SEATTLE, March 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Truly great sales professionals understand that helping customers solve key issues and challenges should be the keystone underpinning a highly relevant and successful sales philosophy. The difficulty lies in defining how to be “problem-centric.” It requires much more than simply understanding common customer problems or the key terminology that customers use. Sales professionals must also first understand how those problems manifest; the stakeholders attached to those issues; and ultimately, how the enterprise makes decisions to address those problems.
In their new mini book, The Power of Problems, available as a free download, authors Tim Ohai, President of Growth & Associates and recognized as a “Top 40 Sales Influencers" on Twitter; and Brian Lambert, Ph.D., director of consulting for Oxygen Learning, tackle this topic head on, providing concrete definitions and concepts that any sales professional can implement, no matter which business or industry they are selling. Lambert and Ohai, who are the creators of Agility Selling, a sales methodology approach, also co-wrote the book, “Sales Chaos: Using Agility Selling to Think and Sell Differently.”
“The goal for writing The Power of Problems is simple: we want to help sales professionals, particularly those in frontline sales, to become more relevant in their sales conversations,” said Tim Ohai. “We also created The Power of Problems as a social experience. If any of our readers have content or suggestions they would like to see added to the book, they can engage us directly at the Agility Selling portal. Moving forward we will also be adding blog and podcast material. It’s really all about helping sales professionals think outside the box—any advantage is a good advantage!” continued Ohai.
In addition to the release of their new book, Agility Selling recently partnered with Lambert’s firm Oxygen Learning, a learning and development consulting and services company, to teach organizations how to more effectively recognize and align sales teams with customer needs. The Agility Selling methodology supports sales executives, sales reps and sales trainers, enabling the creation of sustainable training and sales processes.
What They’re Saying about The Power of Problems:
JD Stewart, CRO at Precision Disposable Products
After reading, one glaring fact stood clear to me, I missed out on several opportunities that would have enabled me to crush my goal beyond my already successful sales career. As a sales leader I recognized after reading The Power of Problems, if given this powerful method my teams would have been even better and more empowered. I highly recommend Tim Ohai and Brian Lambert's new book to all sales people who want to solve customer problems and become strategic partners. Tim and Brian make the traditional sales cycle obsolete and create a new foundation for everyone in the sales ecosystem from sales executives to sales reps to sales trainers.
Dave Stein, Co-Author of Beyond the Sales Process
Tim Ohai and Brian Lambert are two of my favorite people in the world of professional selling, and the fact that they have teamed up to produce Agility Selling should speak volumes to you. Their current book, The Power of Problems, lays the foundation of what is absolutely critical for selling today - creating relevance through solving your customers' problems and addressing their challenges. This book both defines how to be problem-centric and offers practical advice for selling in a wide variety of situations. It is must-read material for any sales professional - regardless of job title.
Jim Keenan, CEO of a Sales Guy, Top sales blogger, Author of Not Taught
Finally, a sales book that nets out what it takes to win the sale. Tim and Brian point sales people in the right direction, cutting through decades of misinformation and product-centric selling. The Power of Problems describes exactly how customers want to engage with sales people and those that adopt the methods of this book will lead the pack!
Nancy Nardin, Founder of Smart Selling Tools, Top sales blogger
I love reading a book that tilts my thinking in an unexpected way. Sure, it’s great to reinforce existing skill-sets and knowledge. When I learn a new way to think about something, however, is when I get truly interested. The Power of Problems is not just interesting, it’s riveting, starting with Chapter 1, where the authors explain why referring to customer problems as “opportunities” is now dead-wrong (if it hasn’t always been). What follows is a new explanation for how companies deal with problems and the ramifications for sellers. You’ll learn new definitions of buyer roles like Problem Owner, Problem Driver, and Problem Managers and you’ll begin to realize that describing roles by their level of decision-making authority is insufficient. Not only will I incorporate this new way of solving buyer problems to grow my own business, I’ll also incorporate it into how I advise clients.
Babette Ten Haken, Founder of Sales Aerobics for Engineers, Top Sales Blogger
In The Power of Problems, Tim Ohai and Brian Lambert create a powerfully relevant, valuable and transformational book for today's seller. Ohai and Lambert offer readers a fresh approach to understanding how and why problem definition, rather than needs assessment, drives sales outcomes. Trust me, this is not the same old sales stuff repackaged. The book is relevant for all tiers of sales folks, from executives to reps to trainers. Your time is valuable. That's why I strongly recommend you refocus your sales acumen on the right stuff. And that right stuff just happens to be The Power of Problems. Grab your download as fast as you can.
Dave Brock, CEO at Partners in EXCELLENCE, Author of Sales Manager Survival Guide
The function of sales wouldn’t exist if our customers didn’t have problems. They’d have no need to change, they’d be happy doing things the way they always have. Of course, they would struggle to grow, compete and survive, because our worlds are constantly changing. Helping our customers identify problems, helping them evaluate alternative courses of action, helping them move forward in selecting solutions and solving problems is really the at the core of all selling. Somehow, though, too many sales people seem to have drifted away from this. Tim and Brian have provided an outstanding guide to helping every sales professional move forward with their customers.
Lynn Hidy, Founder of Up Your Telesales, Top sales blogger
Whose problems are the center of your reality as a professional seller? I have to admit, that question isn't one I've asked myself – at least in that particular way. My brain was on overdrive before I even finished chapter 1 of The Power of Problems by Tim Ohai and Brian Lambert. There was MY problem - the first thoughts I had were of my problems, a sales manager's problems, the VP of sales' problems... NOT the problems faced by prospects and customers.
If you've been looking at sales from your point of view, the challenges and problems you're facing start there! I'd suggest you read this book to begin your journey into a sales career that begins from the perspective of the people who buy from you. You’ll see your success take OFF and never look back. Then it will be easy to focus on prospect and customer problems, yours will have evaporated.
The Power of Problems mini-book will be updated online continuously and is available for free download here.
About Agility Selling
Based on over a decade’s worth of research, thousands of interviews, and hands-on work with sales reps and managers around the globe, Agility Selling is a new value communication and sales conversation methodology designed to help salespeople communicate value in a more timely, relevant, and specific way across buyer value networks. Unlike traditional sales approaches, Agility Selling is a full methodology that audits and improves everything from simple, B2C interactions that require a more consultative approach up to complex, enterprise-level B2B strategic relationships — all focused on driving relevance into customer conversations.