Sales Obstacles – Ideas For Overcoming – Sales Reminder#8

You Will Face Sales Obstacles!

Every sales effort will likely encounter detours, stalls,  and obstacles. Salespeople knows this. Price, politics, economics, competition, consultants, an unwillingness to evaluate your product,  sun spots, the full moon,  “old ways of thinking” about business issues, reluctance to change, executive management being shielded from the problems and chaos your solution would help to solve, all seem to influence your prospect’s buying decision. OK, maybe sun spots and a full moon have no influence on the decision to purchase your product, but it can certainly seems like it at times!

Dealing with obstacles is crucial if you want your prospect to view you and your product as viable option.

Obstacles are normal! Every sale will have obstacles. A salesperson has responsibilities here. They must develop the skills to avoid, overcome, and even create obstacles for their competitors! The same obstacles of price, politics, economics, and competition are present in almost every selling situation and it is important to be aware. Listen, learn, and keep your antennas up!

Price

In most cases, a prospect wants to know the price of a what you have to offer long before you learn the details of their requirements. Unless your product or service has standard published pricing, remember to probe to get the details of what they really need before giving a final price. Don’t assume you know what a prospect needs before you ask questions. In many, if not most cases, price is not really the biggest issue if your prospect has pain.

Sales must show the prospect that their investment in your solution has an outstanding ROI and this outweighs the investment. Maybe you can show an outright cost savings with your solution. Maybe it’s a discussion within a range of pricing that a prospects agrees to. Don’t neglect to show the financial benefits your prospect will realize by purchasing your solution. It’s possible your solution will cost more than any other competitor’s price. In this case it’s important for your prospect to understand qualitative benefits of purchasing your solution and value added services. It’s possible funding to purchase your solution will come from multiple budgets. Find out how you product will be paid for.

Politics

It seems politics are involved in almost everything we do! With your prospects, there could be internal competition between management teams, divisions, departments, and individuals. Go figure! These internal politics can deeply influence buying decisions. You should become aware of  politics but not participate! It is essential for sales to align with the decision maker and  influencers of the decision, and remain in close contact and communication with them. The politics will become clearer if you do.

Politics can put the fire out of  your sales process. A salesperson must learn to navigate the unpredictable waters of politics.  Your goal is to remain unbiased with your comments, with all participants. Taking sides can kill your sale. Just continue checking where you are in your sales process and remember your goals. Remember the decision criteria the prospect has agreed to, be certain you speak with key people who will make the buying decision, not just people you are comfortable with, and keep their requirements and your solution in the forefront of all discussions.

On a personal note, I ask my sales teams to avoid conversations about government politics and religion as much as possible. These conversations with a new client can have explosive consequences.

Will You Make Me Successful?

Here’s a real life example of a sales obstacle I encountered. Seems familiar? I once sold large-scale business computer systems. There was always an incumbent supplier installed at the accounts I called-on.  The incumbent I targeted was always deeply entwined with the account. They owned the data center and almost everything associated with the computing environment – hardware, software, training, support, wiring, consulting, cooling systems, coffee cups, pencils… OK! A bit of an exaggeration but they truly seemed to own their accounts and the technical employees were quick to tell me they were a shop dedicated to this computer supplier. They had zero interest in what I had to offer. Even CTO’s were reluctant to evaluate me our approach. Big Obstacles! So how did I navigate these obstacles and sell my solutions? I took a step back and refocused.  After all, my platform performed just as well if not better; was based of open standards; and saved clients in the range of 37% or more annually! I realigned my sales effort. I focused on the CFO and Presidents of companies. Typically these professionals were looking for cost savings and efficiencies. 85% of my time was spent communicating with the CFO and President levels and about 15% at the technical and user levels. This was a complete reversal for me but this is how I overcame my obstacles and achieved my goals.  If you’re stuck, look for an executive level where there is strong motivation or even the  responsibility to take a look at what you have to offer.

Competitors

Your competitors will probably be just one of your greatest obstacles. Remember earlier I mentioned creating obstacles for your competitors? You can and you must do this! When I sold computer systems, there were features exclusive to my company. A feature we had that no other major competitor had at the time was Predictive Support. A process where our computer’s operating system would automatically check critical system components and performance parameters. If critical components failed to function at a predetermined level, a support technician from our company and our client company would be notified. Sometimes our technician would visit the customer site before our clients were aware of any issues.  When I mentioned this to an IT Director,  a hurdle was created for my competitor.  A simple obstacle my competitors could not easily leap. The idea of Predictive Support played over and over in my prospect’s mind! It gave him a real sense of comfort he couldn’t get from my competitors.

Sales must understand all aspects of their products and services and a maintain a good understanding of competitive offerings. Learn how to position your product against your competitors’.  If you have them, learn to create uniqueness and exclusives with your product. Deal with any questions raised by a competitor. If there are lingering doubts about your products/services your sale could encounter trouble. Never speak negatively about a competitor but do emphasize how your product will benefit the prospect. Be certain your prospect is comparing “apples to apples”. Typically, there is a significant difference between the pricing of  Enterprise Software implementations and Software As A Services (SaaS) solutions. Be certain your prospect really appreciates the differences if your’re selling SaaS.

Consultants

Often consultants are brought in by corporations to be neutral experts, the provider of the best advice for their client. From your perspective as a salesperson, consultants can facilitate or disrupt your sales process.  Because of the current world economic crisis, I suspect many consultants are very busy! Companies facing complex issues hire consultants to help them evaluate options and make solid recommendations. This could include your product!

Consultant might challenge your prospect’s conclusion that now is the time to purchase your product or service. It has happened to many a salesperson. This is what I recommend. Approach the consultants as you approached your prospect.You must understand the consultant’s role and educate the consultant regarding your company and solution. Try to gain their support but at least avoid alienating them! Try to discover their leanings, past experience, what they’ve recommended in the past, and areas of expertise. The web is a great place to do your research. I once encountered a “neutral” consultant who actually had a business partnership with my primary competitor. Most consultants are meticulous about their reputation however, and make every effort to serve their clients completely and ethically.

The  goal is to become a trusted resource for consultants  you frequently encounter. Even if there are multiple competitors vying for a sales opportunity, your professional and supportive relationship with the consultant will help to assure a fair evaluation of your solution.

As another sales reminder when you face big obstacles, be certain you know what you need to know about their buying process and how decisions are made. Review your qualification checklist to be certain you’ve not missed important data points.

Next Discussion: Asking For The Business – Sales Reminder #9

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