This document provides guidance on conducting an opportunity assessment for sales opportunities. It outlines key questions to consider in areas such as determining if there is a real opportunity, assessing competitiveness, determining if the opportunity can be won, and deciding if it is worth pursuing. The goal is to structure the opportunity qualification process, qualify accounts faster, and focus time and resources on the most viable opportunities. Key steps include understanding customer needs and objectives, evaluating financial factors, assessing the solution fit and competitive landscape, and identifying decision-makers and their criteria.

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Sales strategy is about speed, winning and teamwork

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Strategy & Teamwork

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• Focusing on the correct issues with specific people at
the right time
• Growing and Testing a comprehensive plan for your
sales efforts and opportunities
• Enabling you to better communicate with all
stakeholders and your team
• Moving your Sales focus from Tactical to Strategic
Road Map of the Track

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Return on Investment
Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Productivity
Time
Strategic
Tactical
Competitive &
Advising
Time and $Entry

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First things First – Opportunity Assessment
• Purpose
Provides you (and your manager) with a
structured, repeatable method for analysing a
sales opportunity
• Benefits
– Qualifies Accounts and opportunities faster
and affective by analysing them from the
most critical business and competitive
perspective
– Invest time, energy and resources on the
most likely opportunity that you can win
– Allows you to communicate the key issues
• Output
– Comprehensive Assessment of Account and
opp’s
1 ASSESS THE OPP
2
SET THE COMPETITIVE
STRATAGY/EXACT
NEEDS
3
IDENTIFY THE KEY
PLAYERS
4
RELATIONSHIP
STRATAGY
5
TURN IDEAS INTO
ACTIONS

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Key Questions
• Is there a real and noticeable opportunity?
• Can we compete, flank, coexist, Defend or attack on a full
frontal basis
• Can we win?
• Is it worth winning and do we want to win?

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Is there a Opportunity (Business Objectives)
Customer
Application or
Project
Customer Business
Profile
Customers
Financial Condition
Access To Funds
• What are the customers requirements?
• What is the customers key issues and objectives
• Who initiated the Project?
• How does this project fit into the customers business strategy?
• What is the customers products and services?
• What are their key markets?
• Who are their customers?
• What is driving the customers business internally and externally?
• What are their revenue and profit trends?
• How does their financials compare to similar companies?
• What is their financial outlook?
• What is the customer’s key performance metrics?
• What is the budget for purchasing or the project?
• What is the customers budgeting process?
• What is the priority of this project?
• What are the customers alternative uses of this capital?
Customer
Application or
Project
Customer Business
Profile
Customers
Financial Condition
Access To Funds
• What are the customers requirements?
• What is the customers key issues and objectives
• Who initiated the Project?
• How does this project fit into the customers business strategy?
• What is the customers products and services?
• What are their key markets?
• Who are their customers?
• What is driving the customers business internally and externally?
• What are their revenue and profit trends?
• How does their financials compare to similar companies?
• What is their financial outlook?
• What is the customer’s key performance metrics?

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Confucius Says
“He who cannot describe the problem
will never find the solution”

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Compelling Event – Business Issue
Business Profile
Business
Drivers
Business
Initiatives
Compelling
Event
• Why does the customer have to act?
• What is the Deadline for the customer to make a decision?
• What are the consequences if the project is delayed?
• What is the payback for the customer if this project/initiative is
a success?
• What will be the measurable impact on the customers
business?

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Can we compete?
Formal Decision
Criteria
Solution Fit
Sales Resources
Required
Current
Relationship
• What are the customers decision criteria?
• What is the formal decision criteria?
• Which decision criteria is the most important? Why?
• Who formulated the decision criteria?
• How well does your solution solve the customer’s problem?
• What does the customer Think?
• What modifications or enhancements will be required?
• What external resources do you need to meet the customers requirements?
• How much time will the sales team need to invest on this opportunity?
• What additional internal or external resources will you need to win?
• What is the project/initiative cost of sale?
• What is the opportunity Cost?
• What is the status of your relationship?
• What is the status of each competitor's relationship with the customer?

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Value Proposition
Business Profile
Bus
Drivers
Bus
Initiatives
Business
Value
Business
Profile
BusDrivers
BusInitiatives
• Defines your Unique business Value
• Specific to Customer
• Creates a specific or measurable business outcome
• Sets the Customers expectations
• Assures your ability to deliver
Business Profile
Bus
Drivers
Bus
Initiatives
BusDrivers
BusInitiatives

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Can we win? - Power
Inside Support
Executive Credibility
Cultural Compatibility
Informal Decision
Criteria
• Who in the customers organization wants to win?
• What have they done to indicate their support?
• Are they willing and able to act on your behalf?
• Do they have credibility within their own organization?
• Which executives will be affected or be affected by this decision?
• How have you established trust and credibility with them?
• How will you gain access to them?
• What is your plan to gain return access to them?
• What is the customers culture?
• How does it compare to your company?
• What is the customers philosophy towards vendors and suppliers?
• Can you adjust or adapt? Do you want to adapt?
• How will the decision really be made?
• What intangible, subjective factors could affect this decision?
• What are the unstated issues?
• Who’s private opinions do you know and which ones count?
Political Alignment
• Who is the most powerful people involved in this decision?
• Do they want you to win? Why?
• Are they able to influence or change the decision criteria?
• Can they create a sense of urgency? How have they demonstrated this?

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Is it worth winning?
Short Term Revenue
Future Revenue
Profitability
Degree of Risk
• What is the order amount?
• Does it exceed your threshold?
• When will it close?
• Is it within your time frame?
• What is the potential for future business in the next year? OR Three years?
• Does it exceed your threshold?
• How is this project/initiative/purchase linked to the future?
• How will you ensure that the customers promises becomes commitments?
• What is the projected profit on this sales opportunity
• Does it exceed your profitability threshold?
• What impact will discounts have on your profit and credibility?
• How do you increase the profitability on this order?
• How can your solution fail?
• What are the critical dependencies in delivering value to the customer?
• How can the customer cause your solution to fail?
• What is the impact on your business if you fail?
Strategic Value
• What is the value of this opportunity to you beyond the revenue?
• How does this opportunity fit in your business plan?
• How can you leverage this opportunity into revenue from other companies?
• How will this opportunity help you improve your product or service?

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