KEY FACTS – Influence decision-makers you will never meet face-to-face

Key Fact: When was the last time you were in the same room as your customer when they made the decision to buy? Increasingly, buying decisions are made behind closed doors and by more than one person. It's inevitable therefore that there will sometimes be key decision makers who you can't meet or, at best, are just faces in the crowd at your formal presentation.

• Rehearse your sponsor. If you can't meet all the decision makers, you have to rely on those you can meet to sell on your behalf. Skilled sellers use questions to get their contacts thinking through their arguments in favour of the seller’s proposals. By drawing on your customers’ own imaginations you can equip your contacts to sell on your behalf using their own language and arguments. So, instead of your customers saying "the sales person says it will give us this value" they say "I've thought this through and it will give us this value" – much more persuasive.


• Give persuasive presentations. The formal presentation may be your only chance to speak directly with the more elusive decision makers, yet many sales people fail to make the most of that opportunity. By relying on generic presentation visuals that focus on you and your solution, you can end up subjecting your customers to 'death by PowerPoint'. Our research shows that effective presentations are made memorable and persuasive by focussing on the customer and their needs, making it clear how you decided on the solution you are offering, not simply illustrating your solution.


• Effective proposals. All too often we see beautifully presented and lavishly produced proposals, which have almost no persuasive impact. In these situations, the proposal is little more than a glossy technical brochure with prices. Effective sellers ensure their proposals will be read by, and persuade, the decision makers they haven't met. By focusing on the case for change and clearly indicating how the proposed solution meets the customer’s required outcomes, the proposal becomes another aid to selling effectively.

Back