The 'SCORE' method: achieving growth in uncertain times

In summary

This article is intended for those in sales and business development – or who have an interest in it – and outlines an approach and method to provide clarity and focus activity. The SCORE method is not the only way to win but provides lenses through which to plan and prepare. If you’re interested in discussing further, feel free to comment below, send me a direct message or drop me an email to jez@uova.uk with your questions.

Our world today

The world today has never seemed more uncertain and unstable. Geo-political turmoil and wars have a major impact on the economy, while traditional recessive forces also shape the landscape. We are tasked to do more for less, operating with smaller budgets, and one eye on the impact of it all on holding down jobs.

Globalisation and twenty-four hour news cycles mean as individuals it is hard to escape the seeming chaos around us. From one day to the next we may worry about the environment, impact of social media, or our leaders and governments. And all before we even factor in the disruptive power of AI, for example.

The SCORE method

In these challenging times, more than ever we need a simple, robust, and actionable playbook to help us be more efficient and deliver results. And that’s where the SCORE method comes in. Developed through my twenty years in consulting, it is a framework for managing any kind of change. Here I’m going to summarise briefly how to use it in the context of sales and business development.

The SCORE method starts by looking at your business development planning through strategic, commercial, and operational lenses. This is underpinned by the resources you have available and finally continuously aiming to be excellent by delivering real results.

Strategy: ‘planning is everything, the plan is nothing’

With a need to onboard new clients and grow key accounts, sometimes it’s not easy or might feel counter-productive to take a step back and consider your strategy. It doesn’t need to be a deep-dive of soul-searching, navel-gazing, and reflection. More, it is about creating a clear plan and focused on:

·      Shared business goals and objectives (where your business is heading)

·      Your client avatar (who you focus on and target with your activity)

·      Where your client ‘lives’ (which channels are most effective)

·      What is unique about your proposition (what you offer)

·      Your competitive advantage (how to convey your competitive ‘edge’)

The plan, however, is less important than the process it takes to get there and the mindset that it engenders. Involving employees across the business is important and useful. You might be in an admin or product role, middle-office, or operations, but your insight can be invaluable. If everyone understands where you are trying to get to, you might be pleasantly surprised at where great ideas can come from.

Commercial: ‘get to ‘no’ quickly to prioritise and focus’

When we apply a commercial lens, clarity on what success looks like is key. The more this can be simplified and understood, the more your team can ensure they focus their effort on supporting and achieving this. Everyone can play their part if they know what the business is aiming to achieve.

I encourage my clients to be ready and prepared to make an offer on their first meeting with a new prospect. This means that the product or service needs to be compelling and easy to understand, and pricing as clear and simple as possible. Often the biggest hurdle is being explicit about wanting to work with your target.

The offer made may be as simple as booking a follow-up meeting there and then, asking directly for a brief to pitch for, or offering indicative pricing for a recent project that has been delivered. I firmly believe that ‘getting to a ‘no’ quickly’ is as important as a win. Given the uncertain times we live in, knowing where to focus limited resources is key.

Operational: ‘integrating sales into the business’

I often find that clients haven’t (yet) managed to design a process for managing their sales activity that requires minimum effort and is truly effective. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools can be unwieldy and duplicative, requiring a lot of manual data entry to track and monitor leads, for example.

Another consideration is how sales as a process needs to be integrated into a business. This includes knowing what research is required ahead of meetings with prospects and clients, what materials are needed to highlight recent work, and who in the team can support putting pitches and proposals together. Often it is unclear who can provide insight into the most relevant recent work to share, or creating decks, landing pages and other creative ways to demonstrate why you are best placed in the market.

Creating and updating a sales playbook is an effective way of tackling operational challenges. This would include everything from the tools required for sourcing contact data, sequencing outreach – whether by email, LinkedIn, or phone, for example – and tracking engagement and interest. Regularly refreshing this and assessing if there are newer, better tools for use – for example, those that are AI driven – is also essential.

Resources: ‘play your position and stay on the map’

Closely linked to operational requirements is the need for clarity over what resources you have available to support sales and business development, and the clearly defined roles that underpin this. I encourage my clients to think about this in terms of a sports team. What positions do I want my players to play in? How clear am I on their strengths and how can we incorporate them into our sales activity? What gaps are there and how best to fill them? How might third party support, tech solutions or partners be useful?

As the figurehead driving sales and business development, you need your team to know what is asked of them, and to play their position. Managing your team and resources effectively gives you the best chance of focusing your time where it is most needed and valuable. The Great Britain Men’s Eight Rowing team famously won Olympic Gold against all odds by asking one simple question to decide what to do next: ‘Will it make the boat go faster?’ This principle applies directly to building urgency and winning new business.

Excellence: ‘we are what we repeatedly do’

‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit’. It may or may not be correctly attributable to Aristotle, but it is a great mantra for any aspiring or successful business developer. For me, excellence in sales means creating a ‘win or learn’ mindset. At the sharp end of prospecting, whether winning or losing, there is always a commercial gain, or an opportunity to improve.

Sir Clive Woodward had a different way of looking at things in this regard. His approach was to flip an established norm on its head, by celebrating losses and analysing wins. In the context of sales I take this to mean congratulating the team for their efforts where they may fall short of winning. And crucially to be forensic about wins. What was it precisely that made winning possible? What habits and activities are most crucial to embed in the team to take forward to the next pitch? How can we almost embed this in our DNA, so we remain both hungry for success and don’t rest on our laurels?

A final thought: ‘the key to successful relationships’

A wise man once told me there are three keys to successful relationships. In every meeting or interaction, take the time up front to think things through and be 100% clear and focused on the below. These three keys have worked for me.

1.        Know what you want (with absolute clarity)

2.        Ask for it (be direct, fearless, and bold)

3.        Offer twice as much in return (focus on value)

Feel free to ask a question below, add your feedback and comment on what works for you or any learnings you may have to share. Or if you prefer, drop me an email at jez@uova.uk with your questions or specific challenges you are facing.

#Sales #BusinessDevelopment #Prospecting