ALPHABETICAL : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ambergris
Rare and priceless substance produced deep within the gut of a sperm whale.
Hunt Big Sales uses this term to represent additional value to be located
within existing key accounts.
Beach
During the Beach Phase (one of nine in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 ), you prepare and present the intake document, develop a harvest map, and commit to performance metrics.
Boat
The team of villagers who hunt and capture a specific whale. The team includes a harpooner, shaman, and several oarsmen, subject matter experts (SMEs) who are needed to close a complex sale. SMEs on each boat represent all areas of the company. The village chief may also be involved.
Buyers' Table
Those at the whale company who will be affected by your company's solution and participate in the buying decision. Key positions at this table (among others) are the Polar Bear (economic buyer) and Caribou (technical buyers).
Capture
The Capture phase, one of nine in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 , involves those activities traditionally associated with "closing": finalizing the proposal, closing the deal, negotiating terms, and completing the contract.
Caribou
Individuals at the whale company - often technical buyers - who participate at the Buyers' Table and influence the buying decision. However, their position only allows them to say "no."
Chief
President, CEO, Founder or other person identified as responsible for the company's growth and delivery of profits. This person is responsible for ensuring that the village is ready to harvest whales, re-calibrates the Target Filter, and has final say as to whether a boat hunts or not.
Celebrate
During Celebrate (one of nine phases in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 ), your company conducts an internal post-harvest review, documents and integrates lessons learned, and determines ways to celebrate the whale (i.e. make the whale aware of both your company's appreciation for it and your company's commitment to your ongoing relationship).
Culture
The shared history of what has made your company successful. As the village transforms into a whale-hunting village, certain cultural beliefs change but core values can be maintained and reinforced.
Dossier (Scouting and Hunting)
Document used to communicate research information about a whale from the Scout to the Harpooner and Shaman.
Eel
Gatekeepers, deal spoilers, and nay-sayers at the whale company who work to prevent any sort of change.
Gap Analysis
The results of an analysis that the village performs to compare the needs of a particular whale against the village's current ability to meet those needs. Areas such as legal, finance, technology, operations, and logistics are typically included in such analyses.
Harpoon
Harpoon is one of the nine phases in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 . During this phase, the whale hunter gets the whale's attention using a combination of an effective contact approach and a well-crafted message. Your company completes a needs assessment of the whale and designs and delivers a presentation to put forward your credentials and convey your understanding of the whale's needs.
Harpooner
A salesperson who hunts whales. The harpooner is responsible for identifying the key decision-makers within the whale company, as well as qualifying the whale, generating interest in the whale, and bringing the whale through the sales Process™.
Harvesting
This term refers to all activities that the boat and the village perform from the point of agreement with a client through a defined period of time (usually the first 90 days of the contract).
Honor
One of nine phases of the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 , Honor is the period of time surrounding that point when actual production or service delivery begins.
Intake and Setup
This term refers to specific activities the village and boat perform during the whale harvesting process. These activities are usually focused on an intense period of interaction just prior to the harvest through the first 30 days of contract performance.
Know
One of the nine phases of the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 , Know focuses on knowing your market, your strengths, your competition, and the ideal whales that you want to hunt.
Oarsmen
Key subject matter experts (SMEs) who are identified by the shamans and the village chief to participate in the sales process on the boat. These individuals have specific knowledge of elements of the products/services that the company is selling and contribute to bringing the whale into the boat during the Whale Hunters Process™1 .
Polar Bear
Target decision-maker (also referred to as the economic buyer) at the whale company who can say "yes" or "no."
Process Map
Visual and narrative representation of the series of choreographed activities in the village's whale hunting process 1 . It includes every element of The Whale Hunters nine-phase process — from Knowing the Whale to Celebrating the Whale — in the detailed series of steps that are defined for a particular village.
Raven
Company advocates of your company whose wisdom is sought after (and appreciated) by the shamans. Ravens take many shapes and forms. Some ravens are key insiders and associates of your company. Others are your guides on the customer side. Still another type of raven is a compensated intermediary.
Ride
During the Ride phase, you recruit and train subject matter experts to join your hunt, you analyze the whale's buying group, and you stage the whale's visit to your facility. Ride is one of nine phases in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 .
Scout
Marketing person who performs research on whales, generates dossiers on whales, monitors the market for "whale signs," and supports the harpooners as per the shamans's direction.
Searching for Ambergris (SFA)
A specific process and set of tools for capturing more business with the village's existing whale accounts.
Seek
One of nine phases in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 , Seek refers to the process by which your company collects, collates, and tracks account-specific information, including a prospect's readiness to buy. The shamans and harpooners use this information to decide which whales to hunt and how and when to hunt them.
Sew
This phase represents that time between a verbal or even contractual agreement to buy and the actual delivery of services. It is one of nine phases in the Whale Hunters Process™ 1 .
Shaman
The direct supervisor of a group of harpooners. The shaman is responsible for training the members of the boat, facilitating the whale hunting process, communicating with the tribe, and managing the tracking process.
Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Villager with responsibilities in hunting and harvesting a specific whale. SMEs represent such areas as research and development, legal, human resources, information technology, operations, manufacturing, shipping, and others. They are selected as oarsmen when a particular boat is launched.
Target Filter
The Target Filter is used as the evaluation chart for all prospective whales in the marketplace. Using the elements provided in the Target Filter, a score is given to each prospect whale and that score determines whether and when the village hunts.
Village
All members of the company in all departments.
Whale
A sales prospect that is distinct from other prospects because its meets pre-defined criteria of size and desirability as a client.
Whale Chart
An environmental scan of the marketplace and its inhabitants, this document identifies and qualifies the various opportunities in the marketplace by their desirable characteristics as a client.
Whale Hunters Process™ 1
An integrated sales process by which a company is able to sell and service massive accounts.
Back to top
Tom Searcy, The Whale Hunters Company, Large Account Sales, Business Growth, Sales Process Development, Fast Growth Strategies, RFPs, Key Account Management, Current Account Growth, Sales Management, Breaking Business Growth Plateau's, Prospecting System, Business Acceptance Process, Sales Management Development, Big Sales, Big Deals, Deal Coaching, Transform your company, Explosive Growth, Whale Hunting