Why getting past procurement is easier said than done.
4 Reasons Their Behvaior is Trapping Them -
The conventional wisdom is that you have to get past Purchasing.
Yet in actual practice, we see many reps who still spend far too much time there.
Here are a few behaviors that if addressed will help your reps to stop saying it and start doing it.
These behavior changes are a key effect of adopting a Consultative Selling approach. And Consultative approaches are proven to close more deals, reliably.
1. They don’t ask enough questions
Reps that in with a prepared question strategy and know that understanding the customer is the secret to closing more business will find purchasing to be a lousy source.
Reps who are looking for an opening to pitch will find a ready recipient in a purchasing manager.
2. They don’t connect to customer pain
The only “pain” that Purchasing feels is that their total spend is exceeding plan (i.e. price pressure)
To close business today you must connect to the pain you solution addresses. That means seeking out and understanding the people who feel it.
3. They can’t elevate the conversation
As long as Purchasing drives the conversation, your solution fits in the pigeonhole they want you to be in.
The people receptive to other frames for your solution aren’t in purchasing.
We had a rep we were working with who framed his solution at a holistic, strategic level. Purchasing wasn’t interested.
The CEO was. Business closed.
4. They only focus on their products.
Reps who haven’t done the prior steps only have one thing to talk about: their products.
Purchasing wants nothing more than to understand how you think about your own products absent a connection to pain.
Remember, they collect intelligence on you and your company too.
Until next week,
Kendall -
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