D-F

Dlevel

This level refers to the second tier of decision makers such as department level heads and directors of operations, engineering, accounting, finance, and so forth.

damage report

First of the four steps in handling hinges. Salespeople evaluate the impact of the hinge before attempting to address it.

deal

The first step of MP 4: Implement Agreement. Salespeople verify that customers are ready to implement their proposals.

decision maker

Individual involved with deciding whether a supplier's products and services will be purchased, and from whom.

See also gatekeeper.

See also advocate.

See also final decision maker.

decommoditizing the sale

Making the value of your products more than a function of price and delivery.

defining value

The process salespeople use to make their products and services produce perceived or measurable value using product profile sheets.

dialoguing

The questioning process you use to create an initial comfort level between you and customers unrelated to anyone's business objectives.

diluting feature

The features that do not connect to customers' goals and diminish value instead of creating it.

direct savings

Immediate financial benefits with measurable results.

don't shoot yourself

One of the six active questioning tactics. It involves making sure that you do not agree with a negative comment when you rephrase a question.

downplay

The last step in handling hinges. It involves verifying the removal of the hinge before returning to the appropriate Measurable Phase by using explaining, outweighing, or revising strategies.

economic sensitivity

A measure of how a market segment (and the customers within it) will react to changing economic conditions.

See also cyclical.

See also countercyclical.

See also noncyclical.

eliminate unknowns

The third step in MP 2: Measure Potential. It involves making the customers' goals, benefits, filters, and systems of evaluation measurable.

explaining

Conveying factual details about how your proposed products and services achieve customers' goals within their conditional commitments. One of the three steps in the downplay step to handle hinges.

external focus

Benefits customers of your customers receive from your products.

feature

A characteristic of a product or service that defines its traits or image, which produces either perceived or measurable benefits.

feature value rating

Numerical value given to a feature to calculate its competitiveness. A unique strength receives a 5 while a regular feature receives a 1 rating.

features creatures

Salespeople who believe the most features win.

filters

The nine purchasing considerations (5 influencers, 4 prerequisites) that influence and determine whether customers can achieve their goals via your products and services.

final decision maker

Individual who approves the attainment measurements, systems of evaluation, and allocates or releases funds for achieving goals.

following the customer's lead

One of the six active questioning tactics. It involves using questions to bridge customers' response to your next question to better understand their goals, filters, measurable benefits, or and systems of evaluation.

funding

One of the four prerequisite filters. It determines how much in financial resources customers can allocate to achieve their goals and its source.

See also capital investment.

See also operating budget.