The following are frequently asked questions about the High Stakes Consulting Workshops:

• Why do you use the poker analogy in your workshops?
• Who can use High Stakes Selling?
• What is the High Stakes Selling Game Plan?
• Is the Game Plan like an account plan?
• How many people can attend a single workshop?
• Why should I send my salespeople to a workshop if they can just read the book?
• Will the High Stakes Selling methodology conflict with other training programs my salespeople have taken?

Why do you use the poker analogy in your workshops?

Many sales books and training programs use academic or esotaric vocabularies to describe the ideas and concepts they contain. Valuable time is wasted as participants struggle to learn, understand and remember much of this unnecessarily complex terminology. When salespeople and others leave these workshops the new verbiage is soon forgotten and most go back to using their habitual words - nothing changes.

The idea behind HSC's workshops is to introduce a process for playing and winning high-stakes sales games that everyone on the sales team will use. The poker vocabulary is a compelling way for participants to quickly understand and remember the High Stakes Selling approach when discussing and implementing complex strategies and game plans. Not only is the poker analogy exciting and interesting, it is already familiar to most everyone around the world.

Who can use High Stakes Selling?

In these days of worldwide customers and global account teams, sales campaigns are rarely conducted by a single salesperson. Today, a game plan for a high-stakes opportunity requires the involvement and commitment of many different people, from sales support specialist and senior management to business and channel partners. High Stakes Selling workshops are designed for:

• Global and local account teams that need game plans for key opportunities
• Regional sales managers experiencing increased competition
• Sales executives that need to increase sales and lower cost-of-sales
• Marketing managers that need sales strategies for new product roll-outs
• Meeting planners that want an exciting theme for an upcoming sales meeting

What is the High Stakes Selling Game Plan?

The High Stakes Selling Game Plan is a tool that salespeople can use when preparing for their really important opportunities - the ones they want to win. This document is designed to help sales teams collect and analyze information from specific areas that have the potential to provide them with a competitive advantage.

The Game Plan serves as a roadmap, helping sales teams to develop strategies and plays needed to win large, complex opportunities. The idea behind this approach is not to get locked into a rigid plan with inflexible goals and unchangable strategies. The objective is to prepare members of the sales team to identify and take advantage of real-time events, circumstances and opportunities that will improve their odds of success.

Is the Game Plan like an account plan?

No, the High Stakes Game Plan does not cover all of the area involved in a traditional account plan. This document is not a historical depository of a vendor's past activities and successes with a customer. It is focused only on proven areas that present the greatest potential for creating advantage within a specific large sales opportunity.

The High Stakes Game Plan has been designed with 2 objectives in mind. The first is to collect the information that can reduce and control the uncertainties of a game. The other is to increase the degree of uncertainty among the opponents who are also playing.

How many people can attend a single workshop?

High Stakes Selling workshops are designed for between 15 - 25 people. These sessions are highly interactive and each participant receives individual attention. Four to five different sales teams can attend a single workshop and develop game plans for their specific opportunities.

Why should I send my salespeople to a workshop if they can just read the book?

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HSC workshops are conducted by highly trained, sales professionals that will lead the group through a fast-paced process designed to engage and challenge them. The workshop setting provides a unique opportunity for salespeople to analyze information, discuss options and prepare strategies using the collective intelligence and best thinking of their team and others in the workshop. Participants will receive immediate feedback on the game plans they prepare and invaluable suggestions for improving their odds of winning.

Will the High Stakes methodology conflict with other training programs my salespeople have taken?