriate; no matter the industry or role of your prospect, time is usually a factor. A question that mentions both time and specifics about the prospect's environment shows that you have insight and a point of view worth listening to.
Open-ended questions let your contact share his or her point of view, and give you the opportunity to actively listen and be on the lookout for ways to steer the conversation towards your product's potential benefits.
A broader question like "tell me about your strategy" may also be appropriate, however it could weaken your credibility as a solution-oriented seller who has insight into their particular industry or role.
Leaping to a question that you've framed around losing money may be too strong -- your prospect may not yet be thinking in terms of lost revenue or, in this example. Jim's role as the training manager may put him on the defensive since you're accusing him of losing money.
Similarly, opening with a statement about the amount of time your product can reduce is premature -- since you are jumping to a benefit that Jim may necessarily need. Chewing and spewing your product benefits before actively listening and uncovering Jim's pain is premature.
After visiting your booth and seeing a product demo at a recent trade show, a new buyer agrees to a discovery call with you.
As you prepare for the meeting, which of the following questions should you be prepared to ask?
Answer explanation:
Although any one of these questions could be used with a prospect, selecting the best comes down to timing -- knowing which questions to ask when.
As your meeting is early in the sales cycle and your relationship with a prospect, the best questions and discussions with the buyer should focus on THEIR business needs and pain points. As you get further in the sales process with the buyer you'll need to learn about their buying process, legal requirements, and so on. But gathering that information should come second to understanding their business, what problem your customer needs to solve, and what potential benefits you have to offer.
Asking about budget, funding allocations, or who is involved in the purchasing decision would not be, typically, appropriate in your initial discovery calls & discussions.
True or False? When a new buyer asks if the Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) you're proposing is just another name for contract pricing, you can confidently respond with “Yes.”
Answer explanation:
Enterprise License Agreements can be the right choice when you are striving to build a long-term (and equitable) relationship with a customer.
Although it's easy to get pulled into price-per-user discussions, ELAs are often a better choice, for several important reasons. First, they establish and preserve your optimal price point, so that when new opportunities appear, you're in a strong negotiating position. Second, ELAs make it easy for your customer to drive adoption and use more of your product, which leads to more opportunities to expand your footprint. Third, it shows your customer that you are a partner who is investing in their success.
An ELA is NOT an alternate way to provide a discount.
Mina, a new prospect in an existing account, is ready to buy. She tells you, "I know my group is going to use a lot less than the other three departments you told me about, but I still think we merit the same discount as everyone else." From a pricing perspective, what is your best response to Mina?
Answer explanation:
The best approach is to pursue an ELA, to align the emerging high-volume commitment at this customer with the best price for them. Negotiating an ELA will also open the opportunity to "close down" some of the other deals, and let you negotiate for their extension.
If Mina isn't in a position to help you call higher and find the person who can negotiate an ELA, presenting her with a list price proposal for her separate purchase is the best answer.
It is not appropriate to give Mina the same discount as other departments within her company. Doing so would set a too-low "me too" pricing precedent for every future deal and future renewal at Mina's company.
Typically companies require sales managers to confirm that they have validated differentiated value with their deal sponsor within ________.
Answer explanation:
A sales manager (especially with a new team) needs to work closely with his or her reps to make sure that each deal's progression is based on identified (and agreed upon) business value, not just a successful product demo.
Sales managers need to confirm, and document in salesforce, that business value agreements are in place, within 90 days. As documented in our company's sales portal, deferring confirmation for more than 120 days requires SVP approval, and jeopardizes your team's commission for the quarter.
After a successful demo of your product, Sidney says "That looks great. I know I'm going to need to run this by my boss & also the purchasing department -- can you tell me how much this will cost us?"
What's your next best move with Sidney?
Answer explanation:
Customers often want to move immediately to a discussion about price, however, it is important to establish your value proposition and agree on the tangible benefits that your solution can provide to your customer, first.
Offering to provide the price sheet in return for another meeting with Sidney's boss OR in return for another meeting w/Sidney alone would be the best next step.
In either case, you are asking Sidney to make a stronger commitment to the buying process and signal his willingness and ability to continue. Another meeting with his boss gets you higher in the org chart, which is always desirable; another meeting with Sidney alone will provide the opportunity to deep dive into potential use cases and benefits, which helps you build the business case (together) that Sidney will need to get management and purchasing approval.
Providing the price sheet right away is not the optimal answer; it gives Sidney the opportunity to "go dark," leaves you blind to what will happen next, and eliminates your control of the sales process. Inviting all three to a social outing is probably the wrong move, and is likely too soon in the process.
You sell a product that helps companies get new employees certified in food safety handling. The government requires that clerks be certified before they can work on the retail sales floor. You're on a discovery call with a new prospect, Jim, who is the manager of new employee training.
To open the call, you should ask Jim which of the following questions?
Answer explanation:
In a discovery discussion, an open-ended question about time is often appropriate; no matter the industry or role of your prospect, time is usually a factor. A question that mentions both time and specifics about the prospect's environment shows that you have insight and a point of view worth listening to.
Open-ended questions let your contact share his or her point of view, and give you the opportunity to actively listen and be on the lookout for ways to steer the conversation towards your product's potential benefits.
A broader question like "tell me about your strategy" may also be appropriate, however it could weaken your credibility as a solution-oriented seller who has insight into their particular industry or role.
Leaping to a question that you've framed around losing money may be too strong -- your prospect may not yet be thinking in terms of lost revenue or, in this example. Jim's role as the training manager may put him on the defensive since you're accusing him of losing money.
Similarly, opening with a statement about the amount of time your product can reduce is premature -- since you are jumping to a benefit that Jim may necessarily need. Chewing and spewing your product benefits before actively listening and uncovering Jim's pain is premature.
After visiting your booth and seeing a product demo at a recent trade show, a new buyer agrees to a discovery call with you.
As you prepare for the meeting, which of the following questions should you be prepared to ask?
Answer explanation:
Although any one of these questions could be used with a prospect, selecting the best comes down to timing -- knowing which questions to ask when.
As your meeting is early in the sales cycle and your relationship with a prospect, the best questions and discussions with the buyer should focus on THEIR business needs and pain points. As you get further in the sales process with the buyer you'll need to learn about their buying process, legal requirements, and so on. But gathering that information should come second to understanding their business, what problem your customer needs to solve, and what potential benefits you have to offer.
Asking about budget, funding allocations, or who is involved in the purchasing decision would not be, typically, appropriate in your initial discovery calls & discussions.