Announcement

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Outside-In Selling: Mastering the Virtual Sale

It is no surprise that I have been hearing a lot about how we now must sell differently thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.  I am among the legions of road warriors that have been transformed into desk jockeys.  I miss the days of meeting with customers.  Like many, I have now moved to staring into my webcam and meeting in the two-dimensional world.  

With our Outside-In focus it was only natural for me to invert the focus from selling to buying and consider how buyers are now buying differently.  So, leveraging our research approaches, we talked to buyers about their world.  We asked them about their challenges, how they are working with sales teams, and what advice they would have for salespeople.  As ever, what we heard was insightful and provided clear direction for how we must think of selling differently.  I soon realized that learning how to use Zoom, or the like, effectively is only a small component of how we need to effectively transform from three-dimensional to two-dimensional sellers.  The article we have just published shares some of our findings and recommendations.  I am also pleased to share that we have developed a training program that builds upon this Outside-In, customer-centric view of the new world.  Just let me know if you would be interested in the details of the program or any further insight gained from our research.  Also, share your own thoughts on adjusting from 3D to 2D selling. You can view the offering and download the course description here.  If you have any questions for us, on virtual sales or otherwise, feel free to contact us using the email box below.

– Martyn Lewis, CEO & Founder of Market-Partners Inc.

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COVID-19 Company Statement

All organizations are operating under changed conditions with the Covid-19 crisis. The safety of our employees and those of our clients are of primary concern and we will act in accordance with local and state regulations and guidelines as well as taking what we consider to be reasonable precautions in all business dealings.

With the current situation much work that would previously have been conducted in a face-to-face manner is now being managed remotely. Working virtually is a strength of Market-Partners. We invested ten years ago in a sister company, 3gSelling LLC, that is a recognized leader in the design, development, and delivery of blended learning with an emphasis on using live virtual for the delivery of collaborative and training workshops. The methods used by 3gSelling won the Gold Award for innovation at the CLO Forum and were used as case studies by Adobe and Citrix. Given the current limitations on travel and face-to-face meetings, Market-Partners is leveraging the expertise and approaches from 3gSelling to translate what would previously have been classroom style meetings and workshops to the virtual space. It is important to note that we do not simply take the materials and approaches we would have used in a conference room and deliver them over the web. We restructure and redevelop our programs for effective delivery in the virtual world.

We have also leveraged this deep experience and leadership thinking to help sales professionals that now must utilize virtual technologies with their own customers. We have investigated how the pandemic and economic uncertainty has changed buying patterns. We have integrated this new knowledge into all our consulting services and training programs.

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Book Launch Interview with Mary Windishar and Martyn Lewis

Join Mary Windishar and Martyn Lewis as they discuss Martyn’s new book, How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t.

You will hear:

• Why Martyn was motivated to write this book

• The background and research that led up to writing the book

• What the findings in the book mean to the entrepreneur, business executive, sales or marketing professional

• How the concepts in the book have led to significant and sustainable growth for organizations from start ups to industry giants

• Why Martyn is dedicating a portion of royalties of the book to the Sonoma Resilience Fund

CLICK HERE to listen online right now or download audio files to your favorite device to listen offline.

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Partial Book Royalties Donated to Charity

Last October I lost my home and offices to the wildfires that raged through Sonoma County. With only seconds of warning, we were forced to flee in the middle of the night with the blazing inferno all around us. Literally when the smoke cleared, 5,300 homes were destroyed, 24 people tragically lost their lives, and thousands have had their lives impacted by the event.

Many of those impacted by the fire do not have the same means and support that my wife and I are fortunate to have. I have decided to donate a portion of my new book’s sales to help in the effort. I have chosen to work with the Sonoma Resilience Fund because of their dedicated focus on the provision of mid- and long-term support, and their track record of being able to direct funds to where they are needed most.

100% of the royalties on all pre-order and first week sales of How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t will be donated to this charity, and thereafter 25% of royalties from the first printing of the book will be donated to them as well.

A personal thank you from me and I hope you enjoy the book.

Martyn Lewis,
Sonoma County, 2018

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Martyn Lewis’ Book to Hit Shelves August 15

How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t

Mapping and Managing the Buying Journey DNA

by Martyn R. Lewis

 

“Turns out, it’s not about selling any more.  It’s about buying. This book is going to be a seminal work in the evolution of commercial success in the early part of the 21st century.”

— Scott C. Lewis [no relation], CEO Roundtable

 

In today’s interconnected world with its abundance of information, choice, and marketing, how customers buy has drastically changed.  Never has there been more of a disconnect between how companies go to market and how those markets actually buy. Whether you’re an executive, an entrepreneur, a marketer, or a salesperson, it’s time to look beyond how you sell and focus on how your customers buy.

Enter the definitive guidebook for successful revenue generation, How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t: Mapping and Managing the Buying Journey DNA (Radius Books, August 15, 2018), by Martyn R. Lewis. In the mid ‘90s, after more than two decades in corporate sales and marketing from front-line sales rep to CEO of a large multinational, Martyn R. Lewis launched his own company, Market-Partners Inc. He and his team not only interacted with their clients, but also reached out to their clients’ customers and made some illuminating and startling discoveries. Because even when the sales efforts were strong and the products were great, all too often customers didn’t buy. Something was wrong, something was missing.

From that point on came more than 15 years of research that has led to the author’s compelling argument that businesses must look beyond their own internal view of how something is sold, to the external reality of how customers actually buy.

Says Lewis, “This is not another new selling methodology, nor is it a replacement for good sales skills and training. It is rather an evolutionary and somewhat radical re-focus on what is actually going on in the customer’s buying journey.”

Part one of How Customers Buy introduces the author’s foundational concept of Outside-in Revenue Generation. He decodes the six elements of the Customer Buying Journey DNA, defines the nine Buying Concerns, and unveils the elegant 4Q Buying Style Quadrant that unlocks the intricacies of how buyers actually think. Part two then takes all that has been discussed and answers the question “What to Do About It?”. This section rests on the major premise of “Changing the course of events,” wherein the author reveals that there are only four things that can be done to positively impact the market. He then turns to their practical application with the development of the Market Engagement Strategy and the five essential elements contained within. Part three translates that strategy into actual sales and marketing actions. He introduces the CBJ Navigator, the powerful tool for bringing all aspects of Outside-In Revenue Generation to the enterprise. Also included in the book are many real-life examples and two highly-detailed case studies and analyses.

From startups to Fortune 500 companies, How Customers Buy is a wake-up call to all those whose livelihood depends on successful revenue generation.

In credible, readable and practical terms, Lewis challenges readers to rethink their current methods, revealing:

  • Stop solving the wrong problem: Research shows that most customers do “get it”, they understand the value and ROI of offerings.
  • Discover the six elements of the customer buying journey DNA
  • Understand the nine buying concerns, any one of which can derail the buying journey
  • Get inside the customer’s mind: How the 4Q Quadrant unlocks how buyers actually think
  • The four key sales and marketing rules that will positively impact your results
  • The five essential components of the market engagement strategy
  • No Sale? What to do when customers aren’t buying your products or services

Parts of the proceeds from How Customers Buy will be donated to victims of the Sonoma County 2017 Wildfires.

Learn more and get your copy of the book at buyingjourneydna.com.