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by Nan Hruby
Know Your Audience, Get Ahead in the Game
In the world of advanced technologies, some salespeople start by showing their prospect an in-depth knowledge of their product or service hoping it will impress them so much they will have to sign! They typically start off with as much technical jargon as they can muster. They display their nemonic’s like a peacock displaying full color in all his glory. They usually lose the prospect’s interest, or worse turn them off completely. This sales technique will only impress the person using it! A salesperson who is unprepared for their audience may pay a huge price. When selling in a environment where the product or service may have a higher price , there are most often several layers to the sales process , you should also assume there are several vendors competing for the same business. The salesperson may be at the first layer in the decision making process. A good example of this scenario would be the purchasing department at a hospital. Chances are this person does not know or care about the medical technology, advances and clinical outcomes for the next robotic surgical device. This ties into the statement “know your audience”. The sales person who knows their audience will adjust their sales technique to the level of information and content needed. They will draw their audience in by speaking in terms that they can relate to and understand. In the case of multiple influencers, each presentation should be tailored to spark the interest of the party you are speaking with. For instance, in a multiple decision making scenario , each person may have a different set of priorities. It pays to know as much as possible about each of these influencers and where they stand in the hierarchy of the company, what their motivations are, and how close they are to the key decision maker. The person who is closest to this decision maker can provide a significant advantage. This person and the key decision maker may share the same interest and viewpoints, but the key decision maker may include others as a way to ensure they have examined all the angles before making the decision. This person may be there to play devils advocate and may not necessarily be your ally. It is important to sell to them as well. Last, but not least, don’t despair if all parties do not agree. In the final analysis, it is the key decision makers stamp of approval that matters. Do your research before each meeting, and you will know your audience, and increase your chances of being the winner in a multiple selling scenario.
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