The Bottleneck

The bottleneck in solution sales refers to a person, circumstance or element that is preventing your process from moving forward.

This can be as simple as a milestone not being met or as complex as infrastructure being either incompatible or unprepared to handle your solution.

The bottleneck occurs most frequently when you are not in alignment with your opportunity.

We like to have something to point our finger at when we encounter the bottleneck. But, more often than not it is a simple matter of our own failure to align with our customer.

You can often deal with the bottleneck preemptively by reviewing the organizational flow chart and adjusting your approach.

This is information you have gathered during the initial qualification process.

Remember that we see pain impact an organization in different ways.

Look for the potential bottleneck and adjust accordingly.

You can anticipate bottlenecks and and use measurable aids as a part of the process to identify where the bottleneck is.

We must also remember that sometimes 'shit happens' and to never forget to expect the unexpected

Your pal,

Sean