Solution Strategies' Business Opportunity Analysis Delivers Real Value and Cost Savings to the Selling Process

ROCHESTER, Mich., April 7 -- Organizations looking to find a more repeatable and reliable process to develop, manage and close multiple, complex sales opportunities from large and geographically diverse customer accounts have a new tool to get the job done -- the Business Opportunity Analysis sales process. Solution Strategies, Inc. and the other Sales Productivity Consortium members -- Shepherd Solutions, Inc. and PipelineManager.com, LLC -- provide a new approach to selling that helps sales organizations build business by understanding and delivering value to their prospective customers. The sales function can then contribute directly to the performance of their customers' businesses.

The Sales Productivity Consortium -- Solution Strategies, Inc., Shepherd Solutions, Inc. and PipelineManager.com, LLC -- are sponsoring and exhibiting at the Society of Automotive Engineers 2005 World Congress in the Detroit Hall Networking Lounge from April 11-14, 2005.

Business Opportunity Analysis is the newest sales process on the market which provides a new approach to managing complex selling in both the auto industry and general industrial markets. This process is focused on value proposition identification, relationship development, selling time productivity and profitability. Solution Strategies first introduced the sales process in 2001. It has been used by major players in the automotive industry such as Delphi, Rockwell Automation, FANUC Robotics America and SAE International.

"The Business Opportunity Analysis process concentrates on the relationship end of selling and differentiates itself by measuring selling time by profitability," said Brian Polowniak, president & CEO, Solution Strategies, Inc. "This process is unique since it ties your measurement to profitability and seeks to improve the process by reducing selling costs. It's a great fit for the automotive market which is always looking for ways to reduce overall costs and improve customer service."

Companies that train their sales forces in the Business Opportunity Analysis process enjoy the following benefits -- improved closing rates, increased win rates, increased revenue and shortened sales cycles. In addition, the process helps companies spend less time selling more content using the same amount of resources. Other benefits include reduced costs, increased gross profit margin and improved forecast accuracy.

"Business Opportunity Analysis is an excellent tool to use in making much more accurate forecasts and predicting the probability of key business opportunities," said Tim Moynihan, Symbol Technologies, Inc.

Additionally, the Business Opportunity Analysis sales process can be customized to the customer's unique needs, business issues and culture. The process is customized by a highly seasoned professional familiar with the customer's specific marketplace.

  Business Opportunity Analysis Sales Process Key Differentiators

  Salespeople learn to -

-- Prioritize sales and sales support resources to maximize review and profit margins

-- Maximize selling time investment with effective customer account qualification

  -- Develop critical action plans based on the sales cycle timeline
  -- Identify value proposition content to meet customer needs

-- Differentiate value to various levels of decision makers within the same customer

  -- Build relationships with the most important decision makers
  -- Forecast real probability of closing critical sales opportunities
  -- Measure sales performance to avoid losing the order
  -- Track opportunities with customized tools

  Sales Productivity Consortium

Solution Strategies, Inc., a global consulting firm, helps companies with complex sales cycles grow their businesses, manage executive relationships and develop sales strategy for the global marketplace. By using Solution Strategies' sales analysis and pursuit processes, clients improve sales team productivity, develop global customers and significantly improve profit. These sales organizations become strategic partners with their clients, rather than just another supplier.

Shepherd Solutions, Inc. is a global consulting firm that provides marketing and sales performance improvement, customer relationship management and aftermarket operations improvement. Shepherd Solutions is a principal partner in Solution Strategies, Inc. and delivers the Business Opportunity Analysis process to key clients in the automotive and industrial automation industries.

PipelineManager.com, LLC delivers a new breed of sales force automation/customer relationship management (SFA/CRM) designed to help organizations transform into smarter, coordinated and strategic selling teams. The proven Business Opportunity Analysis sales process forms the core of a suite of online tools to manage the sales function. PipelineManager gives salespeople the ongoing reinforcement needed to learn and enhance strategic selling skills.