3 Customer Contacts Reps Must Engage

It seems that star reps have recognized something that their average-performing peers have not: the most accessible customer contacts, the ones that will always pick up the phone and talk to you, rarely have the influence or ability to build the internal consensus required to get a deal done.

Now yes, it’s certainly easier to call on customer contacts that are always up for a chat. But star performers look for customers that want to do more than just talk. They actively identify and activate a specific type of customer stakeholder, one that we at the SEC have come to call Mobilizers—customer contacts that are focused on getting things done.

Recently, we held a webinar where we dug into the specific Mobilizer profiles in detail. In particular, we focused our time on how to engage the three Mobilizer types, the Go-Getter, Teacher, and Skeptic.

Let’s walk through each in turn:

Go-Getters

Defining Quote: “Show me the business value, and I’ll get ‘er done!” 

These are your big picture folks that have a flair for the details.

In the early phase of a Go-Getter’s buying process, we as salespeople will need to think about the higher order business implications for these customers, that’s what they’ll attach to early on. But as we move this type of customer stakeholder through the process, we can’t ignore the numbers and hard-facts that will appeal to their rational side. Productive conversation with these customer contacts won’t come easily, and will require a lot of homework and due diligence to prepare adequately on the part of a salesperson. 

Teachers

Defining Quote:   “I LOVE THE IDEA!  Now what?”

This type of customer contact is also big picture oriented, but more emotionally driven.

After the sales conversation, provided the rep did a good job of building the value proposition, Teachers will want to scream change from the mountain tops inside their organizations with passion and excitement! But that unstructured excitement over time can fizzle unless the rep helps these people.  You have to give them a plan. Focus your teacher-oriented customer contacts on the economic needs of the other key stakeholders inside their company. Does the CFO need to be bought in? Great, well what metrics does the CFO care about? What do they use to measure success?

That’s how you equip Teachers to have a successful internal conversation.

And we can’t be afraid to ask these folks questions. “So, Mrs. Customer, if I’m hearing you correctly, you mention that your head of operations will be a key player in driving an initiative like this, correct? Well then, what do you think she’ll be looking for from a project like this? How will she define success?”

If that customer can’t answer, well, as a salesperson, give them that information (so, here’s what an operations person likely cares about based on my experience, X, Y & Z), or, if you don’t know, have them go talk to their operations folks to figure it out. Give that teacher homework, see if they do it!

Skeptics

Defining Quote:  “Interesting. But, how does…? Who will…? Where can…?”

Skeptics ask questions, they care, and if you know your stuff as a salesperson, these conversations can be a fun challenge! If you don’t, these customer contacts will seem like jerks.

These folks are detail-oriented and rationally-driven. Very left-brained. So once they’re bought in, how do you help them? It’s pretty simple, HELP THEM TELL THE STORY. What’s the emotional side of the world look like? What are others inside their company going to be passionate about? Because left to their own devices, Skeptics will get bogged down with the nitty-gritty, the nuances.

In fact, you may want to handle the story telling for them. Let them make the necessary introductions for you inside their organization, and you take it from there. Then come back to them when it’s time to iron out the details. They may actually thank you for it!

SEC Members, see how star performers identify true Mobilizers with thisInteractive Stakeholder Identification Tool. Also, read the key findings from the study, Engaging the Right Customer Stakeholders, and listen to the webinar replay, Mobilizer 2.0: Working with the Right Stakeholders.