4: Follow Up & Progress
Sales Workflow
Stage | Objective | Delivery | Collateral | Output |
Prepare | Research the customer, understand the attendees, identify likely needs and select relevant materials. | Before any call or meeting | Pitch/Meeting Preparation Template, Personas for Shipping & Offshore, S&O Sales Diagnostic Model | Customer insights, questions and meeting plan. |
Qualify | Understand customer’s situation, challenges, priorities, stakeholders, decision process, budget and timeline. | Intro call, Phone call, video call, email | Discovery Calls & Cold Calling Guide, Diagnostic Questionaire where relevant | Clear understanding of whether there is a genuine opportunity and relevant Podium fit. |
Introduce | Introduce Podium/module and the reason for the conversation. Establish initial relevance without delivering a full presentation. | Intro call, Phone call, email, video call | Podium Overview Slides, Speaker support Notes, Relevant Podium Brochures,Sales Demos Guide | Customer understands who you are, why you are contacting them and why Podium/module may be relevant. |
Present | Tailored presentation focused on customer’s needs and proving the relevant use case | Video Call, face to face meeting, product demo | Podium Sales Deck; Sales Demos Guide; Podium Speaker Notes, Relevant Module Datasheet | Customer sees how Podium module addresses their specific challenges; fit and gaps are identified. |
Follow up | Reinforce value, support internal circulation, provide relevant collateral, answer questions and confirm agreed actions. | Follow up email, phone call, meeting, techincal sessions, proposal discussions | Relevant brochure, datasheet and a tailored summary | Customer recap, outstanding questions and confirmed actions. |
Progress | Continue managing the sale and move it towards the next commercial or evaluation stage. | On going calls, meetings, emails, technical sessions, proposal discussions | Discovery notes, diagnostic questionnaire and agreed action plan | Agreed next step, stakeholders, responsibilities and timing. |
Stage 1: Prepare
Understand the prospect and identify potential needs
- Review their account if they already have Podium, fleet size, services, vesel types, voyages vessels have taken etc
- Use LinkedIn, Google (or any other search engine) to learn more about the prospect, their company and what they do
- Read recent News articles if their company is mentioned and/or relevant to their industry/sector
- Use the below Sales tools to prepare for a call/meeting with the prospect
Personas for Shipping & Offshore
What it is: A reference guide covering key audiences such as shipowners, operators, fleet managers, charterers, brokers and port operators.
When to use it: Before outreach and while preparing discovery questions or presentations.
Purpose: To help distributors adapt the message to the prospect’s priorities, role, buying behaviour and likely value drivers.
- Personas Here
Shipping & Offshore Sales Diagnostic Model
What it is: A sales framework that helps distributors identify a prospect’s operational challenges, connect those challenges to relevant Podium capabilities and build a value-led proposition.
When to use it: Before and during discovery calls, when preparing a tailored presentation and when agreeing follow-up actions.
Purpose: To improve discovery conversations, ensure Podium is positioned according to the prospect’s business type and needs, support consistent messaging and increase the likelihood of progressing the sale.
- Model Here
Pitch/Meeting Preparation Template
What it is: A pre-meeting preparation checklist for capturing company, fleet, vessel, commercial and technology information.
When to use it: Before a discovery call, presentation or tailored pitch.
Purpose: To help the distributor understand the prospect’s operating model and select the most relevant Podium capabilities.
- Template Here
Stage 2: Qualify
Start the conversation & identify pain points
Discovery Calls
What it is: Guidance for researching prospects, structuring discovery calls, asking effective questions, validating needs and agreeing next steps.
When to use it: During prospecting, qualification and early-stage sales conversations.
Purpose: To keep the conversation focused on the customer rather than presenting features too early.
- Discovery Call/Meeting Guide Here
Podium Diagnostic Questionnaire
What it is: A structured questionnaire focused on the prospect’s emissions reporting processes, tools, challenges, stakeholders, budget and timeline.
When to use it: During or after an emissions-focused discovery conversation.
Purpose: To uncover the customer’s current process, identify gaps and establish whether there is a qualified opportunity.