Seven Sales Strategies for Dealing with Multiple Decision Makers
According to “Consultation Selling Strategies”, recent research shows that up until 1990 corporate buying decisions could be made by one to two decision makers within an organization. By 2000, that number had grown to between three to five decision makers and today decisions have morphed to include up to eight individuals.
The same research tells us that just a few years ago, decision makers would make a buying decision with five to six sales calls. In today’s competitive and ever changing environment a sales professional my have to call back on a prospective decision maker as many as eight times.
It is apparent that within companies of one hundred employees and larger, more and more buying decisions are being made by committee. A successful sales professional must learn effective sales strategies to navigate through the maze that can be formed when multiple decision makers become involved in making the final decision to purchase.
Seven Sales Strategies for Dealing with Multiple Decision Makers
1. Understand the different players and their particular role and interest in the buying process.
The financial officer will be interested in the effect on the P&L, while the human resources manager will be concerned with the value to the employee and overall organization and the chief administrator will no doubt be concerned about the effect on his or her work load. It is critical that you try and connect with each decision maker on a personal level.
2. Determine the process that will be used to make the final decision.
Will it be group vote or will one decision maker, after gathering information from the group, make the final decision. Failure to understand the process will be like throwing a dart and hoping.
3.Find each decision maker’s hot button
Once you do, try to make eye contact with that person when presenting on that particular issue. Discovery is invaluable when working with multiple decision makers.
4. Develop a sales strategy to deal with each decision maker after the presentation.
Individual contact by phone or email should be made with every participant shortly after meeting. Never try and determine that any one individual in the meeting is less important that another, you just never know.
5. Encourage participation from all decision makers.
Give everyone in the presentation a chance to speak before the meeting ends, you never know what valuable information they may disclose.
6. Listen and Observe
When meeting with multiple decision makers watch the group closely and try to determine if one individual gets more attention when they speak. This can sometimes point to the key player in the group.
7. Show Everyone Equal Attention
Remember that you are dealing with a group and never show anyone decision maker too much attention in your presentation
Times are rapidly changing in the world. There is greater competition in the evolving markets in all areas of business. It is important for you to be persistent and patient and develop effective sales strategies to close the deal. You have to be willing to stay with a prospective client through the whole decision making process and not rush it.
Good Selling,
Bob
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