buyers .” They can say no but they cannot say yes .
If you ’ re not working directly with the person who will make the decision to hire you , you will often find the sales cycle is long and uncertain . You should be obsessive about getting to and working with the executive decision maker - the real buyer . If that ’ s not possible , you might consider opting out .
If you ’ re stuck , try to build trust with the mid-level client you ’ re working with , and then craft a persuasive argument as to why you need to meet with the decision maker .
Go Higher in the Organization
When I am working with a CEO or C-suite executive , it ’ s remarkable how short the sales cycle can be . If a senior executive makes the decision to work with you on an important challenge ( Strategy One ), things can happen very , very quickly .
But , if the initiative is entirely driven at middle management levels , it can get bogged down forever . Now , it depends of course on the budgetary authority of the middle manager . If you have a trusted relationship with the middle manager , there is a Red Issue they are grappling with , and they can make the buying decision , great ! In some large corporations , a director could have a very large budget . But often , middle managers have limited budgets ( that are frequently reallocated by their bosses !) and they tend to be risk averse . Which means getting “ everybody ” on board before making a decision . And getting everyone on board , as you know , takes a long time .
Know Their Decision Process
If you don ’ t know how the client is going to make a decision , you are like an airplane pilot flying with no radar and no maps . What is their timeframe ? What do they need to learn before they make a decision ? Who will be involved and what are their roles ? What are the selection criteria ? What would they like to learn about you before they can decide ?
You can and should ask clients these questions . Often , you ’ ll get answers . And then you can develop a strategy and appropriately act .
Improve Your Benefits Case and Align it with Strategy
Years ago , there was a large consulting firm that produced what they called the “ cost case ” for each proposal they submitted . How times have changed . Today , you need strong value metrics to support your fees . Your goal is to portray hiring you as an investment opportunity , not a cost .
It ’ s part art and part science to create a benefits or investment case . You need to explore direct cost savings or revenue increases , productivity improvements , operational efficiencies , and so on . You also need to quantify indirect benefits such as improved customer satisfaction or reduced time-to-market . Intangible benefits should be a part of your value case as well : Improvements in decision making , reduced risk , improved employee collaboration , etc .
Finally , you must convincingly show how your work will support higher-level strategic goals . This ties your benefits case to a much large set of impacts . It ’ s the difference between telling a parent that your school will provide a solid education for their child versus talking about how the education you offer will form the basis for a lifetime pattern of success at work and at home .
Align the stakeholders
Most major contracts or engagements today involve multiple stakeholders . The sales process gets slowed down or even paralyzed because these stakeholders may not fully agree on the design and scope of the proposed effort .
You need to approach this challenge head on and coach your client on how to align stakeholders . Who are they ? Where do they stand on the project ? What are their individual “ wins ” that they seek ? You can even offer to be a catalyst for gaining consensus , perhaps running a short workshop with the key stakeholders to help reconcile their different views .
Make the Emotional Case
Modern neuroscience tells us that emotions feature very , very heavily in making decisions - even when they are based on a so-called “ rational ” framework ( e . g ., a competitive bid scorecard ).
The emotional / personal aspect of your sales conversations , and your ultimate proposal , should address the emotional case for action - and for choosing you . Emotions , not facts , are what enthusiastically stir people to action .
How do you make the “ emotional ” case ? Use metaphors and stories . A client once wanted to hire my old firm , along with three or four others , to all work on different aspects of the same project . I looked at him and said , “ That ’ s what I call the United Nations approach to solving important problems . And we all know how successful that has been . Most of my clients have had greater success working with a single provider who becomes a trusted collaborator working on shared goals .” We got the deal - 100 % of it .
The emotional case must appeal to the positive - the dreams , aspirations , and goals of the individual clients you ’ re working with - and to the negative - the risks , concerns , and anxieties they perceive .
Gain Agreement Before Submitting a Proposal
This is a very simple technique that requires slightly more time upfront but which can then shave weeks or months off the sales cycle .
Never submit a written proposal without first getting what author Alan Weiss calls “ conceptual agreement ” from the client . The proposal should document what the client has already enthusiastically agreed to . Simply call the client and say , “ Before writing this up , I want to walk you through the outline of our proposal and get your input . That way the final document will closely reflect the approach that makes the most sense for you .”
These strategies do work , and they ’ ll help you conclude your sale in the least possible time .
Dr . Clifford J . Ferguson is the Managing Partner of Rainmakers , and Board Member of Glad ’ s House Kenya . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Drcliffordjferguson @ me . com .