As we discussed in part 1 of this series, Seller Deficit Disorder is caused by a prospect’s opinion that you don’t understand their needs and you’re not planning on listening to them. It’s a disadvantage you have that can keep you from making more sales.
In the first part of this five-part series, we talked about the importance of really listening to your prospects and asking the right questions to uncover their pain points, so that you can tie their pain points to the solution you offer. This time we’ll talk about another symptom of Seller Deficit Disorder that can put you at a disadvantage — limited access to high-level decision makers.
Symptom No. 2: You Have Limited Access Within the Buyer’s Organization
Great job! You got your foot in the door and met with a buyer, and the buyer seems interested in your product. But unless he has wide-ranging decision-making power across the organization, you risk leaving money on the table.
Making your prospect feel understood opens the door to conversations about the organization’s other challenges. It establishes you as a trusted advisor — someone who can be trusted with key information to help solve the company’s problems.
It also gives you an advocate within the organization who can pave the way to meetings with higher-level decision makers who have access to discretionary spending.
In other words, hitch your wagon to the brightest star by tying your solution to the organization’s largest business problems. Again asking those two-sided discovery questions that we talked about in part one are key. Also, listening to understand is just as important. Gain access to key stakeholders with greater economic buying power and you’ll increase the base of support for your proposed solution.
What are your best tips for gaining information about a company’s bigger pain points? Leave a comment or contact me directly with your ideas, feedback and questions.
