They already have a magic wand, in fact they have 2. its called their ears. If your sales people listened more they would be able to respond to "challenges" from prospects, customers and competitors.
We use a process we developed at Stages of Innovation (http://www.stagesofinnovation.com/) called the Marketing Optimization Grid. We use it for new products as well as helping to tweak existing ones and to sell against the competition.
It is a series of 4 grids that in Grid 1 work through the customer needs and which stakeholders either have the need, influence the sale, or is a decision maker. In Grid 2 you are looking at what features of your product or service you should be emphasizing so your customer can receive the benefit to satisfy their needs. Grid 3 takes you out of selling and into marketing and focuses on positioning by looking at how you should package the offer. And finally in Grid 4 you look at value proposition by looking at what they are giving up to use your product or service.
We start at Grid 1 for new products. At Grid 2 to tweak our existing products. And at Grid 4 and work backwards to look at competitive products. The process backwards decomposes the competitors offer and identifies the gaps in meeting the customer's needs. It becomes very easy to sell against the gaps.
It works but it requires your sales people to stop talking, ask questions and listen to the customer.
To find out more take a go to my web site at http://www.stagesofinnovation.com/
Rob Goldberg 2009
