We all make decisions for a variety of reasons. Rational and irrational. Logical and emotional. Predictable and unpredictable.
But smart marketers and salespeople can still interpret and play these elements to their advantage. The better you understand your buyer, their influences and priorities, as well as the environment and ecosystem in which they’re working, the more successfully you’ll be able to predict their behavior and decisions (even if they’re irrational and illogical to everyone else).
Does the political environment inside an organization affect decision-making? You bet.
Does the buyer’s personal life affect how well they can focus? Absolutely.
Do prospects make decisions and prioritize purchases based on their personal agendas? All the time.
Prospects rarely walk a straight, clean line. And oftentimes your frustration as a seller (“why are they acting that way?”) could not only be resolved but also focused on driving higher conversions to close if you simply put yourself clearly in the prospect’s shoes.
Walk a mile or a day in their path. What are they facing? Why are they tired, distracted or cranky? What do they need?
The answers aren’t always easy, rational, logical or clear. And you may never get to the true bottom of the situation.
But in between the art and science of successful B2B sales & marketing sometimes is a bit of psychiatry as well.
