Have you ever found yourself presenting products to non-decision makers? That’s because you’re not speaking to the ultimate decision-maker of the business. Many organisations are currently going through lots of change, whether this be within management or not. These changes may lead to struggles in identifying who is really in charge or responsible. In this blog, we will break down how to find the ultimate decision-maker in a business and more importantly, how to ensure you make a sale.

The non-decision maker vs the ultimate decision-maker

Presenting your products to someone who can only recommend them to their company is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is worth considering whether it’s a good use of your time. Non-decision makers cause you to lose an important part of the sales process: control. If you speak to the right person, the ultimate decision-maker, you’re in sole control of selling your products. Pitching to a non-decision maker may lead to them only passing on small pieces of information to the ultimate decision-maker, rather than the entire sales pitch that you spent so long perfecting.

Selling is not really a numbers game

Some business people may believe that ‘selling is a numbers game’ but one of the biggest causes of disappointing sales is actually the fear of rejection. As a business owner, you will be aware of the importance of a successful sales strategy. In your strategy, this could look like speaking to as many businesses as you can. However, if your sales strategy involves a lot of people, regardless of how qualified they are, you’re ultimately setting yourself up for failure. Speaking to a lot of people about your product is ultimately pointless if you’re not speaking to the right person.

How to reach the ultimate decision-maker every time?

There are two strategies to follow when it comes to locating the ultimate decision-maker, the bottom-up strategy or the top-down strategy. The bottom-up strategy originates anywhere in a business where someone will notice you. The top-down strategy means that you begin with the most senior decision-maker in the business and then work your way down.

Once you’ve identified the ultimate decision-maker, the best way to get the most out of this person is to use both the top-down and bottom-up strategies together. Starting with the bottom-up strategy is the easiest place to start. Use the bottom-up strategy to gather the more obvious additional information such as needs, wants and current suppliers. Then, you apply the top-down strategy. This is the more important step of the two. The top-down strategy is where you sell the big picture. Selling the big picture is usually the feature that gets you the sale. Ensure to include appealing features such as benefits and results and establish how the businesses outcomes could improve from your product.

Ultimate success

When you next call a prospect, ensure you speak to the right person so you’re removing any time that could be wasted. So, when you make your call, always ask for the person who’s in charge of making the buying decision. Once you’ve established who is in charge of making the decisions, you then want to speak to their supervisor. You always want to ensure you’re speaking to the ultimate decision-maker, rather than another non-decision maker who will waste your time.

Always keep in mind that to capture someone’s attention you need to create curiosity and desire. Therefore, you should always know your decision-makers main challenge or problem and how your product will solve their issue. Solving their problem means that you’re less likely to be making another call that wastes your time and allows your sales process to be efficient and most importantly successful.

 

If you need support with your business, get in touch with ACTIONCoach today