FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE CHURCH TO HELP DRIVE YOUR AVL SALE
There is a theory called?The Challenger Sale?that suggests that technology vendors should tailor their proposition to a persona called the?Mobilizer. I favor this strategy for AVL vendors in the church market.
?HERE IS WHY,?even in the?smallest?churches,?the decision to purchase AVL solutions is typically handled by a small group. In some denominations this is a leadership staff. In others, a volunteer committee. Research across thousands of businesses and buyers revealed that the average purchasing group is made up of?5.4 people. This definitely holds true in the church market where, in reality, there is no single decision maker. So sooner or later your sales person is going to need an entire group at a church to come together and arrive at a consensus . You want to avoid?discord here, because if that breaks out, the sale will often fall through.
LET'S IDENTIFY THE MOBILIZER
1. WHO IS THIS MOBILIZER???The contact who can bring together multiple stakeholders?in the Church to drive consensus in the buying process. Anyone who identifies mobilizers is 31% more likely to be a high performer.
??2. GROUP CONSENSUS AND THE MISSING?SALES:?It’s no secret that sales people try to identify the friendliest contact. Frequently this friendly point person fails to possess the ability to represent the vendor’s offering in a way that brings about group consensus.
?3. GUIDES,?FRIENDS AND CLIMBERS, OH MY:??I put these traits in "talkers" or "blockers" category. While typically this group is made up of great?conversationalists,?they can, in reality, do little toward?driving purchases.
?4.GO-GETTERS, TEACHERS AND SKEPTICS, YES PLEASE: -?The "Mobilizer" in?my opinion?is one of these people. People with these traits will often be?effective at?driving a purchase to completion by navigating consensus requirements, politicking, and sharing a compelling vision with their organization.?
?5. YOUR PITCH:?Tailor your proposition to the?Mobilizer.?Coach the mobilizer to tailor the proposition to his or her colleagues to take control of the sale. This kind of intentionality isn’t about the vendor solution; it’s all about helping church leaders define and understand their actual needs.
?6. THE MOBILIZER'S MISSION:?3 critical decision points that your sales person and The Mobilizer must get the group to agree on:?Problem Definition,?Solution Identification, Supplier Selection.