SKILL
and work effectively with the specific personalities of panel members. Some will have authoritarian tenden- cies and like to give their opinions in long talks. “These people can be a minefield,” Gardner says. “So I just let them talk and say, ‘That’s inter- esting.’” Others will be much more passive. “They may hate your guts, but will not tell you – so you have to evoke their opinions.”
Other personality traits also count heavily in these high-stakes bids. Government decision makers can be either entrepreneurial or risk-averse. These tendencies determine not so much personal communication as the proposed sales solution itself. Some solutions impose more risk but offer potentially greater gains to the government customer. But these solutions can be proposed only when the decisive voices on the buy- ing panel are willing to take risks. Risk-averse panels must not only be offered a more cautious solution, but also be given the thorough in- formation, references, and explana- tions that will assure them it is safe. How does the selling team figure out all this about the buying panel? There are meetings, of course. But, in large-dollar government deals, meetings are often limited and formal. Gardner has come to believe that people go into gov- ernment service for two kinds of reasons – and sometimes a mix of these reasons. They either like to exert power or they want to be of service. The service-oriented people are invaluable because they often become caretakers on the buying panel. “You need to quickly find the caretaker on the panel because he or she will promote your cause and provide inside information. This person is sometimes referred to as the ‘champion’ or ‘rabbi.’ In any case, this is the person who will teach you how to navigate through the panel and help you understand the personalities and motivations of the other panel members.” Finally, Gardner is always try-
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ing to understand how a success- ful buying decision will affect the future of the panel members, their careers in the government, and possibly their post-government careers. Are the panel members
looking chiefly for security in their present positions, for promotion within their departments, for a shift to another agency, or possibly to a job outside government?
VIDEO: SAP HYBRIS PRESIDENT ALEX ATZBERGER ON THE FUTURE OF CRM
SELLING TIP
Save Your At-risk Customers According to one sales consultant, 20 to 40 percent of professional firms’ clients are considering defection. He identifies two types of at- risk clients: clients who call in order to terminate the relationship and clients who say nothing, but display many of the telltale signs of defec- tion – including reduced buying, increased time between assignments, increased complaints, invoice disputes, late payments, and declining levels of satisfaction. To save these at-risk customers, he offers the three-step EAR Recov- ery Formula: 1. Empathize. Prove you understand the client’s problem. To truly em- pathize, you need to understand three needs: • The trigger need – what set them off • The driving need – the deeper, festering set of problems • The original need – why they bought from you in the first place
2. Ask clients how they want the problem resolved. Is there anything you can do to save the business?
3. Respond with a tailored solution. “Your proposal must, above all, demonstrate that you appreciate the seriousness of the problem your client faces, and that you’re absolutely committed to putting it right,” he says.
– RENEE HOUSTON ZEMANSKI
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