How do you build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and influencers in the bid process?

LinkedIn is a goldmine for fundamental account research. Understand the company's scale, their teams, and the roles of the individuals you'll be interacting with. Get comfortable asking your contact who else should be involved in the conversation. Who else is impacted by their problems? Who has a differing opinion? Construct a value map that connects the challenges and goals at 3 leves - practitioners, Line of Business heads, and C-level. This helps in creating strong value arcs for your proposal. Bonus - employ demo automation platforms to gain insights into who is engaging with your demos and what specifically they're interested in. This will guide effective follow-ups and help you hone your messaging.

This is the most important one, communication is key when you want to know where you stand. If you lose contact, then something is happening and you are missing it.

Three things to add - plan meetings strategically, leverage collaborative tools, and build up your champion. Resist the urge to convene one large meeting with diverse stakeholders. Opt instead for targeted meetings with specific groups. This keeps everyone focused and productive. Leverage tools like Miro for dynamic discovery and Q&A sessions. This will unearth valuable insights that might not surface in traditional meetings. Stand out by running interactive and insightful sessions. Share your initial business value case with your champion. It won't be perfect. The aim is to demonstrate your commitment to supporting their internal selling process. They will help you refine your value proposition and strengthen your case.

Successful relationships with stakeholders and influencers are founded on trust, which is built by managing expectations realistically and mitigating risks proactively. It’s crucial to communicate clearly what your SaaS product can and cannot do to avoid setting unrealistic expectations. While workarounds are a great "tool" during the process that help with a "good" demo. Think about the long term impact on the actual use of the solution.

Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and influencers requires more than just meeting expectations during the sales process; it involves nurturing these relationships on a personal level and leveraging them to create mutual value. A practical way to nurture relationships is to provide value beyond your solution. For example, you could offer exclusive insights into upcoming trends, invite them to webinars or workshops hosted by your company, or provide personalised business cases on how your solution can solve their specific challenges. This approach not only strengthens relationships but also positions you as an expert in your industry.

you have to be that consultant, a point of reference for related topics, customer has to think of you when they are asked on a subject.

Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and influencers in the SaaS Presales bid process is a multifaceted endeavour that requires both strategic foresight and genuine engagement. By managing expectations and risks effectively, you lay the groundwork for trust and reliability. Furthermore, by nurturing these relationships and leveraging them wisely, you create a network of advocates and partners who see the value in what you offer beyond the immediate bid. Engaging with stakeholders and influencers on a level that acknowledges their challenges, preferences, and industry developments can set you apart as a leader in the SaaS Presales field.