Combining Great Product With Winning Sales Strategy is Formula for Success in Today's Market

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivisimo has garnered a lot of attention in the past twelve months, receiving accolades such as 2011 Product of the Year from Customer Interaction Solutions® Magazine, the 2011 Information Technology Company of the Year award from the Pittsburgh Technology Council and being named one of the "50 Best Twitter Chats for Business Students" by Best Colleges Online. But when it comes to selling products, Vivisimo doesn't rest on its laurels.  It sells value.

Delivering quantifiable value
Vivisimo understands that an end user may be sold on features and benefits, but without buy-in from top executives with budget control, even a solid sales pitch can fail. So the company has adopted an approach in which the financial advantages of the company's product are pitched as heavily as its technical features and benefits.   The approach, known as ZEBRAselling, seeks the interest and support of top management early in the sales cycle for a shorter, more successful sales process.

"With the Zebra methodology, we're not selling technology," says Vivisimo President, Kevin Calderwood.  "We're selling a business solution that delivers measurable economic value to a targeted customer.  We are selling to the business professional – the person with the budget – rather than selling features to the technology department.  The approach works because we're solving a business problem, showing the prospect the return that can be achieved by implementing our solution."

Identifying and going after your "zebra"
ZEBRASelling is different than most sales strategies because it takes a holistic approach.  It is as much a business model as a sales model because it requires the integrated efforts of marketing, development and sales. 

The methodology starts with research into your current customer base to identify the measurable value that you provide and the customers that benefit most.  They become the model of your perfect customer, or "zebra."  The idea is that, once properly identified, that customer stands out within the marketplace the same way a zebra stands out within its environment.  Sales, development and marketing efforts are then focused on prospects that most closely resemble your zebra.  The results are compelling.

"ZEBRAselling has helped us focus our sales team, eliminate the waste of capture costs, increase average sales price and reduce the time it takes to close a deal," says Calderwood.  "Now we're not just comparing a feature checklist, we're solving a business problem and showing the prospect the return that can be achieved when our solution is implemented."

This approach stands out in today's competitive business market where proving the financial advantage that you offer may be the difference between a sale and a lost opportunity.

About ZEBRAselling
ZEBRAselling is the sales methodology developed by Jeff Koser, founder and CEO of Selling to Zebras, Inc.  Selling to Zebras is a global leader in sales process improvement.  Selling to Zebras teaches sales professionals how to close 90% of the business they pursue with greater ease, speed and profitability. The company provides process efficiency tools, sales software and management support to help companies achieve considerable sales improvement.  Selling to Zebras has helped countless companies achieve their sales goals. Jeff and Chad Koser describe the ZEBRAselling process in their award-winning book, Selling to Zebras.

About Vivisimo
Vivisimo provides enterprises with information optimization solutions that help maximize the business value of information.  Vivisimo's innovative solutions help end-users find and take advantage of all appropriate and available information, regardless of source, location or type. Vivisimo serves its clients from headquarters in Pittsburgh, USA, and through European offices in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

SOURCE Selling to Zebras