Be Clear on the Buying Committee
Today, many purchases are made by a buying committee rather than a single decision maker, and the size of the committees is growing. This evolution in buying behavior requires you to shift your approach accordingly.
If you’re meeting with five attendees from a prospective customer and the decision makers are from varying departments and levels of the organization, certainly that committee must have the collective authority to purchase, right? Not necessarily.
That’s why it’s important to qualify the committee early in the process.
Qualify and Conduct Discovery with Every Member of the Buying Committee
Ask who else might be involved in making the decision to purchase and ensure that the person or people who are making the decision are involved appropriately throughout the sales process. If a key decision maker is not active in the process, someone else will be selling to her, internally. And that person probably isn’t as good at selling your solution as you are!
Navigating the buying committee doesn’t end with qualifying to ensure you’re working with the right people. When multiple influencers are involved in a decision, you’ll encounter a range of interests and attitudes toward your solution. Some influencers might have a lot to gain from purchasing your solution, and some might have a lot to lose. The influencers will have specific things they need to see to recommend a purchase.
It’s up to you to learn, as early as possible, as much as you can about each of the influencers and decision makers involved in a purchase.
You knowledge of the buying committee can’t stop with confirmation that the committee has authority to buy; you must understand the committee and craft your messaging to speak to each unique decision maker and influencer. Don’t get caught broadly messaging everyone the same way!