What is The Strategic Interview?

The Strategic Interview (for State and Local Government) is a self-directed CD-ROM designed to help you and your salespeople develop the skills necessary for conducting executive-level business calls within your government accounts.

You get instruction and practice without lengthy discussion - you learn by doing. The skills you learn will help you provide value to your customers by offering solutions that truly address their business priorities.

The Strategic Interview helps you to:

• Identify the most important questions to ask when conducting research on your government account

• Find the most current and complete sources of information to answer those questions

• Prepare for and engage in non-product, business-oriented conversations with key executives

• Use the insights gained in the research and interviews to spot high-gain opportunities for your organization’s solutions and link them to your customer’s priorities

How does it work?

The program places you in a fictional environment where you meet and receive an assignment from your sales manager. You are given the tools and information necessary to call on the fictional county to which you have been assigned.

To prepare, you do research on the Internet, as well as within the fictional county’s website. After completing a knowledge-check quiz, you conduct interactive, video-based calls with two county officials, receiving feedback and coaching along the way.

Does The Strategic Interview replace my current sales process?

This program is designed to compliment and enhance your existing sales processes and methods. No matter what sales process you use, the ability to conduct an effective executive-level business call is key to learning what is of real value to your customer accounts. You will learn a protocol for having a business discussion with an executive and you will practice it in video simulations with two executives.

What do I need to run The Strategic Interview?

Any Windows computer that can access the Internet is ready to run this program. No additional tools are necessary. The program appears in your Internet browser and uses standard Microsoft components to play video and allow you to interact with the environment.

Do I have to use the program on a CD?

The Strategic Interview is designed to be delivered in a number of ways. From the CD, or loaded on your computer, the program can be used for self-directed learning and skill reinforcement. If your company's intranet can support video, the program is ready to be loaded on your server and run directly from there.

The program includes two optional guides to extend and support the learning experience. A Facilitator's Guide provides a framework for delivering the content in a group setting. This method is a great opportunity for a sales team to share experiences and develop strategies for handling different types of situations. A Coach's Guide provides direction and processes for sales managers, mentors, and others to work with the learner and reinforce the skills practiced in The Strategic Interview.

Where can I get more information?

To receive a demo of The Strategic Interview, click on the link below to  tell us a little about yourself. Once we receive this information, the demo can be downloaded or mailed on a CD to you.

Click here to request demo