The Behavioral Advantage: What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently to Win in the B2B Arena

by Terry Bacon, David Pugh

Overview

Terry Bacon and David Pugh showed how great companies outperform good ones through "behavioral differentiation" — going beyond superior products and dependable service to connect with customers at every touchpoint.

The Behavioral Advantage broadens the concept, applying behavioral differentiation to the business-to-business arena. The best B2B companies depend on a multifront approach to business interaction, and this book reveals the secrets behind what is essentially a chess game with competitors.

To win the game, companies must develop a carefully plotted opening game, with the following internal factors being fully aligned:

• values,
• policies,
• practices,
• and behaviors.

A smart and efficient middle game lets the company build and strengthen its position, and the endgame assures victory and lays the groundwork for future business. Just as individual customers do, B2B customers remember those companies whose behavior consistently and significantly outshines even strong competitors. These firms create a lasting advantage — and reap the profits that come with it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814416709
Publisher:	AMACOM
Publication date:	05/12/2004
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	17 Years

About the Author

TERRY R. BACON (Durango, CO) is the founder of Lore International Institute, a widely respected executive-development firm recently acquired by Korn/Ferry International. He is now the scholar in residence in that firm and is the author of many books including Powerful Proposals (978-0-8144-7232-3), What People Want, and The Elements of Power (978-0-8144-1511-5).

David G. Pugh is a coauthor of "Winning Behavior" (0-8144-7163-3) and "The Behavioral Advantage" (0-8144-7225-7), and cofounder of the Lore Institute, a professional development and corporate education company.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Death of Selling
The Art of Canvassing
The Knack of Selling
The Psychology of Selling
Sellers as Business Consultants
Chapter 2: The Changing World of Buying and Selling
The Professionalizing of Purchasing
The Impact of Supply Chain Management
What Buyers Today Want from Suppliers
Total Needs Satisfaction
Added Value
Differentiating Behavior
How Suppliers Disappoint Buyers
How Suppliers Delight Buyers
Chapter 3: The Chemistry of Preference
Outbehaving the Competition
The Principles of Behavioral Differentiation
The Four Types of Behavioral Differentiation
Creating Preference
Chapter 4: Checkmate! How Business Development Is like Chess
B2B Business Development
The Three Phases of a Chess Game
Playing Opening Game like a Book
Playing Middle Game like a Magician
Playing Endgame like a Machine
Chapter 5: Opening Game: Conditioning the Market
Gaining Alignment Internally
Aligning Your Values and Behaviors
Aligning Your Policies and Practices
Defining the Business
Building Resources and Capabilities
Marketing
Analyzing the Market
Segmenting the Market
Differentiating Your Products
Branding
Analyzing Competitors
Communicating to the Market
Building Political Position Strategic Account Planning
Engaging Senior Leadership
Chapter 6: Middle Game: Conditioning the Customer
Force, Space, and Time
Early middle Game Goals
Establishing the Dialogue
Tactical Account Management
Gathering Information on the Customer
Providing Information to Customers
Building a Zippered Network
Building Time Share and Mind Share
Building Chemistry
Becoming a Trusted Advisor
Managing the Political Environment
Testing and Valuing Your Differentiators
Consulting on Opportunities and Threats
Chapter 7: Middle Game: Building a Powerful Position
Mid-Middle Game Goals
Surfacing Opportunities
Exploring and Aligning with the Customer's Needs
Assessing the Opportunity
Gaining Material Advantage
Building Time Share and Mind Share
Influencing the Solution
Specifying the Requirements
Ghosting Your Competitors
Positioning Your Team
Preselling Your Solution
Chapter 8: Late Middle Game Positioning
Late Middle Game Goals
Rehearsing for Endgame
Testing Your Selling Strategy
Defending a Weak Position in Late Middle Game
Chapter 9: Endgame: Conditioning the Deal
The Goals of Endgame
Behavioral Differentiation in the Proposal Process
Behaviorally Differentiated Proposals
Behavioral Differentiation in the BAFO
Behaviorally Differentiated Presentations
Behavioral Differentiation in Next Game
Chapter 10: Creating a Behavioral Differentiation Strategy
Developing an Overall Behavioral Strategy
Step 1: Do Behavioral Benchmarking
Step 2: Identify and Prioritize Your Customer Touch Points
Step 3: Analyze Your Current Behavior at Critical Touch Points
Step 4: Identify Potential Positive Differentiating Behaviors
Step 5: Prioritize the Behaviors and Develop a Change Strategy
Developing an Opportunity-Specific BD Strategy
Chapter 11: We Are Finding It Increasingly Difficult