 |
In this issue:
|
 |
 |
2. Talk to the whole decision-making unit.
It's rare that decisions of any real monetary value are made by just one person or just one department. Most marketing and sales approaches only address the obvious target, the IT Director or Marketing Director for example.
There can be few things more costly and depressing than six months spent on making a sale to find it gets scuppered at the boardroom table.
More often that not, this is down to the proposition being addressed only to one audience and one agenda. The FD's view of the world and list of priorities is undoubtedly different to the IT Director for example.
That means while you can readily engage the "business end", helping them to get sign off further up the ladder means you'll need to do some careful planning.
For some propositions it's not clear exactly who in the organisation would make the decision to buy or not. Even more reason to make sure you've got your messaging right from each and every perspective.
How do you do it?
Consider your proposition or message from a generic business perspective first. Then look at each likely member of the decision making unit and decide what you think are going to be their drivers, their issues and their objectives and priorities. Think then about the kind of terms and references and words they'd use, understand and be comfortable with hearing.
- The days of blinding people with jargon are over. If you can't talk "business and finance" your proposal won't get past first base.
So while the message to the Technical Buyer might be, "It's easy to support and integrate", the message the FD will need to hear is, "it will deliver you Year 1 savings of X and ongoing savings of Y".
Linking the two up is the next step. Help the Technical buyer to "sell in" your proposition to the FD. In order to do that you will have to help him construct a commercially sound proposition.
Approaches that work best are usually based around "doing this" will mean you don't have to do "those things you'd already budgeted for". Creating new budget/money mid year is a mammoth task, so look for opportunities to re-align existing budgets or projects.
It's not rocket science but I bet you can't remember the last time someone sold to you like that?
3. Focus your activity on key targets and Accounts
"Focus, Focus, Focus", said Warren Buffet, probably the world's most successful investor.
We think he's right. When times are tight, spreading your efforts and focus will mean that lots of people get a little bit of your message. That means if you want them to hear the full story, you'll have to send them many more messages.
Customers like to buy from organisations that understand their issues and challenges. No one has the time or inclination to "teach" a new vendor about the intricacies of their market or industry.
So that means customers like to hear messages that "resonate" immediately (see point 1).
More >>
