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No Goal, No Prospect.
Until a suspect actually shares a business goal, they are not a prospect. Let's explore why.
First, let's look at three distinct phases in a business executive's decision-making process (read more...). Phase 1 involves wrestling with a goal they need to achieve, or a problem they're trying to solve, and visualizing potential solutions. Phase 2 is an active evaluation of product and service offerings from various vendors. Finally, Phase 3 is committing to the purchase.
So, where do you think many salespeople enter this buying cycle? Yep, Phase 2! They're pitching product features without really understanding if anything they're saying is even relevant. How do you think this makes a buyer feel? Pressured? Manipulated? The salesperson needs to back up to Phase 1 and get in alignment with the executive's decision-making process.
Now let's define business goals using an example. An executive's statement, "We need to automate our operation," is not a business goal. If you delve into why they need to automate, you'll get answers such as "We need to get products to market faster so that we can hit our revenue targets." Business goals are quantifiable and measurable. While executives are well-versed in their business goals and challenges, they need to see how they could overcome these challenges by using a vendor's offerings. So, until the buyer shares a goal, there is no problem to be solved and nothing for the salesperson to talk about (or sell!). Hence, no goal, no prospect.
If you'd like to learn more about how we help salespeople initiate goal-sharing conversations with buyers, let us know when you have time for a 15 minute call.
Best Regards,
Debra Swann, Pat Dougherty, Chris Kavanagh
Principals, SDK Sales Alliance
Partner, CustomerCentric Selling®; Your Roadmap to Revenue Growth
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