Consensus is key

Lately, I have been seeing more and more salespeople lose opportunities because they don’t have the support of the necessary stakeholders. Here are four ideas to get everyone on board so you can make the sale.

Authority. In some cases prospects don’t have the authority. Even though they may be someone with a relatively impressive title, who also happens to be the CEO of the problem, they don’t have the support of the real decision-maker (the person who needs convincing).

These salespeople struggle to coach their contacts on how to sell the real decision-makers. The way to reach these decision-makers is to ask the question “Who else are we going to need to convince in order to get this initiative approved?” Some salespeople hesitate to ask this question for fear it will alienate their contacts. But not asking is far more dangerous. It can cost you an opportunity.

The real deciders. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I have seen some salespeople who have gained the support of the stakeholders with authority but not the support of the stakeholders who would be affected by their solutions. Gone are the days in which having the person with authority was enough. Now that person wants to ensure they have the support of their teams, the people whom they are going to charge with executing the solution.

Here are two ideas to prevent an opportunity from landing in your losses column: