As a new sales rep, it’s an accomplishment to have a decision maker talk to you. However, more experienced reps realize there is tremendous value in reaching these people much sooner in the sales process. This person is the one who actually confirms the purchase and signs the check.
The following is an overview of the major benefits of getting in touch with the primary decision maker early in the selling process!
1) Time and Resource Savings
The biggest benefit of reaching the decision maker early is that you save time and effort. A lot of reps start at low levels of the organization, and they have to repeatedly sell their solutions as they work their way closer to the top. Imagine how much time you save by going right to the source and facilitating one effective selling process.
In addition to only having to sell once, you save a lot of time on the phone and in meetings. You don’t have to prepare and fine-tune your selling presentation materials for multiple meetings. While hearing “no” is never the goal, you can exit low-opportunity deals sooner by hearing this rejection from the top person right away.
2) Identify Key Hurdles Early
Buyer objections are the key hurdles to completing a sale. Lower-level employees who don’t have authority to make the purchase typically object on the basis of their inability to agree to a deal. These people also tend to focus on the technical details of the product or service as it relates to their roles in the business, and they won’t necessarily see the higher-level value you offer.
As you approach decision makers, they can tell you about the critical business issues they face and the obstacles the right solution has to overcome to provide an ideal fit. Knowing these hurdles early allows you to align your selling process and demonstration to address them effectively.
3) Better Success Selling Value
Decision makers in a company buy solutions for one of two reasons; either your solution in some way contributes to increased revenue, or it offers cost-savings. In some cases, a solution may address both of these, leading to a strong profit boost.
When you ask effective questions and get to know the full scope of the decision maker’s business issues, you gain valuable insights into the type of solution that is most useful. The broader and deeper your understanding gained from the decision maker, the greater your ability to sell a high-value solution that meets their needs and earns you the most profit.
Conclusion
These are some of the major benefits of getting right to the decision maker when calling on businesses. The trick is to figure out who these people are when looking at a new prospect.
Salesgenie’s subscription service is a great help, as it allows you to build your contact list based on thorough firmographic and behavioral profile data; start your free trial!
