Are You Placing your buyer "IN STATE?

(3 Min Read) In the intricate dance of sales, two fundamental desires drive every purchasing decision: the yearning to cease enduring a persistent pain or the ambition to embark on a long-coveted journey. For sales professionals, understanding this dynamic is not just beneficial—it's crucial. You are literally failing an IQ test if you don't get this.

The Essence of Buyer Motivation

Every buyer is either battling a problem that incessantly frustrates their daily workflow and/or harbors aspirations to innovate but feels hindered by current limitations. The key for salespeople lies in identifying which motivation is at play—stopping a pain or starting a dream—and tailoring their approach to address it directly. Maybe, just maybe, it's both?

Consider the C-level executive weighed down by outdated systems, seeking relief and efficiency, or the Marketing Director eager to leverage AI for customer engagement but constrained by inadequate tools. Both scenarios are ripe for tech sales professionals to position their solutions as the key to unlocking these desires.

Personal Wins: The Golden Ticket

While the benefits of a tech solution—like boosting departmental performance or sparking company-wide innovation—are compelling, they often take a backseat to the solution's personal impact on the buyer. People prioritize how a purchase affects them personally, then their department, and the company at large.

Identifying the personal win for each stakeholder in the buying committee is akin to finding the golden ticket in technology sales. This requires diving deep into the daily challenges and aspirations of each individual. Does the solution relieve a persistent pain point for the IT manager? Can it help the sales director break new records? Aligning your solution with these personal motivations significantly heightens the likelihood of a favorable decision.

Placing the Buyer "In State"

To resonate deeply with buyers, it's crucial to place them "in state"—a vivid envisioning of a world where your solution alleviates their current frustrations or realizes their aspirations. This involves storytelling, demonstrations, and empathy.

Storytelling contrasts the current state with the potential future, demonstrations offer tangible evidence of transformation, and empathy ensures your message resonates personally, showing you understand and value the buyer's success.

Strategy for Leveraging Personal Wins

1.???? Deep Dive Discovery: Conduct thorough research to understand each stakeholder's unique challenges and aspirations. The goal is to uncover personal impacts that your solution can address.

2.???? Craft Compelling Narratives: Tailor your messaging to highlight how your solution translates into personal wins for each committee member.

3.???? Show, Don't Tell: Use demonstrations and case studies to make the benefits tangible, helping buyers envision the positive changes your solution can bring.

4.???? Empathize and Personalize: Throughout your interactions, show empathy and personalize your approach, demonstrating a genuine investment in helping them achieve their personal and departmental wins.

5.???? Continuous Engagement: Post-sale, ensure the promised wins are realized, solidifying long-term relationships and opening doors for future opportunities.

Understanding that buyers are driven by the desire to stop a frustration or start a dream is key in technology sales. By focusing on personal wins and adeptly placing the buyer "in state," sales professionals can unlock a deeper level of engagement, dramatically increasing their chances of success. Remember, every buyer is unique, and recognizing their individual motivations is essential for effective sales leadership.

It's STILL not about YOU…it’s about them.? Have we heard that little tome a time or two?