Here are my thoughts on sales operations after working professionally for over 20 years. I offer ideas on the need for Deal Desks, Pricing Strategy, Contract Management, Contract Negotiation and Key Account Management. I am an expert on these presales / post-sale activities and I can help you improve your sales operations. Let me know if you need help! Samuel Mb / WhatsApp +14044502066

1. BEST PRACTICES IN
SALES OPERATIONS
Samuel A Saavedra
Dec 2019

2. 20 Years of Best Practices
◦ Hello! My name is Samuel Saavedra. I am expert on helping Sales Operations teams develop repeatable and
scalable processes. Here are some Best Practices in the areas of:
◦ Deal Desk Operations
◦ Pricing Strategy
◦ Contract Negotiation
◦ Contract Management
◦ Key Account Management
◦ I have worked in or around all of these areas for 20+ years and it is my pleasure to share my hard-won
knowledge.
◦ A one (1) minute biography is here > https://youtu.be/Wgn2URMLtpo
◦ My LinkedProfileis here > https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelasaavedra/

3. DEALDESKOPERATIONS
Best Practices

4. What is a Deal Desk?
◦ A Deal Desk is typically a department in Sales Operations or Marketing that strives to aggregate the
following Deal Cycle functions:
◦ Complex / Non-standard Deal Review
◦ Proposal / RFP Pricing Response
◦ Price / Margin Escalations that can lead to a War Room
◦ Price / Margin review for Big Deals and Big Bets
◦ Contract Review & Negotiations
◦ Billing Review & Approval
◦ Legal & Compliance Review & Approval

5. WHYIMPLEMENTADEALDESK?

6. Why create or utilize a Deal Desk?
◦ A Deal Desk offers several advantages compared to separate functions such as Pricing, Bid
Management, Contract Management, Billing and Legal & Compliance Review:
◦ Deal Visibilitythroughout the approval pipeline – Apptus, Anaplan, SFDC & Zilliant offer this
◦ Transparent Processes
◦ Centralized Deal Logic, Oversight and Stage Gate Approval Processes
◦ Immediate and automated Deal Routing to the next Approver
◦ A Scalable & Repeatable Process
◦ A set of processes that can handle all High-Touch, complex, and non-standard deals
◦ A set of processes that sets the stage for War Room escalations concerning solution delivery, timing, and price
◦ A set of oversight and review processes crucial for the Big Deal Review and Big Bets / Strategic Deal Review process
◦ A set of (hopefully) documented practices that can help with internal Audit controls

7. Deal Desk – Processes and Use Case Scenarios
◦ Source PwC Technology Institute study on Pricing & Profitability,2014

8. WHEREAREDEALDESKSFOUND?
• Usually in Sales Operations
• Sometimes in Marketing

9. The Deal Desk – A crucial part of Sales Operations
◦ Source, Apptus.com

10. Deal Desks – A key step in Quote-to-Cash Functionality
◦ Source, CRMevangelist.com

11. WHATDOESADEALDESKDO?

12. How a Deal Desk supports Sales Operations
◦ Source, SalesGlobe, 2016 SmartBrief.com “How deal desks are shaking sales organizations.”

13. Deal Desk Objectives & Responsibilities ( 1 of 2)
◦ Source PwC Technology Institute study on Pricing & Profitability,2014

14. Deal Desk Objectives & Responsibilities ( 2 of 2)
◦ Source PwC Technology Institute study on Pricing & Profitability,2014

15. Deal Desk – Best Practices of Leading Companies (1/2)
◦ Source PwC Technology Institute study on Pricing & Profitability, 2014

16. Deal Desk – Best Practices of Leading Companies (2/x)
◦ Source PwC Technology Institute study on Pricing & Profitability, 2014

17. PRICINGSTRATEGY
Best Practices

18. Thoughts on Pricing Strategy ( 1 of 3)
• Unless you are in a commodity manufacturing
environment, don’t do Cost-Plus Pricing. It is LAZY.
• Know what the market is charging for similar products
and services.
• Outliers have to provide enormous Value Perception
• Do you have the money to educate the masses on your
products and services? No? Price sensibly.
• Are you introducing the iPhone to the world? No?
Price sensibly.
• Being a Pioneer or ‘Disruptor’ is expensive. Have OPEX
for 1 to 2 years of operation.
Definition (“Price” <badword>) – Price is the numerical value that the Market (not you) will place
on your goods and services based on Their (not yours) Perception of your Value.

19. Thoughts on Pricing Strategy ( 2 of 3)
• Develop a Vertical (by Industry) or Segmented (within
industry) Pricing Approach.
• This means value-added / feature / function Bundles
• As a rule, always present your Price for a solution set as a
Bundled Price. Don’t get picked apart
• Learn how to do ‘Chinese Menus’ if your business involves
product / service combinations.
• Modify your contracts to allow Quarterly price changes.
• Don’t get locked in to a bad situation.
• Learn how to do Value-Based Pricing.
• Activities like onboarding & training have a value you
can quantify.
Definition (“Price” <badword>) – Price is the numerical value that the Market (not you) will place
on your goods and services based on Their (not yours) Perception of your Value.

20. Thoughts on Pricing Strategy ( 3 of 3)
• Test your pricing and margins by Vertical or by
Geographic Region
• Measure results every quarter (Price Elasticity)
• Watch out for ‘revenue leakage’ and control your sales
force!
• Use the contract to raise your prices in the event of non-
compliance / warranty breakage, etc.
• Have a clear Pricing Review and Approval Process
involving Approval Notes, Approvers and Escalation
Paths.
Definition (“Price” <badword>) – Price is the numerical value that the Market (not you) will place
on your goods and services based on Their (not yours) Perception of your Value.

21. CONTRACT
NEGOTIATIONS
Best Practices

22. Contract Negotiations – Best Practices ( 1 of 2)
• Use modern English and plain language. There is no need
for ‘heretofore’ and ‘wherefore’ or complex
constructions.
• Use a Repeatable Contract Structure of Body (Main Terms
& Parties) plus Attachments (SOWs, Product Descriptions)
• Don’t be stupid and try to apply US (USC) or Common Law
to overseas engagements.
• They will sign it knowing their jurisdiction may
protect them.
• Make sure you are contracting with the Party who Will
Pay, not a holding company or subsidiary who can avoid
you.
• Establish contractual obligations with the Party who will
Do the Work / Consume your Services.

23. Contract Negotiations – Best Practices ( 2 of 2)
• Don’t permit Benchmarking prior to 50% of the contract’s
term.
• Assume you will incur write-down of 25% and do
price quotes accordingly.
• Always combine contractual rewards & inducements with
penalties for underutilization, etc.
• Where there is a carrot, there must be a stick.
• Learn to create and deploy “Paper Tigers.”
• E.g, you reserve the right to raise prices if x,y, z
happens
• Be vigilant during the redline process – Save all iterations
to <black> and create auditable pdfs.
• Watch out for hidden SLA penalty language or dangers
• E.g, “The foregoing notwithstanding..”

24. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
Best Practices

25. Contract Management – Best Practices ( 1 of 2)
• Make sure that key stakeholders such as Billing, Pricing,
Legal and Sales all have EZ Access to PDF copies of the
contract.
• The contract is a confidential document (sales team) and
can only be shared under NDA and hopefully as part of a
viable business opportunity.
• Make sure that Finance and Sales understand how Billing
interpreted the contract and that all Billable, Chargeable,
and Ratable elements were accounted for.
• Create a monthly report of all Active contracts with:
• Contract compliance status * A/R posture
• Revenue To Date * Service Management Records
• Contract Renewal Date * Account-level P&L

26. Contract Management – Best Practices ( 2 of 2)
• Every Quarter, do a Pareto Analysis of your Contracts
(Accounts)
• 80% of your revenue is most likely being generated by
20% of your accounts.
• If a Single Account contributes more than 50% of your
revenue, you’re in trouble.
• No account should expose you to more than 10% of
loss if they Terminate for Cause or Convenience.
• Ask Legal Counsel (in-house or 3rd party) to review your
positions on Liability, Warranty, Fit for Purpose and other
Commercial concepts on a yearly basis.
• Don’t get stuck with outdated and unsupported legal
concepts or contractual clauses.

27. KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Best Practices

28. Account Management – Best Practices ( 1 of 2)
• Segment your accounts by
• Strategic Accounts (80% of your revenue)
• Key Accounts (remaining 20%)
• Self-Service Accounts / P.O. Customers
• Identify your Company Champions and Account Buyers
at these accounts.
• Establish a Weekly / Monthly Communications Cadence
• Emails, Phone Calls, and
• In-Person Visits
• You do NOT have to take your client to lunch, golf, or a
sporting event to maintain the relationship.
• They did sign a contract and your client contacts
need to work too.
• Just set a regular monthly 30 minute meeting like a
normal person for account review.

29. Account Management – Best Practices ( 2 of 2)
• Monitor all Service / Helpdesk Interactions
• Determine if there is a service / quality pain point
your customer is experiencing.
• Have clear emergency contact / escalation paths.
• Monitor contract compliance on a quarterly basis.
• Establish a Voice of the Customer email group, 800# or
other mechanism to get honest feedback.
• Deploy a Net Promoters Score (NPS) mechanism or other
Scorecard mechanism.
• Communicate often and anticipate business downturns.
• Always host a lavish and well-catered QBR (Quarterly
Business Review) with your Strategic Accounts.

30. CONTACT INFORMATION
Thank you!

31. Samuel A Saavedra
Phone / WhatsApp: +14044502066
Email: SamuelSaavedra565@outlook.com
LinkedIn profile.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelasaavedra/
1 Minute Business Bio. https://youtu.be/Wgn2URMLtpo
Call me today and say hello!