Smooth Selling
/You have to respect many opinions to close a deal. Understand every role that influences your buyer’s decision and you’re on the path to creating your best product.
If you’ve proven product/ market fit, you’re on to the solution to a problem that some folks will pay you a margin to deliver. Congratulations. Now it’s time to consider the diverse opinions that could scupper your plans for world domination.
If you’re chasing a consumer sale, those opinions may include family members—parental or spousal approval.
If you’re after commercial buy-in, the list will be longer. For instance:
Your buyer’s CFO may need an ROI.
Your buyer’s IT will have questions about security and the role they would play—and need to resource—in the path to success.
Your buyer’s users—the folks that will actually solve problems with your stuff—will want to understand how it works, what it requires of them, and how it will impact their lives.
Your buyer’s procurement machine will need a clean contract.
…so on and so forth.
If you disregard these diverse opinions, the very best outcome will be longer sales cycles and slower adoption. Worst case, I’ve seen products—and companies—die on the vine by ignoring buyer-friendly features.
But if you deliver a prudent balance of features, you’ll make everyone’s life easier. Your buyer may not think about all aspects, let alone ask you to address these questions. But if you do, you’ll make their decision easier. That wins sales … and hearts.
Check your roadmap
Take a look at your product and roadmap and circle the features that help your buyer to champion your solution.
Consider where recent deals have stalled:
Are you asked security questions that you can’t answer?
Has business been delayed by overbearing implementation projects?
Do users struggle to adopt a complex shift in their work routine?
If you’ve experienced none of the above, what exactly does slow your sales cycle?
And what can you do about it?
Graham Binks is the author of Trusting Technology, a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Graham speaks and writes regularly at www.grahambinks.com/blog.