Page 89 - engage workbook

11 When faced with an issue or challenge, most of us look at

whatever is immediately in front of us and attempt to tackle
it. In doing this, we often lose sight of the bigger picture -
or never consider the bigger picture - and so achieve less video
than stellar results. Our various biases, discussed in section
6, reinforce this behavior.

learn
To change perspective and be able to engage buyers at a higher, strategic level as opposed
to a tactical level, enhances the value we bring. Applying Levels of Thinking, Spicy
Questions (see section 12) and PEST analysis (see later in this section) leads to higher
level conversations that deliver valuable insights for us and for our buyers.

How do the 4 levels work?

Level 4 gets to the heart of our dreams and goals. What do we aspire to? What gets us
out of bed in the morning?
So, a good level 4 question would be “What do you want to be remembered for?”
The response might be: “To be our customers’ go-to IT services provider.”

Level 3 refers to the broad strategies required to achieve the level 4 goal. An example
would be: “What do you see as the key areas to address to achieve your goal?”
The response might be: “We need to keep right up-to-date with technology changes, and
also how they affect customers’ businesses, plus we need to be having regular, insightful
conversations with customers.”

A level 2 question gets more granular around the actions needed to support the strategy.
A level 2 question would be: “What steps do you need to take to achieve the first of
those?”

The response: “We need to identify early-adopters and look into how they use new
technology; we need to research more widely; and we need to share knowledge better.”

At level 1 we get more specific or detailed: “And what specifically can you do to share
knowledge better - and what about timelines?”

The response: “We should have monthly technology updates led by our staff, possibly
with our customers contributing. These updates - in a workshop or webinar format -
should focus on the application of the technology. Let’s aim for the second Thursday of
each month.”

In a single conversation, you might address only one or two of the strategic areas at level
3; typically the areas where you can help, or where you know of others who can help.

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