SKILL
The person you had thought was the “decision maker” may only be an information gatherer. Your understanding of the buying process may turn out to be completely wrong. The individual you had thought was the maintenance guy may really turn out to be the president of the company, who likes to “dress down.” What is the best way to find out if the prospect has the authority to buy? One expert provides the following roadmap.
ASK UP FRONT
The absolute best way to discover prospects’ buying authority is to sim- ply come right out and ask them. “Salespeople shouldn’t be afraid to ask the prospects, at the beginning of a meeting, if they actually do have the authority to buy or if they’re simply doing research for someone else,” says the expert. “You need to know what part they take in the buying process before you go through a lot of leg work.
“I tell my salespeople, when they’re How to Uncover the Real Buyer WILLIAM F. KENDY
You’ve heard it before: Never judge a book by its cover. Well, just because it’s a cliché doesn’t mean it’s not valid. The same is true when you call on a prospect. The person who sees you may seem like the one who makes the decisions. But how do you know?
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out prospecting and meet someone, to ask them straight off the bat what their position is and if they have the authority to buy. Salespeople sometimes have to go with their gut feelings about how the prospects ask questions, how they present them- selves, and the way they operate,” says the expert. “If you have any indication that the prospect can’t pur- chase or that you’re just spinning your wheels, ask, ‘Do you solely have the ability to purchase, or do you need to go to a boss, committee, supervi- sor, or anybody else who makes these decisions with you?’”
PREPARE TO FIND OUT Having said that, she also recognizes that some salespeople – especially the less experienced ones – often feel uncomfortable about being that for- ward during the initial meeting. She suggests other ways to find out where the real buying power lies. “One of the first things a salesper- son can do is go on the Internet and
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