It’s frustrating: you’ve poured energy into presenting your solution, carefully avoiding a pushy approach. You believe everything is on track, ready for the contract to be finalized. Then, the dreaded words: “I need to run this by Mike and Julie first.” Suddenly, smooth sailing turns into a sinking ship. Why weren’t you told about other decision-makers earlier? How do you prevent this from happening again?
Don’t despair! Here are seven strategies to avoid chasing elusive decision-makers:
1. Understand Organizational Psychology: Recognize that individuals within an organization often avoid making decisions in isolation due to fear of negative consequences. Even CEOs often require buy-in from their teams. Therefore, even if your contact claims sole decision-making authority, especially in larger companies, other stakeholders are likely involved. Accepting this reality will help you adapt your strategy.
2. Verify Decision-Making Authority: Instead of directly asking if your contact is “the” decision-maker, use a more nuanced approach. After they claim authority, casually ask, “So, you’re the only one who needs to sign off on the agreement? No one else needs to be involved?” This question often reveals the presence of other influencers.
3. Don’t Panic, Strategize: When you discover additional decision-makers late in the process, don’t be thrown off. Calmly suggest involving them in the proposal to avoid surprises later.
4. Propose a Conference Call: To avoid delays when your contact says they need to connect with others who are traveling, suggest a brief conference call with all key stakeholders. This ensures everyone receives the same information simultaneously. The response you receive will also be telling. Enthusiasm indicates genuine interest, while reluctance might signal a lack of commitment.
5. Collaborate on the Agenda: If a conference call is agreed upon, work with your primary contact to create a clear, informative agenda. Emphasize that the call’s purpose is to provide an overview, not to pressure anyone. Reassure them that you won’t put anyone on the spot. Start the call by reiterating this point: “Our goal is to bring everyone up to speed so you can all consider the solution at your own pace. We don’t believe in pressuring decisions.”
6. Let Them Coordinate: Allow your main contact to coordinate the conference call. Avoid appearing overly eager by offering to schedule it yourself, as this can trigger concerns about you trying to influence other decision-makers prematurely. Instead, suggest they coordinate the call, as they have closer relationships with the other participants.
7. Uncover the True Stance: After the conference call, gauge the overall sentiment without applying pressure. Instead of a generic follow-up, ask about potential questions the other participants might have, acknowledging that not all concerns are always voiced directly. This opens the door for your contact to share their perspective and allows you to ask, “Where do you think we should go from here?”
By implementing these seven strategies, you can significantly reduce the frustration of chasing elusive decision-makers and improve your sales process.