Breaking through Sales Barriers:
Will the Real Buyer Please Stand Up?

After spending 25+ years in sales and sales management it still amazes me that so many experienced sales folks forget one of the most important basics in our profession - who the real buyer or decision maker really is.

How many times have you heard, "We have to wait on purchasing," or "You have been pushed down to purchasing?"

I would propose that if you are stuck in purchasing or anywhere else in the organization you are most likely not partnering with the economic buyer or a true P&L manager whose sole responsibility is to either increase revenues or decrease costs for his or her department or line of business.

Selling in any business starts off with building relationships with the right person.

A relationship is the interaction between you the salesperson (consultant) and economic buyer based on mutual trust and respect, along with peer-level credibility.

It is not about making sales but building relationships.

Think about it, who do you buy from? People you like and trust. Today most products and services come into the marketplace with what I call competitive parity in that customers expect features/benefits, bells and whistles, quality, excellent service, etc. Trust is built by finding the right buyer, and knowing your value and the value you can bring to your customer.

Here are a few principles to follow when building relationships:

1. Think in terms of building long-term relationships (with the right people in the account).
2. Relationships are built with individuals. It is a people business.
3. Learn to have empathy for your customer. Walk in his or her shoes and feel the customer's pain. Then you can provide value.
4. Focus on the value-based outcome you can provide for your economic buyer and partner.
5. Trust comes from giving first then asking. Do not be afraid to give strategies and free help as you go.
6. Provide value early on in your sales cycle. This is called the law of reciprocity.

Taking the time and patience to follow these six principles will actually increase your pipeline and your margins on each sale.

How do we find the real buyer? Who is this person? What functional area or department does he or she reside in?

Where do we want to spend valuable time building this trusting relationship?

I will propose to you where real buyers will not be found:

1. They are not in purchasing. Purchasing views sales folks as vendors or suppliers.
2. They are rarely found in HR or training.
3. And they are certainly not in the legal department.

Who and where are they?

The real buyer or economic buyer is a person identified who can write a check for your product or services. This person is responsible for P&L in either a revenue-generating center or in a cost center that has a responsibility to cut costs. Real buyers do not need approval from anyone and can obtain additional funding if necessary. If the project has not been funded by the executive team this individual has enough clout to get projects re-allocated or receive additional funds.

Hopefully, these few guidelines will help you as you build your business in this wonderful profession called sales (consulting).

The real buyer can write a check and will write the check when a trusting relationship has formed and true value has been presented in a way that is quantified and measureable.