It’s no secret that the dynamics between the buyer and the salesperson play a pivotal role in sealing the deal. The conversation often revolves around real sales issues, selling situations, and sales leadership.
Let’s delve into a scenario. You’re selling to a beer industry manufacturer, and their first question is about your price. This immediate focus on cost might make you think this may not be a good prospect. However, it’s crucial to remember that you can’t be disrespectful or dismissive. As salespeople, it’s our job to work with what we have.
In this situation, the salesperson has to conduct a discovery call and engage a subject matter expert to understand the prospect’s business process, adaptation, and conversion. Unfortunately, the interaction turned into a commodity exchange, with the buyer solely interested in the number of users and the price per user.
This scenario illustrates a common challenge in sales: the sales and buying processes often need to align. How your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is set up may not necessarily mirror how the buyer decides. Therefore, figuring out how to sell more effectively based on the buyer’s journey is crucial. Understanding the buyer is discussed in great detail in my book Eliminate Your Competition, which is available wherever you buy books.
I also blog about this on the site that supports my book Eliminate Your Competition. You can read several great articles such as The Power of Decision Timelines in Streamlining Sales Processes and You Can Win Business Against Larger Competitors
You may purchase my book Eliminate Your Competition from your favorite book retailer. The ebook version is available at the most popular retailers, such as Apple, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. The paperback version is also widely available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books A Million.
Now, let’s consider another side of the coin. What if the prospect is genuinely interested and has started the conversation with the price? In such situations, you must give them a price range and then ask questions. Understanding what the buyer has done so far, where they’re heading, and why they need your product before you’ve even had a substantial conversation can be a game-changer.
The key here is to get the customer to open up and discuss what they know and don’t. The sales process, usually standardized by the CRM, is designed to make the salesperson successful. However, the buyer has a different problem to solve: they want to purchase something that will benefit them.
Understanding where the buyer stands in their journey, whether they already know they have a problem and need to solve it or are assuming they have a problem based on some articles they’ve read, can be instrumental in shaping your sales pitch.
A fundamental aspect of the buyer’s journey is the concept of ‘resonate.’ This term refers to how well your solution aligns with the buyer’s business and provides value. The sales process starts with the salesperson’s journey, which is then adapted to align with the buyer’s perspective. This creates a value-centric, value-focused buyer journey.
So, how can you identify when your sales process isn’t buyer-centric? One indication could be the long stages of the sales cycle. If you’re stuck in the discovery phase or find that the scope has changed from the initial goal, it could indicate that you need to realign your sales process with the buyer’s journey.
Looking at your pipeline and figuring out which deals are stuck or take too long can be beneficial. Understanding where the buyer was in their journey and how you adapted your selling approach can provide valuable insights.
Sales is a dynamic and complex process that requires understanding and aligning with the buyer’s journey. Whether you’re a salesperson, a sales manager looking to improve your management capabilities, or a CEO of a small company doubling as a salesperson, these insights can help you navigate your sales process more effectively. Remember, the goal is to make life better for the buyer, making your sailing adventures in the sea of sales easier and more successful.
Here are a few strategic steps you can take today to improve your sales journey:
- Conduct a Discovery Call: Before offering a price for your product or service, take the time to understand your prospect’s business process, adaptation, and conversion. This will help you tailor your offering to their specific needs and concerns.
- Analyze Your CRM System: Evaluate if your CRM-managed sales process aligns with the buyer’s purchase decision-making process. Suppose it doesn’t consider making necessary adjustments better to align your sales process with the buyer’s journey. Similarly, if you are the expert at selling your type of product, you may need to educate the buyer on the appropriate steps to follow.
- Get to Know Your Customer: Before offering a price range, engage your customers in a substantial conversation about their needs and concerns. This will help you understand where they stand in their journey and how your product or service can solve their problem.
- Evaluate Your Sales Pipeline: Review your sales pipeline to identify which deals take too long to close. This may indicate that your sales process needs to be more buyer-centric and realigned with the buyer’s journey. Use the insights gained to modify your sales approach and make it more effective.
