The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast Common Deal Questions w/ Patrick McLoughlin
15 snips
Jan 24, 2023 Patrick McLoughlin, Force Management’s Senior Director of Consulting & Facilitation, recaps questions asked in the last Deal Desk and answers frequently asked questions from Ascender’s community section. Topics discussed include finding out competition when the buyer won't disclose, navigating the procurement process, selling to younger, less experienced buyers, aligning with buyer priorities, dealing with year-end challenges, and testing for urgency and impact in sales.
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Assume Competition Exists
- Always assume you have competition: do-nothing and do-it-yourself are always present in every deal.
- Focus on differentiating your solution tied to the customer's business problem instead of obsessing over competitor identities.
Leader's Tip: Let Competitors Validate You
- Patrick McLoughlin shared a leader's tip: position solution to outcomes and competitors will validate it.
- He recalled being told that technical and business alignment makes competitive validation happen organically.
Engage Procurement As A Partner
- Treat procurement as an equal party and engage them early to avoid last-minute delays and objections.
- Explain business outcomes to procurement and secure access to economic buyers and champions to unblock internal roadblocks.