Books by Steve Thompson

Can’t-Lose Accounts brings the Value LifecycleTM full circle with simple tools to help you leverage delivered value and drive repeat business with existing happy customers. Cross-selling and upselling opportunities are the holy grail of selling. Satisfied key stakeholders will do most of your “selling” legwork for you when they can justify and articulate the past value you’ve delivered. Get credit for that value, and make it the cornerstone of an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship between buyer and seller. From the book: “Your goal is not to just win a deal but to win a long-term customer, one that will renew readily and proactively bring new opportunities for you to grow the relationship.” “We should always remember how difficult it is for the customer to buy, and then demonstrate internally that they made a good business decision.” “When you deliver value to the people that matter, you make it very hard for a competitor to steal that business.” “Simply put, Past Value Delivered drives customer retention and growth.”

The Painless Negotiation leverages the principles of The Compelling Proposal to turn "negotiations" into straightforward business discussions on how to best maximize the value in a deal for both parties. Using just three key concepts, anyone can accurately diagnose which side has the power, how compelling a deal is and to whom, how to trade to overcome obstacles, and how to frame the "right negotiation" to implement the best negotiation strategy. Negotiating the "right way" then means ensuring we always trade (versus concede) and that no single thing is ever taken off the table-or agreed to-until the whole deal is agreed to. From the book: "The formal negotiation is ... where either all the good things you've done can pay big dividends, or all the 'sins' you've committed will have to be atoned for." "Not creating value when selling and/or failing to ensure value delivery from previous purchases ... are the primary reasons that deals get stuck at the point of negotiation." "While it may seem counterintuitive, it is easier to negotiate a deal with a dozen deal levers on the table than with just one or two." "How you manage the negotiation with procurement will have a big influence on how the customer feels about the deal they make with you."

The Irresistible Value Proposition takes the least understood concept in business-value-and turns it into a powerful selling tool! In B2B sales, you make your value proposition irresistible when you:1. Tie it to both business and personal priorities of key decision makers2. Highlight your incremental value to their most likely alternative3. Present it using the customer's success metricsLearn to make the customer want what you're selling-and want it now-by clearly communicating your value in their language.

In this crisp, accessible read, Steve Thompson brings value back to the light of day by highlighting the four key challenges that make it difficult for customers to award must-win deals to you.

• They don't understand your value proposition.

• They can't connect their value goal with your proposal.

• Your price is too high, and you don't have a negotiation plan to keep value in the deal.

• They don't know the past value you've delivered.

Some-or all-of the above are why Must-Win Deals is a must read for you and everyone on your sales team.

The Compelling Proposal builds on the principles in The Irresistible Value Proposition to transform the document that everyone loves to hate-on both sides of the deal-into a concise seven-page tool for bridging selling and negotiation. Written in the customer's language, your compelling proposal will dramatically increase engagement by presenting multiple acceptable options to the buyer, giving them a rare opportunity to participate in crafting a deal that is good for both sides. As a result, you will establish trust, build credibility, and make it easy for the customer to buy from you! From the book: "The current state of supplier proposals is truly abysmal.""The compelling proposal is focused on the customer, the outcomes they are trying to achieve, the deal levers that will best enable them to achieve those results, and options for moving forward. What customer would not like that?""Your role is to make it easy for the customer to choose you and your firm by building trust and credibility while managing any uncertainty surrounding the deal.""If you want your customer to trust you, show them what you know about their business, not what you know about yours.