#50 How to understand and align with your customer's buying journey with Subhanjan Sarkar.

Enterprise Excellence Podcast with Brad Jeavons

• 45 min

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Introduction Welcome to episode 50 of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast. It is such a pleasure to have Mr Subhanjan Sarkar on the show with us today. Subhanjan's purpose is to help sales teams worldwide improve and achieve great results for their customers and themselves. Subhanjan has extensive knowledge and experience in IT, the origins of the new buyer-led transaction era and excellence in value transaction outcomes. Today we will explore how to understand and align with a customer's buying journey to deliver outcomes that exceed expectations for customers and your organisation.   Proudly sponsored by S A Partners, a world-leading business transformation consultancy.Key Takeaways   1. Think long-term This first key takeaway, to think long-term with sales and the importance of this starting with senior leadership, was a great insight from Subhahnjan. Senior leadership need to make a significant culture shift from short term commodity-based sales to longer-term trusting relationships and adding value to have any chance of achieving success. 2. Understand your customer and align with their buying journey  The second key takeaway, understanding your customer and aligning with their buying journey, is critical in achieving sales excellence. Subhanjan mentioned starting early in a customer's buying journey at the discovery phase. In the discovery phase, the customer doesn't know that they require a solution and who could help them. In this stage, customers need salespeople to take the time to understand them and their world. Plan how to connect with customers with abundance and value and build a process.   Customer Journey Mapping is a great technique to help a team start to think this way. Go to <a href="http://www.enterpriseexcellencepodcast.com/downloads" rel="nofollow">enterpriseexcellencepodcast.com/downloads</a> to find customer journey mapping templates and resources. You can also find Subhanjan's thought-provoking e-book "What I Learnt Today" that he has kindly supplied for our listeners. Two Minute Tip - Get into the buying journey early, connect with them, research for them, aid them, and you will have a seat at the table.  My tip is that start really early. And that's sometimes may be daunting because you may not know what to do. And that's okay. Because the buyer possibly at that point doesn't know themselves. But if you are being a partner of that journey of not knowing and the discovery, I can guarantee you; you will have the permission to be on the table. And actually put in the time. As a salesperson, instead of cold calling, if we did research and knowledge sharing and sense-making for our prospects, I think we will be in a much better position. So my thought is that if you can somehow ensure that you are starting early and getting on that journey that the buyer is starting now, which will culminate 18 months from today.  Start early, be there for what they need. Connect them, search for them, aid them, and you will have a seat at the table.What next? Connect with Subhanjan Sarkar: <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/subhanjansarkar" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a> Download Subhanjan's e-book from our website: <a href="http://www.enterpriseexcellencepodcast.com/downloads" rel="nofollow">What I Learnt Today</a> Listen to podcast 27: <a href="https://www.bradjeavons.com/post/27-how-to-apply-agile-sales-with-brad-jeavons" rel="nofollow">Agile Sales with Brad Jeavons.</a> Brad is proud to support many Australian businesses. You can find him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn here</a>. If you’d like to speak to him about how he can help your business, call him on 0402 448 445, or emai To learn more about what we do, visit <a href="https://www.enterpriseexcellenceacademy.com/" rel="nofollow">www.enterpriseexcellenceacademy.com</a>. Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.