No, I'm not talking about what happens when you drunk dial your wife at 2am. What I'm talking about will have even more dire consequences. This disconnect can cost you more than your life; it can cost you your job. The disconnect I'm referring to happens when you cross a mid-level "innovator" buyer with their own "late follower" company.
How many times have you been able to excite and even sell your prospect (innovator) only to find out later that their company is a "late follower". At best, the sale stalls. At worst, it dies. How do you make sure there is no disconnect between your prospect and their company? Try these questions early in the selling process:
- Tell me about the last innovation "you" were able to approve at this company? - If there isn't one or if its was minor, you really have to speak with someone higher up or walk.
- Who, besides you, thinks this can happen?- You're listening for senior level sponsorship.
- What are your top 2 goals for the year? - You're listening for either a strong revenue increase or expense reduction (or both). Emphasis on "strong". If their goals are not significant, then most likely neither will be managements' tolerance for risk.
- What would keep this from happening? - Your listening for candor in the response. If your prospect can't give you any definitive reasons then they just don't know what they are because they've never tried anything new. There are always reasons why something won't get done. This person is just disconnected from the mother ship.
These questions (along with the ones now popping into your head) presumes you've done your homework and have a fairly strong read on the company's cultural profile. If the answers you hear don't indicate a strong connection in your favor, then nothing else you've shared relative to value will matter. Make sure there is no disconnect between your buyer and their employer before forecasting that next big sale or the next disconnect you hear may come from your company cell phone.
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