Acheiving Customer Alignment

Failure to properly align your sales process with your customers buying process represents the single biggest reason why we lose IT sales.
Why?
Because we are not in sync with the way our customer does business.
We are following our process and not working within the perimeters of his.
Sounds simple because it is.
When you can make your sales process align with your customers buying process you dramatically increase your odds of winning the client and of properly addressing his organizations pains.
This is achieved only after you understand his organizations buying process.
We define a process as a repeated series of steps and activities that are designed to achieve an outcome.
Just as we have our sales process the organization we are selling into has its buying process and we must respect and align ourselves with it as closely as possible to get the sale.
Typically this will include a presentation, demonstration and sometimes a trial that is accompanied by your proposal and ROI.
Ask the customer how the process is conducted in his organization and then model your plan around it.
This will not win the day every time but I can guarantee results that are measurable and repeatable and a much more satisfying experience for everyone involved.

Your pal,

Sean