Decision Criteria with Anne Gary

Apr 21, 2024

Anne Gary, an expert in aligning decision criteria with product differentiation in sales, joins John McMahon and John Kaplan to discuss navigating decision criteria, aligning product differentiators, and managing scope creep in sales. They highlight the importance of clarifying distinctions in customer conversations, identifying decision influencers, and formalizing criteria to avoid ambiguity. Failing to define criteria rigorously can lead to irreversible setbacks, as seen in failed Proof of Value scenarios.

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Navigating Decision Criteria and Competitive Differentiation

00:00 • 2min

Key Product Differentiators Alignment and Defined Decision Criteria

01:32 • 7min

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan, sponsored by Force Management, delve into the crucial aspect of decision criteria in sales. Joined by Anne Gary, the team dissects the intricacies of aligning decision criteria with product differentiation to secure sales success. From handling competition to managing scope creep, they provide invaluable insights into navigating the sales landscape with precision.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:35] Understanding how competitors may adopt your terminology highlights the importance of clarifying distinctions in customer conversations.
[00:01:26] Identifying who within the company influences decision criteria sheds light on the political dynamics of the sales process.
[00:02:03] Aligning product differentiators with decision criteria ensures that customers are truly buying what you're selling.
[00:03:04] Formalizing and quantifying decision criteria is essential to avoid ambiguity and ensure accountability.
[00:04:38] Scope creep occurs when additional criteria are introduced, increasing the risk of losing the deal.
[00:06:43] Failing to define criteria rigorously can lead to irreversible setbacks, especially evident in failed Proof of Value (POV) scenarios.
[00:07:48] After a failed POV, complaining appears futile as it disregards agreed-upon rules and may damage credibility with the evaluation team and economic buyer.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:02:21] "If you're outside of the bullseye, they're not buying what you're selling."
[00:04:58] "It's a seller's job to get the criteria to be... in their bullseye."
[00:06:43] "If you execute the POV and you haven't locked all this down... it's nearly impossible to recover from a failed POV."
[00:07:48] "Even if you did it again... you'd wind up losing again."

Listen to the full episode with Anne Gary through this link:
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/decoding-decision-criteria-mastering-champions-blueprint-for-sales-success-with-anne-gary/

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4
Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/