Increasing Sales Revenues and Getting Quicker Purchasing Decisions with Next Generation Product Pre

SPECIAL REPORT

Increasing Sales Revenues and Getting Quicker Purchasing Decisions with Next Generation Product Presentation Technology

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INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL REPORT

Increasing Sales Revenues and Getting Quicker Purchasing Decisions with Next Generation Product Presentation Technology

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Contents

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Foreword

4

John Hancock, Editor

A New Tool for Professionals Selling to Professionals 2 Dr Henry Wojcik, Joint CEO at 3DIT

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Sponsored by

Published by Global Business Media

Published by Global Business Media Global Business Media Limited 62 The Street Ashtead Surrey KT21 1AT United Kingdom Switchboard: +44 (0)1737 850 939 Fax: +44 (0)1737 851 952 Email: info@globalbusinessmedia.org Website: www.globalbusinessmedia.org Publisher Kevin Bell Business Development Director Marie-Anne Brooks Editor John Hancock Senior Project Manager Steve Banks

Selling to Professionals An Immersive Experience Supporting Your Best Presentation A High Quality Presentation to Match the Product

A Challenging Business John Hancock, Editor

Selling to Businesses - B2B Transactions Problems and Challenges Solutions and Where it Can Go Wrong B2B Selling in a Changing World of Technology

Actions, Pitfalls and Consequences What Can Go Wrong The Implications The Big Picture

A Sales Process as Good as the Product

Production Manager Paul Davies

3D Models Digital Twins Physical Tracking Interactive Technology Game Technology Webinars Summary

The opinions and views expressed in the editorial content in this publication are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the views of any organisation with which they may be associated.

Material in advertisements and promotional features may be considered to represent the views of the advertisers and promoters. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily express the views of the Publishers or the Editor. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this publication, neither the Publishers nor the Editor are responsible for such opinions and views or for any inaccuracies in the articles.

Š 2019. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. Full details are available from the Publishers. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

7

Camilla Slade, Staff Writer

Advertising Executives Michael McCarthy Abigail Coombes

For further information visit: www.globalbusinessmedia.org

5

9

Peter Dunwell, Staff Writer

Matching a Sales Solution to the Product

11

John Hancock, Editor

The B2B Sales Process The B2B Sales Presentation How Can a Solution Meet the Problems and Challenges of B2B Sales?

Everybody Gains from a Sound B2B Sales Process

References 13

1

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

A New Tool for Professionals Selling to Professionals Dr Henry Wojcik, Joint CEO at 3DIT Govies allow buyers to walk around and try the product in a virtual world AND to watch a movie-like story at the same time (within the same media).

S

EVERAL FACTORS are driving change in the process of selling complex technical products. At the same time, the products themselves are becoming increasingly complex, plus, with the arrival of Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) and the Internet of Things, functions are becoming ever more integrated. Cost is always a factor for professional buyers but value matters also, i.e. what the buyer gets for their investment. How best can a seller communicate this increasingly complex matrix of technologies and functions to busy, knowledgeable professional buyers?

Govies harness technology to support presentations of complex technology-based products in engaging professional buyers as participants in the process.

How Howthe theproduct productpresentation presentation of the next of the next generation generation works works Govie stands for game technology and movie in one – it is a video and interactive 3D world at the same time.

You can use the Govie to tell the story of your product and it offers the possibility of experiencing it interactively. This is only possible with a Govie.

Click on the arrow within the image to watch the YouTube demonstration.

virtual action, doing the things that the buyer needs to see. Also, because more than one stakeholder can share in the process and include ‘what if?’ questions from several points of view, the duration of the whole decision process will be faster.

An Immersive Experience There are several technologies involved in Govies but the key one, the 3D realtime representation of whatever is being demonstrated, has come from the computer gaming world. 3D real-time representation is

Selling to Professionals ‘Explain – Involve – Convince’: these three words sum-up the basic steps of the sales process for complex technical products, no matter into which sector they are being sold. Salespeople in this environment are themselves well-informed professionals but it is difficult to show a potential customer all elements and capabilities of a complex technology product without having to either walk them through a space that doesn’t yet exist (a proposed production or maintenance line or healthcare facility) or dismantle assembled products simply to demonstrate how an internal component works and interacts with other components.

In the past this has been partly achieved with exploded diagrams but they are, of necessity, static and, of course, lots of diagrams are required to convey the complex workings of modern products. Today, technologies as sophisticated as the products being sold have been harnessed to deliver an exciting and immersive sales environment that overcomes those problems and challenges; making it possible to access and demonstrate the overall and innermost workings of a complex product, to the extent that the buyer not only 2

understands how it works but can see it in action and even ‘try’ it.

Govies are so named because they use a combination of game and movie technologies in order to facilitate a bidirectional collaborative approach. Within that, both the seller and buyer of complex technical products can come together to explain the product, to address the buyer’s questions with demonstrations, to involve him or her, and to convince, not through rhetoric but through seeing the product in

used to convey an idea of complex contexts so that, as in a computer game, passive viewers become active participants in the virtual environment of the Govie. Modern computer graphics and the latest gaming technology make an unbeatable combination when it comes to the presentation of sophisticated products or complex processes. Using realtime interactive 3D models, sometimes called digital twins, allows all stakeholders in a purchase to participate in a two-

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

way knowledge transfer with a virtual model of the product right there in front of them.

Just as in a computer game, Govies allow people to move around the virtual product with the same dynamics as if they really were walking around it or handling it. 3D real-time interaction in virtual spaces allows sellers and buyers together, guided by a movie scene structure, to touch, understand and interact with details at any time. Buyers can get familiar with the product in realtime and the system supports knowledge transfer from experts to non-experts.

Stakeholders can explore and understand complex systems, change the view and, as questions arise, participate in real-time chat and/or comment in the context of the Govie.

Supporting Your Best Presentation Salespeople will find their professional skills extended and enhanced using Govies’ capability to explain and show how a product is built, how it works and its benefits. That

Live Demo Try the Govie® Click on the arrow within the image to watch the demonstration.

Manipulate the image with either the mouse or touchscreen.

View various keypoints by clicking the appropriate numbers below the image. Adjust the sensitivity using the Global Settings button (click on the ‘Gear’ icon in the top right-hand corner).

will support a good understanding of the product for a positive purchase decision if other criteria (demand, quality and value for money) are right. It is also the case that information demonstrated, in the context of how the buyer is considering using the facility or product, rather than just told, is more likely to be remembered, since 70% is learned by our brain from what we see. And, of course, the technology of the Govie will, itself, add value to any presentation. Increasing numbers of

people are familiar with computer games with their immersive virtual environment and many people, especially technically minded people, will find the presentation of a product in this way, exciting and entertaining - which will, by association, enhance their impression of the product and its manufacturer.

Moreover, the Govie is as suited to addressing many people in, say, an online or webinar environment as it is at a trade fair or in a meeting with just one person or a small team.

A High Quality Presentation to Match the Product As well as enabling the seller to take the potential buyer around the facility or product, the Govie offers many more capabilities that make the whole experience easier and more informative. Written texts can be added to information windows, or a spoken or video explanation of a component or capability can be included always at the correct place of (spatial) relevance. Also, for those very technically minded buyers, links to technical documents, product videos and websites can all be incorporated. The presentation can be arranged in scenes (like a movie) to help the seller manage the process, following a script and telling the story of the facility or product while the buyer is able to experience it.

Whatever the sector, Govies can be customised to specific requirements and are supported on several platforms (PC, iPad, Intranet, Internet, smartphone). Looking like a simple video at the outset, the customer will soon appreciate the capability to interrupt the presentation wherever he or she wants to know more, or to explore the 3D model, rotate it and even start actions within the model. Customers will soon become immersed in an experience that is as close to the real world as possible and which enables them not just to see but also to understand and even try the product.

Next generation products need next generation sales presentations and Govies are just that.

3

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Foreword M

aking sales has never been easy, if it was,

Our first article, from Dr Henry Wojcik, Joint CEO

there wouldn’t need to be salespeople. But

at 3DIT, is about a solution to those challenges. The

the profession of selling has changed a lot over the

article explores Govies and explains what they can

decades, partly because business practices have

do and how that can help B2B salespeople to better

changed and partly because what motivates people

convey the benefits and capabilities of complex

to buy has changed. Nowhere is this truer than in

technical products. We then move on to an article

the business to business (B2B) sector where old

exploring the challenges facing B2B salespeople

cosy ways of buying from people you got on with

in general and those selling complex technical

and played golf with have been comprehensively

products in particular. Camilla Slade next examines

superseded. Today’s B2B buyer will be working

the pitfalls into which salespeople might stray and

to a tight specification from the departments in

the consequences that could ensue. Peter Dunwell

his or her business who will be using, paying for

then considers the group of technologies that, in

and maintaining the product they are buying plus

variously convergent forms, can ensure that the

those elements will often be represented on the

sales presentation is as good as the product being

buying group. For the salesperson, this poses a

sold. Finally, we take a look at how matching a

number of real challenges which boil down to,

presentation solution to the product can not only

how to make one complex technical sale to several

help the sale but also help the buyer to get what

diverse professional interests. Add to that that many

they really want.

B2B purchases are of complex technical products to meet the environment within which businesses operate, and the challenge is very clear.

John Hancock Editor

John Hancock has been a Journalist and Editor in a variety of engineering and technology field for several decades. A journalist for nearly 30 years, John has written and edited articles, papers and books on a range of technology, process, sales and management topics. Subjects have included Customer Relationship Management, Customer Financial Management, IT and technology applications, business processes, aircraft operations, and high value engineering and manufacturing.

4

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

A Challenging Business John Hancock, Editor Business to Business sales of complex technical products need processes

Explain better, sell more.

3Ds

as sophisticated as the products.

Govie®: Game Technology and movie in one.

Do you want to convince your customers

Sale Booster

of the benefits of your product? Then a Govie is exactly what you need: the interactive and unique 3D presentation will convince them with a lasting

S

ELLING IS always about communication, ensuring that what is being sold matches what the buyer needs and wants. But in the business to business (B2B) environment, that basic reality is compounded by the involvement of professional buyers. Unlike consumers, professional buyers have more fixed criteria to meet and will almost certainly be working within the confines of a purchase specification established within their business. According to ‘The Balance, Careers’1, there are four types of professional buyer: the number cruncher – driven by facts and figures; the intimidator – seeks to control the sales process; the engineer – believe they have an understanding of the technology; and the talker – believe themselves to be market experts.

Selling to Businesses B2B Transactions Notwithstanding which of the above types of buyer a seller is facing, B2B buyers share the fact that they are usually buying not to fulfil a personal taste or whim but towards a much more purposeful end, “with the aim of adding value in order to move products down the chain until they finally reach the general public [consumers].”

That’s the view of B2B International2.

Business buyers are different and this can also be explained by the structures within which they operate. Lumen Learning3 explains that business purchases are often controlled through a decision making unit (DMU) within which there might be several buying influences including from, finance, accounting, purchasing, information technology management, and senior management. Also, when buying high tech products, there will usually be a user in the DMU and that’s the person who will want to know how the product works. So there are multiple buyers that the seller might need to satisfy during the sales process. McKinsey & Company, ‘Do you really understand how your business customers buy?’4 explains the increasingly complex environment facing B2B sales organisations. This embraces not only the range of influences in the DMU but also comments on Social Media and other online

platforms. Plus, even with business purchases, people are still people: human and personal subjective criteria will always be in play.

There are a multitude of problems and challenges to be addressed when selling complex technical products to professional buyers in the B2B marketplace.

effect – quickly and at a great price, for all sales situations and for all end devices.

Try the Govie®:

govie.de

Problems and Challenges Geoffrey James, ‘Why Selling B2B is Harder than Selling B2C’, writing for CBS News5 says, “The truth is that B2B selling is not only different from B2C selling, it’s massively more difficult…” He continues to list eight problems (read them in full in his article): 1. The B2B buyer is vastly more sophisticated; 2. The stakes are much higher; 3. B2B selling… requires more knowledge; 4. … demands better people skills; 5. … involves more patience; 6. … is more sensitive to the economy; 7. … involves very large sums of money; 8. ... is burdened with bad marketing.

Internal Results6 identify five big criteria for B2B sales: product reliability, price and product features are familiar criteria that challenge B2B sellers but further analysis revealed that value added service and sales experience are also important though not stated openly by buyers.

The article continues to identify four challenges: 1. Too many buyers – the DMU reality; 2. Buyers are addressing critical business issues, not buying products; 3. Long buying cycles in B2B; 4. The wrap up – closing can require the agreement of several people.

B2B sellers will have to be able to deploy large amounts of data to be able to describe their complex technical products from a number of possible perspectives as represented in the DMU. Time and again, pundits and commentators highlight the same challenges in various forms. The B2B sales process has to contend with a much more stringent environment and has to be able to identify and deal with a much richer mix of human and functional priorities. It

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

The Platform for Content: The Govie-Editor® Edit, share and personalise your Govies® and 3D content yourself!

Manage company-internal users as needed – available for each employee worldwide, no timeconsuming installation of soft ware, very simple login via browser. And just imagine, you can now also create 3D presentations of your products yourself.

With only a few clicks and without any 3D knowhow. The platform for content: The Govie-Editor®.

Contact us. +49-351-219 674 95 info@govie.de

Request your demo login!

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

5

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Business purchases are often controlled through a decision making unit (DMU) within which there might be several buying influences including from, finance, accounting, purchasing, information technology management, and senior management

DIGITAL TERRAIN AND CITY MODEL PLUS INTEGRATION OF LARGE-SCALE TECHNICAL SYSTEMS AND SENSORS; QUERY VIA OPC/UA INTERFACE IN 3D REAL TIME; CONTROL POSSIBLE; EXTRAPOLATION OF THIRD VARIABLES (SECTIONAL VIEWS POSSIBLE), ALSO DISPLAY OF DOCUMENTS (DIGITAL TWIN). COURTESY OF THE PROJECT PARTNERS LMBV AND UBV.

is very demanding and a better way of showing the product, of immersing the buyers in the use and workings of the product will certainly go a long way towards dealing with these problems and challenges.

Solutions and Where it Can Go Wrong On the other side of the coin, McKinsey7 identifies where B2B sales people go wrong; or rather, the buyers they asked identified ‘destructive’ practices; it sounds dramatic but then losing a sale after what might have been months of work would feel dramatic. As well as the familiar ‘Too much contact in person, by phone, or via email’, ‘lack of after sales support’, ‘Forgotten and/or ignored after contract is signed’, and ‘too aggressive’, respondents cited ‘Lack of knowledge about either their products or those of their competitors’, ‘lack of business/industry knowledge about usefulness of their product or service to my business’ and ‘no information sharing on matters specific to my business’.

Handily, Salesforce offers a few solutions when ‘Selling to the Modern B2B Buyer’8. They suggest offering innovative insights; building trust with buyers; helping prospects to make an informed decision; adding value via relevant content; and, of course, “Understand your buyer”.

B2B Selling in a Changing World of Technology Selling complex technology-based products to professional buyers in businesses is nothing like the old image of selling. Salespeople in today’s demanding B2B environment have to be informed, articulate, enquiring, and able to analyse a buyer’s needs and understand what elements and functions of their product will be able to meet those needs. It isn’t just the product, it’s the whole ‘what if we do this: can it do that?’ interrogation that professional buyers need to ask; it’s being able to show not just the product but its inner workings, how they interact with each other and what they can achieve for the buyer. In short, the buyer needs to be able to ‘feel’ the product, to ‘hold’ it and to be ‘immersed’ in it which, given the size, cost and often customised nature of such products, won’t always be easy.

Let’s close with a quote from Dmitry Yu. Murzin’s book, ‘Chemical Product Technology’9. “A value proposition highlighting compelling attributes of a particular product should be done from the customers’ perspective…” Demonstration seems to be the answer to overcoming problems and challenges for people selling complex technical product to professional buyers.

Salespeople in today’s demanding B2B environment have to be informed, articulate, enquiring, and able to analyse a buyer’s needs and understand what elements and functions of their product will be able to meet those needs 6

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Actions, Pitfalls and Consequences

Explain better, sell more.

3Ds

Camilla Slade, Staff Writer What can go awry and what that might mean for the sales effort.

Govie®: Game Technology and movie in one.

Do you want to convince your customers

Sale Booster

of the benefits of your product? Then a Govie is exactly what you need: the interactive and unique 3D presentation will convince them with a lasting effect – quickly and at a great price, for all sales situations and for all end devices.

Try the Govie®:

govie.de

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

DETAIL OF A CHARACTERISTIC PRODUCTION LINE INCL. INTERFACE TO THE TRACKING SYSTEM (CORDLESS SCREWDRIVER, RELEASE OF THE ACTION BY ADJUSTMENT OF POSITION).

T

HE TERM ‘complex technical product’ contains within itself the seeds of what can go wrong when selling that product. This Report is not the place to list the endless examples of errors or pitfalls into which a salesperson might stumble when presenting, but we can look briefly at the genesis of where things could go wrong.

What Can Go Wrong Complexity always harbours potential for error so, if the presentation can be more of a demonstration than simply facts and figures, it will help; plus, if the buyer can be encouraged to put themselves ‘into’ the product, as if they were using it, that will further support understanding. A well-planned and strongly supported process with technical information accessible from within the process will better support any sales effort.

In particular, the ‘what if?’ question can lead to problems: first, it can throw the sales process off-track by setting off down a path away from the main course, and second it could allow the buyer to take control of the process. To be able to handle this question, to acknowledge that the buyer needs to know how the product will work in their environment but to maintain control of the process, the salesperson needs their material in a form that supports control and enables them to drive the process.

So, those are some things that can go wrong, but what are the implications?

The Implications Things going wrong at the sales stage are bad enough, but if they persist past the point of sale, they have the potential to escalate into something worse, complaints and, in extremis, legal disputes. However, in answering everything, the salesperson needs also to avoid the risk of giving away commercially sensitive information or intellectual property (IP). It’s a minefield that would, once more, benefit from a well-planned and controlled sales process.

Not to seem too downbeat in this, reality is on the side of the salesperson. In ‘The New Sales Imperative’ (Harvard Business Review)10 the authors argue that, “Most B2B sellers think their customers are in the driver’s seat – empowered, armed to the teeth with information, and so clear about their needs that they don’t bother to engage with suppliers until late in the process... Customers [however, are] deeply uncertain and stressed.

Buying complex solutions… has never been easy.

But with a wealth of data on any solution, a raft of stakeholders involved in each purchase, and an ever-expanding array of options... Customers are increasingly overwhelmed and often more paralysed than empowered.” Looked at in this way, there is an opportunity for a well-equipped

The Platform for Content: The Govie-Editor® Edit, share and personalise your Govies® and 3D content yourself!

Manage company-internal users as needed – available for each employee worldwide, no timeconsuming installation of soft ware, very simple login via browser. And just imagine, you can now also create 3D presentations of your products yourself.

With only a few clicks and without any 3D knowhow. The platform for content: The Govie-Editor®.

Contact us. +49-351-219 674 95 info@govie.de

Request your demo login!

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

7

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

If the buyer can be encouraged to put themselves ‘into’ the product, as if they were using it, that will further support understanding

salesperson with a well-rehearsed and understood process to help buyers reach an informed and appropriate decision.

Then again, McKinsey ‘Three trends in businessto-business sales’11 suggests that, “customers have become more demanding…” adding that sellers are being “forced to prove how their products add value.” Given that both sources are authoritative, it seems that the implication for salespeople selling complex technical products would be to take control of the process themselves. That way they’ll be able to help those buyers who feel uncertain, and meet the expectations of demanding buyers. But, there is yet another ingredient to put into the sales mix for complex technical products; and that is Industry 4.0. Deloitte Insights, ‘Selling Industry 4.0’12 explains, “As companies explore adopting smart, connected products, many may be deterred by the greater complexity and cost. So how might sales teams sell these connected solutions and better communicate their value proposition to customers?” (author’s emphasis).

The Big Picture The overall implication of the inherent complexity of technical products is that sales processes also have to become more complex. Similarly, the overall implication of B2B sales/purchase process complexity is that sales processes also need to become more complex. In short, selling in this market with these products is a long way

from consumer selling but also a long way from traditional B2B selling processes. In past times, a salesperson would either visit established clients to extend, renew or reinforce the position of their product; or they would visit potential new clients knowing that they were possibly one of several who would be pitching for the sale. In both cases, they would rely heavily on personal chemistry either to continue or to establish a relationship with the buyer.

Of course, personal chemistry still matters, but these days more in the sense of being able to match a buyer’s requirements and satisfy their business priorities. In other ways, the salesperson needs to match the buyers’ processes and structures. Buyers plan ahead and involve representatives from several affected parts of the business when considering a purchase, especially when the product is a complex technical one. Similarly, sales need to be a team effort with what Leverage14 describes as “presales professionals… sales teams with the relevant mix of knowledge, skills and experience…” to be able to competently address each facet of the buyer’s needs and each element in the buyer’s decision-making unit (DMU). The challenge then is to bring all of these presales skills to bear when the salesperson is meeting with the buyer or buyers. Sales teams have to lift their game in order to mirror the professionalism that will be present in any team of buying professionals.

ENHANCEMENT OF THE 3D REAL-TIME MODEL WITH LOCAL CONTEXT-RELATED INFORMATION (THIRD PARTY INFORMATION).

8

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

A Sales Process as Good as the Product

Explain better, sell more.

3Ds

Peter Dunwell, Staff Writer The technologies that can help to sell technology.

Govie®: Game Technology and movie in one.

Do you want to convince your customers

Sale Booster

of the benefits of your product? Then a Govie is exactly what you need: the interactive and unique 3D presentation will convince them with a lasting effect – quickly and at a great price, for all sales situations and for all end devices.

T

HERE ARE many technologies available to the salesperson today and they didn’t all start life as sales technologies: in fact, most of them originated as technologies for a wholly different purpose. In this article, I’ll set them out with some introductions to what they do and a few ideas of how they might be used so that readers themselves can consider how any of these technologies might help them.

3D Models They are what they say: 3D models are digital representations of something that might or might not exist in the physical world. They can be used to demonstrate a CAD possibility or to replicate a product that already exists to, perhaps, show it in a virtual environment – like street furniture in an architectural 3D virtual model. WhatIs. com15 explains that, “3D models are used to portray real-world and conceptual visuals for art, entertainment, simulation and drafting and are integral to many different industries, including virtual reality, video games, 3D printing, marketing, TV and motion pictures, scientific and medical imaging and computer-aided design and manufacturing CAD/CAM. Also, as Toolbox Studio16 says, 3D models can save hugely on the cost of building a real world prototype or demonstrator for what might only be one use it’s already there from design and construction!

Digital Twins (See picture at top of page 6) We’ll include digital twins because they are the manifestation of a technology that powers a host of interactive applications. Digital twins are digital replicas of products, processes, people, places, systems and devices but, unlike many 3D models, they are really dynamic (see below).

As such, they can help with a whole range of tasks such as understanding the inner workings of complex equipment like an aero engine where it would be difficult to get inside, but where those engaged in its maintenance need to understand the locations of internal components.

Bernard Marr17 writing in Forbes magazine described their value as, “This pairing of the

virtual and physical worlds allows analysis of data and monitoring of systems to head off problems before they even occur, prevent downtime, develop new opportunities and even plan for the future by using simulations.” Digital twins are dynamic models so that viewers can virtually handle them or walk through them; they are also used in the virtual presentation of complex and hard to explain technology as in the case of 3DIT’s Govies.

Try the Govie®:

govie.de

Physical Tracking (See picture at top of page 7) Digital twins are often allied with digital tracking in order to monitor what is happening in a process such as a production line. With a number of sensors along the track and sensors on products in the process, it’s possible to see where things are and to identify any bottlenecks. Also, physical tracking enables buyers to experience how a process and its associated equipment might work for them.

Interactive Technology If digital twins are the virtual product or environment, and physical tracking is the way of seeing ’into’ that virtual world, interactive technology is what supports a two-way flow of information through an interface between the users and the technology; the user can request an action to the technology for the technology to respond with the virtual image of that action back to the users. One key value of interactive technology is, as Epson’s Hans Dummer explains in ‘How is interactive technology changing the workplace?’18 is that, “Interactive technology can help break down boundaries and make collaboration between colleagues seamless, whether they are in the same room or many hundreds, or even thousands, of miles apart.” The same benefits can be accessed in a ‘collaborative sales’ situation.

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

The Platform for Content: The Govie-Editor® Edit, share and personalise your Govies® and 3D content yourself!

Manage company-internal users as needed – available for each employee worldwide, no timeconsuming installation of soft ware, very simple login via browser. And just imagine, you can now also create 3D presentations of your products yourself.

With only a few clicks and without any 3D knowhow. The platform for content: The Govie-Editor®.

Contact us. +49-351-219 674 95 info@govie.de

Request your demo login!

Game Technology This is unusual inasmuch as we usually think of games as being just for fun but the technology that powers them is very clever and is also used

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

9

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

3D models are digital representations of something that might or might not exist in the physical world. They can be used to demonstrate a CAD possibility or to replicate a product that already exists

in the making of movies. The quality of game environments and actors is so high that they can often be mistaken for the real world. Also, video gaming is a most engaging form of social media and one with which increasing numbers of buyers will be familiar. Game technology does not relate to a specific game but refers to the development of supporting technologies for games, independent of a specific game design.

It focuses on the design of high-performance algorithms of core game-related functionality.

It is that functionality which is so fascinating for the sales environment that is the main topic of this Report. It is the technology that allows users (sellers and buyers in the context of this Report) to ‘move’ around in their virtual environment and to take a variety of actions, the outcomes of which will differ as they would in the real world.

Webinars/E-Learning Webinars (a combination of web conference and seminar) are a growing tool for demonstrating a product or solution with a view to generating market interest. They engage many of the technologies listed above and are used to present a topic in an engaging, relevant and informative manner. While not yet major B2B selling tools, webinars are growing in use as marketing tools and sales interest generators. Their big feature when participated in live is interactivity, or the ability for demonstrators and guests to discuss, send and receive information in real time. Both sides can communicate via online chat, share desktops and use a variety of digital materials.

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My Own Conference19 explains, “… an online meeting showcasing your product is likely to draw more attention, as video content generates on average two times more engagement.”

“Participants follow webinars via a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone, and can see and hear the speaker(s) thanks to audio and video feeds.” is what Company Webcast20 adds to the explanation. Also, webinars can be viewed from anywhere and can be recorded and made available for further reference.

AR/VR Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are 3D realtime derivatives, in the form of other output formats. The challenge with AR and VR, however, often lies in the fact that more games than meaningful activities are in the foreground, and additional hardware is also required.

Therefore, many sales people shy away from these media. With Govie and our virtual twins respectively, AR and VR only drop off - so you can do one thing without leaving the other.

Summary Each of these technologies is powerful, but when harnessed together with a well-defined purpose and process, they can change the way things are done in a disruptive but positive manner.

In the context of this Report, they can open up new opportunities for selling processes that make it easier to demonstrate all of the features, functions and capabilities of complex technical products.

INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Matching a Sales Solution to the Product

Explain better, sell more.

3Ds

John Hancock, Editor Our natural world is 3D. Our modern world is digital. A combination thereof is straightforward.

Govie®: Game Technology and movie in one.

Do you want to convince your customers

Sale Booster

of the benefits of your product? Then a Govie is exactly what you need: the interactive and unique 3D presentation will convince them with a lasting effect – quickly and at a great price, for all sales situations and for all end devices.

S

ELLING IS a key function in modern commerce and economic activity. The sale is the point where a product is exchanged for money in order to realise the added value that the selling organisation has generated in the production process. It may have once been the case that selling was more art than science with the persuasive power of words playing a leading role in the process. However, today and particularly in business to business (B2B) sales, that is emphatically not the case.

As we have seen in the preceding articles, B2B buyers are very likely to be professionals either within their business’s sphere of activity and/or as trained and experienced buyers. It is also likely that there will be more than one buyer in the decision making unit (DMU) that will often be drawn from several interested components in the business making the purchase. The significance of this is that the seller will have to be able to competently meet the needs of and answer any questions from multiple parts of their potential customer’s business. As we have also seen in previous articles, a modern B2B sale will often rely on a team to match the buyer’s DMU skill for skill. So, preparing for this sort of sale and conducting the presentation is a much more structured process than was once the case. Communications and people skills still count but, for B2B sales of complex technical products, they matter in the context of a structured sales process.

The B2B Sales Process There are plenty of experts out there with various takes on what is a good B2B sales process but they’re all similar really. Rachel Clapp Miller21 writing for Impact suggests that, “In B2B complex sales, every prospect account in your pipeline involves critical factors that will turn that open opportunity into a closed deal.”

She then continues to suggest five key drivers including, “Help your buyer envision the future. If you understand the positive business outcomes, you can then work backwards and map your solutions to your buyer’s goals.” This is pertinent to the types of solutions we’ve been covering

in this Report because mapping solutions will have more impact if the buyer can hold, explore, interrogate and walk around the product being offered as a solution for the outcomes they are trying to achieve.

Try the Govie®:

govie.de

The B2B Sales Presentation Focusing down from the sales process to the pivotal element in that process, the presentation or pitch, again there is a lot of material and advice available from a host of sources. I’ve chosen some thoughts from Leverage Point ‘5 Key Characteristics of Winning B2B Sales Presentations’ 22 “Highly successful B2B companies help their sales teams by providing instant access to the customer-centric, salesready presentations that engage senior buyers in collaborative conversations about solving their business problems.” (author’s emphasis).

As with the whole process, if a product is to get past the buying team, the salesperson must be able to demonstrate how the product will work for the buyer: some of the technologies that we have been exploring in previous articles will take that demonstration to new heights of participation and acceptance.

How Can a Solution Meet the Problems and Challenges of B2B Sales?

Perhaps, rather than look at any specific solution, we can consider a key element that has already been covered.

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

The Platform for Content: The Govie-Editor® Edit, share and personalise your Govies® and 3D content yourself!

Manage company-internal users as needed – available for each employee worldwide, no timeconsuming installation of soft ware, very simple login via browser. And just imagine, you can now also create 3D presentations of your products yourself.

With only a few clicks and without any 3D knowhow. The platform for content: The Govie-Editor®.

Contact us. +49-351-219 674 95 info@govie.de

Request your demo login!

Govie® is a registered trademark of 3DIT GmbH.

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INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

Every involved person needs to have the same big picture, therefore the seller will have to be able to competently meet the needs of and answer any questions from multiple parts of their potential customer’s business

3D REAL-TIME CAPITAL PROJECT VALIDATION AND RISK VISUALIZER

Knowledge transfer – sharing, not telling We‘ve looked at 3D real-time interaction and this technology has its origins in the education, training and gaming sectors. In that sector, a tried and tested process to transfer knowledge is through teaching, doing, demonstration, audio/ visuals and reading (see figure opposite).

As we saw in an earlier article, B2B buyers are addressing critical business issues, not buying products. Also, there will often be multiple buyers and they might not even be in the same room or on the same continent, so any solution that uses an online platform will be ideal. This knowledge transfer process is very much in line with a modern B2B sales process in which understanding the product and how it will support the buyer’s objectives is a key element. Plus, the interactive ability enables the salesperson to not simply answer a question but to demonstrate how their product will address the issue in question and even to let the questioner ‘try’ how the product works in the context of the question. Participation is good for answering questions, but it is also good for giving the buyer familiarity with the product and for immersing them in the product from the start. Virtual models enable participants to explore the knowledge their own way and at their own speed so that they won’t

feel hurried or pressured but will feel properly informed. And knowledge becomes a tangible asset when 3D real-time interaction helps the buyer to acquire rather than just be given that knowledge.

A structured and scripted sales process will also help the salesperson to have the right information at their fingertips when they need it, i.e. when a question is asked. By attaching information windows to areas of a 3D model or digital twin, the system can ensure that buyers get the information they want, where they want it and, because he or she will be in charge of the process, the salesperson gets the credit for being able to answer the question.

Everybody Gains from a Sound B2B Sales Process Selling complex technology products to professional buyers in business will not ever be a ‘sell and walk away’ event. The ideal outcome is not just that the seller has made a sale but also that the buyer feels that they have solved a problem, put in place what they need in order to execute their own plans efficiently and profitably.

Using a 3D real-time interactive platform to present the product to the buyer makes that winwin outcome much more likely and will help to forge a long-term business relationship.

The interactive ability enables the salesperson to not simply answer a question but to demonstrate how their product will address the issue in question and even to let the questioner ‘try’ how the product works in the context of the question

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INCREASING SALES REVENUES AND GETTING QUICKER PURCHASING DECISIONS WITH NEXT GENERATION PRODUCT PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGY

References: 1

The Balance Careers: www.thebalancecareers.com/professional-buyer-types-2917479

2

B2B International: www.b2binternational.com/publications/b2b-marketing/

3

Lumen Learning, Boundless Marketing: courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-marketing/chapter/the-business-buying-decision-process/

4

McKinsey & Company:

www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/do-you-really-understand-how-your-business-customers-buy 5

CBS News, Why Selling B2B is Harder than Selling B2C: www.cbsnews.com/news/why-selling-b2b-is-harder-than-selling-b2c/

6

Internal Results: www.internalresults.com/b2b-selling-biggest-challenges

7

McKinsey & Company: www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-basics-of-business-to-business-sales-success

8

Salesforce Blog: www.salesforce.com/blog/2016/06/selling-to-the-modern-b2b-buyer.html

9

Chemical Product Technology, Dmitry Yu. Murzin: http://bit.ly/2Dy1YBF

10

Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2017/03/the-new-sales-imperative

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McKinsey & Company: www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/three-trends-in-business-to-business-sales

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Deloitte Insights, Selling Industry 4.0: www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/industry-4-0/product-transformation-sales-mind-set.html

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Kayak: www.kayakonlinemarketing.com/blog/bid/169169/Four-Things-to-Remember-When-You-Sell-a-Complex-Product-or-Service

14

Leverage Point: www.leveragepoint.com/blog/presales/selling-complex-products-solutions-addressing-challenges-presales-professionals/

15

WhatIs.com: whatis.techtarget.com/definition/3D-model

16

Toolbox Studio: www.toolbox-studio.com/blog/3d-product-modeling/

17

Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/03/06/what-is-digital-twin-technology-and-why-is-it-so-important/#222f23de2e2a

18

Epson: www.epson.co.uk/insights/article/how-is-interactive-technology-changing-the-workplace

19

My Own Conference: myownconference.com/blog/en/index.php/what-is-a-webinar/

20

Company Webcast: www.webinar.nl/en/webinars/what-is-a-webinar/

21

Impact: www.impactbnd.com/blog/5-elements-of-a-more-successful-b2b-sales-process

22

Leverage Point: www.leveragepoint.com/blog/empower-sales-conversations/5-key-characteristics-winning-b2b-sales-presentations/

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