Sales Training Series - Make every buyer a coach

What is the sales strategy for the ultimate decision maker in the case of multiple buyer sales?

"It's necessary anyway," you said? Then you have no sales strategy. What you have is the secret of failure.

Of all the tragic misunderstandings that plague salespeople in selling multiple buyer environments, the worst possibility is that low-level "influencers" are merely barriers to sellers' access to the biggest purchaser. Do you think that the ultimate decision maker [UDM] is the only buyer who really deserves your time? Do you think that "strategy" means how to bypass or manipulate lower-level customers so that you can enter UDM?

If so, you will lose a lot of business. This is not a strategy other than disaster.

First, many influential people may not have the power to sell, but they do have the ability to kill it - if you alienate them, they will.

However, in addition to the danger of making an enemy, there is more to it. Lower level buyers may be your most valuable resource. They can actually guide you in the strategy of winning.

After all, what is an effective sales strategy? When you move toward sales, this is a plan that guides you from one logical step to the next. In order to understand what these steps must be and how to successfully complete each step, you need information. Somehow, you must discover the key needs of your customers, the power to drive purchase decisions, the stakeholders involved, how the buying process works in the client company, and more.

Wouldn't it be nice if some of the expert guides in the company were free to provide this information? If they will also guide you through the steps required to complete the sale? And suppose they are willing to take you to the top decision makers because they really want you to win?

These guidelines exist in every customer organization and each is a potential sales coach. If you can show them that you are a valuable consultant and partner to meet their needs, you can no longer worry about finding the final buyer. They will take you there - let you win.

In the field:

Dan Crear, Sales Director of Sales Selling, a sales committee, is looking for a huge opportunity in a thriving global bank. [Yes, even today there are things like successful banks.] The ultimate decision maker is the kind of person who likes to spread decision-making power. Nine people became key influencers.

Crear evaluated the situation and determined the role of each player. He then designed some questions to make a personal interest in the purchase decision. A key question is: "Do you have any evidence that your current situation is generating ROI?" "This leads each decision maker to determine what the return on investment means for them.

Once the return is determined according to individual terms, each of them wants him to win the deal. With their support, he did it.

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