Never underestimate the power of self-preservation. What do I mean by this? In business, decisions are not always made for the good of the organization. You might have a phenomenal product that adds significant value to your prospect, but if it jeopardizes the job security of a person in the decision-making process, your chances of a successful sale are very small. Self-preservation almost always trumps sound business logic.
For example, if you are offering marketing services and have a proven track record of delivering solid results in a particular industry, you better know the political landscape of your prospect before you begin your sales campaign. If your prospect has individuals responsible for designing and executing marketing strategies, it would behoove you to include them in your overall sales approach. If you go around them, you run the risk of them doing everything in their power to sabotage your deal. Sure, there are times when you can sell above them and perhaps receive an initial order or evaluation, but if they are not on your side, it will be a constant uphill battle.
Think about it. If you are accountable for a specific deliverable within an organization, when a sales rep is proposing a fresh idea that might jeopardize your value, it’s certainly understandable why there would be pushback.
Personally, I have witnessed this as a sales consultant. Believe it or not, even on a volunteer basis! Individuals responsible for sales training in large organizations are extremely protective of their positions and therefore hesitant to introduce other consultants that might add value. Self-preservation is the theme of the day.
So what should a sales exec do in the face of political obstacles like those described above?
I believe it goes back to fundamental sales skills. Step one is to determine how strong the political climate is. If it is extremely powerful and the account does not offer huge potential, then the answer is easy. Cut your losses and move on!
However, if the account offers tremendous long-term potential, and you have a fixed sales territory, then you have no choice but to deal with the political landscape as best as you can. That means selling at all levels of the organization, including the individual that is politically motivated to reject your proposal.
The best way to do this is to make him an important component of your proposal. Figure out how your product will benefit him, and augment his current deliverables. If possible, use him to add value to your proposal so he will feel less threatened. The ideal situation would be to have the proposal be the idea of your political adversary. Try to make it a win-win for both of you. The primary idea is to make him look good to his superiors. You might need to use all your selling skills to accomplish this, but if executed correctly, you will have an advocate for life at this account. Sometimes your worst enemies may become your best friends if you play your cards right.
Position your proposal as a win-win for all parties involved. Be creative so your potential roadblock wins, your prospective account wins, and of course, you win as the professional sales exec.
Spending the necessary time to strategize and figure out how the outcome will benefit all parties is what separates the good sales execs from the great ones!
UNIVERSAL SALES TRUTH #5
Be humble, not prideful
Proverbs 11:2
The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
But the down – to – earth people stand firm