How can you approach a complex sales prospect with multiple stakeholders?

In my experience, to identify the decision maker, to get end user's preference or in AVL first; then to approach designing and engineering party to find technical specification difference and product features acknowledged, to explain life-cycle cost on a price basis. can-do spirit is must, and hard work usually pays off

Providing key information about your offerings in a clear, digestible, easily shareable way is central to effectively dealing with multiple stakeholders, as that will make it simpler for them to come to a final decision. At the end of the day, businesses want to make quick & informed decisions so, making the decision-making process easier for them by being transparent, genuine, & straightforward is key in closing sales prospects.

A complex sales prospect with multiple stakeholders requires a strategic and nuanced approach. The following few steps help in achieving the sales goal: Comprehensive Research, Tailored Communication, Establish Trust and Relationships, Provide Customized Presentations and Solutions, Follow-Up and Persistence, etc.

Company Background: Understand the organization's history, mission, and values. Familiarize yourself with their key products or services. Customer Reviews and Feedback: Read customer reviews and testimonials about the organization. Understand the experiences of their clients to identify potential pain points or areas of satisfaction - Identify any strategic partnerships or alliances the organization has formed. - Understand how these relationships may influence their business decisions.

In addition, research the stakeholders prior work experience. Determine what decisions they may have been part of prior to moving to the prospect organization. This may help in mapping out the best path for alignment.

As you are meeting with the customer, its perfectly okay to ask them what their buying process is if you don't already know. It's also okay to ask if there are other teams or stakeholders that you should meet with separately or invite to the next meeting. Understanding who will need to be involved not just to close the sale but to make the implementation successful after is just as critical. If the implementation team is already overwhelmed they may be negative towards your solution because until they are brought in, it just looks like more work.

When mapping stakeholders for a solution, consider the influence of high-level employees who, though seemingly unrelated, can impact decision-making. For instance, omitting input from a Director of Training when proposing a company training solution to a CEO could lead to the director swaying the CEO against your solution due to unaddressed concerns or fears that were never discovered. Every effort put forth to discover surprises before they occur is an investment that in never wasted. It's one of the best methods to help clear the path for a solution to be reached and achieving that all important win-win framing in building a collaborative solution.

Must map to find: 1) Who has the most influence to power (C Suite) 2) Once identified and confirmed, can they position you one on one? 3) Is your project seen as strategic, or just in top 5 for the coming year. Seen countless hours pursuing projects that are lightly funded or nice to have's. 4) Who has juice with the CFO? This can't be ignored.....this is a "must get" meeting to forecast.

Research and Understand Stakeholders: Identify and understand the key stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. Determine their roles, responsibilities, and influence in the organization. Research their individual priorities, pain points, and objectives. Facilitate Communication: Encourage open communication among stakeholders. Facilitate discussions to ensure that all concerns and priorities are addressed. Stay Persistent: Complex sales often require a longer sales cycle. Stay persistent and patient throughout the process.

I agree, each stakeholder needs to be engaged in this process. Investigating and determining what each stakeholders “win” will be if your solution is adopted. One must also find what is important to each person and find the common ground to bring all stakeholders to the table for a common agreement for your solution.

Active Listening: Pay close attention to what your prospect is saying. Demonstrate that you understand their needs and concerns by paraphrasing and summarizing their points. Empathize: Put yourself in the prospect's shoes to understand their perspective. Acknowledge their challenges and express empathy for their situation. Be Transparent: Be honest about what your product or service can and cannot do. Transparency builds credibility and fosters trust over the long term.

In a larger organization, it makes more sense and to certain extend "impossible" to build rapport and trust with all stakeholder. In a complex sales, we work with a team to cover the organization, building rapport and trust according to our capacity. E.g. the sales would typically build rapport with the Economic buyer, Procurement and etc; while the Presales would typically work with user of the product / solution that we are selling. E.g. for technical product, perhaps the "Head of IT, Architect, Security Team and etc"

Well, I feel this is quite "personal" about yourself and your position while approaching stakeholders, despite if you are in a early bidding or either across more established channels and processess... (solution proposal, Q&A, demo, POC...). It may sounds banal, but your story may already be a good "calling card" helping to create confidence. Then you must be good in representing your company and the product and services you are expected to sell and support!

Active Listening: Pay close attention to what your prospect is saying. Demonstrate that you understand their needs and concerns by paraphrasing and summarizing their points. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage the prospect to share more about their challenges and goals by asking open-ended questions. This not only helps you gather valuable information but also shows your genuine interest in their business. Be Transparent: Be honest about what your product or service can and cannot do. Transparency builds credibility and fosters trust over the long term. Seek Feedback and Address Concerns: Encourage open communication and seek feedback throughout the sales process. Address any concerns or objections promptly and thoroughly.

I love the "you mentioned that you have an issue with xyz. If we can overcome that challenge/issue what would this mean for your business? (Demo the proposed solution) How does this compare to your current workflow? Can we improve upon that workflow or process?" I like to get the prospect thinking about what the solution looks like using our product and generate buy-in/ownership of the solution.

Listen first and then, listen again. Many times, we (who have been SE's) show up to a complex sale troubleshooting in our minds, and trying to pitch a product. Let's face it, there is a good chance that we can "shoe horn" a technical solution to make it work. That said, are we making the solution work at the expense of complexity? Are we making things work because we have to make quota and sell "our product"? It is better to listen carefully first, identify the ideal solution, and then confirm whether "your product" makes the solution work to the benefit of the client (and your sales quota). I'd rather make a referral to a trusted partner that IS / HAS the ideal solution, than forcing something to work, only to see it backfire later.

Adding on to 'Value Selling' aspect, there is a 'Business Value' and a 'Personal Value' - the absolute, intrinsic personal win for each stakeholder being engaged is critical as part of that alignment. It could be about increase in visibility and/or status, a promotion etc. Understanding this 'influence map' is a key driver of success in any sales engagement.

Address Pain Points Directly: Explicitly address the prospect's pain points and show how your solution alleviates or eliminates these challenges. Use language that resonates with their concerns. Collaborate on Solutions: Position yourself as a collaborator by involving key stakeholders in the decision-making process. Solicit their input and work together to customize the solution to their specific needs. Provide Demonstrations and Proof of Concept: Offer live demonstrations or a proof of concept to showcase how your solution works in their environment. This hands-on experience helps solidify the alignment between your solution and their needs.

Arguably, this topic is the most crucial aspect of being in presales, "aligning the client's needs with the solutions you offer" which unfortunately, based on my experience is frequently misunderstood. I've observed presales teams often demoing features and functionality, rather than explaining 'WHY' these matter in the client's context. In essence, it's about 'Value Selling' versus 'Feature Selling'.

One thing to keep in mind during this stage is that if managing objections turns into a "I'll prove you wrong" competition, then it's time to go back to align on a common goal. On the surface you may seem to discuss risks, while your instincts are in a battle for being the smartest. Remember that it's you and client together vs the problem, not you overcoming the client's resistance.

nticipate Objections: Conduct thorough research to understand common objections in your industry. Anticipate objections based on the prospect's unique situation and challenges. Active Listening: Allow the prospect to express their concerns fully. Listen actively to understand the underlying reasons behind their objections. Empathize: Acknowledge the prospect's concerns and demonstrate empathy. Let them know that you understand and appreciate their perspective. Reframe objections as Questions: Reframe objections as questions to encourage a more constructive conversation. For example, "I can see how cost might be a concern. Can you help me understand the specific budget constraints you have?"

Be ready and prepare encounter plans in advance of key meetings with clear statements that you'd like to share and who from your team will be presenting each of those facts. Managing objections from detractors once you have a clear mapping of the "what is in it for each of them" and using it to highlight the impacts related to your solution cannot be improvised. You and your team need to be clear on the ultimate outcomes and who will be addressing the specific questions. Good preparation is what creates differentiation.

Perhaps, mastering this skill is an acquired art that requires practice. It's not easy and demands a heightened level of awareness. Often, it's not just about conveying our point but also about human interaction and relationships. People usually don't want to be told they are wrong. It's an art to convince and convey a point while maintaining a conducive learning environment.

- Good knowledge of the product - Solid connections to engineers and developers - Good set of product material (to be constantly updated) - Good view of the market and the competitors - Past experience of similar scenarios

Educational Content: Share educational content, such as whitepapers, articles, or webinars, that align with their interests and challenges. Position yourself as a valuable resource for industry insights. 5. Customer Success Stories: Share success stories of similar clients who have achieved positive outcomes with your solution. Reinforce the value of your partnership by showcasing real-world results. 6. Surveys and Feedback: Regularly seek feedback through surveys or informal discussions. Use feedback to continuously improve your services and address any concerns promptly.

The dollars are always in the follow up. Complex sales are going to take many follow ups often over many months. Bring others along within the client organization. Build relationships with the technical team that will need to implement your solution. They need to know you are in it for the long haul and not just to get the deal and dash.

Nurturing the relationship involves consistent communication and providing value. Regularly check in with stakeholders, offering insights relevant to their industry or sharing updates about your product/service that align with their needs. Actively listen to their feedback, and be responsive to inquiries. Consider organizing events or webinars that add value to their business. Building a genuine, long-term connection is key – show genuine interest, personalize your interactions, and be reliable in delivering on promises. This proactive and client-centric approach fosters trust and strengthens the relationship over time.

Maintain regular, meaningful communication with your clients. Use these opportunities to strengthen your understanding of their business objectives. Share educational content, such as whitepapers, articles, or webinars, that align with their interests and challenges. Share success stories of similar clients who have achieved positive outcomes with your solution. rovide exclusive offers or insights to show appreciation for their partnership.

Follow ups are not the same thing as nurturing. Being able to deliver a personalized message with relevant information or current challenges to any given individual is 100x more impactful than an email that just says "checking in". Build the relationship by continuously educating, collaborating, and asking questions.

We used to do empathy maps at IBM which I found useful. Its borrowed from the UX design world but applies nonetheless. You write down what your client thinks, feels, what do they do, hear and see. They say to understand someone walk a mile in their shoes this does exactly that. I do it for every large deal. Bonus points if any of my clients are reading this I am happy to share it with you.

One thing I've found useful with multiple stakeholders is to keep them talking more with open ended questions. The more time they are talking, the closer you get to the real issues they care about. After this, you can typically challenge Status Quo.

When you're in complex sales where multiple stakeholders are involved, the first thing I would suggest is to do multi threading. This will help you in gaining insight about pain that other teams could be facing and helps you build relationships within the account. This will also assist you in finding out your champion who will be selling for you when you're not in the room. Build a Pain Chain for every department and understand their challenges and create a solution chart that your product brings to the table. Major focus should be on discovery call as they might give you superficial pain but asking those difficult open ended questions and peeling the onion will give you the actual problem.