So often people coming out of meetings where they demonstrate their product and services are enthusiastic because they think the discussion went well. It happens so often that the same people believe the chance of winning the deal after that “successful” meeting gets bigger. How come then the majority of these sales opportunities are not won at the end?!
You may expect me to say that I believe people get overexcited and they exaggerate when they praise so much the outcome of the meeting. Not at all. I believe that the meeting went well and that the product is a good fit to the need. However, the expectation and the decision for one to buy is not based solely on the product and the demonstration!
This is where I believe all of us need to understand better the client’s world. The decision for someone to buy is not based on the product but on so many other factors, some of them are beyond our control. It is unfair to believe that someone didn’t buy from us because we have a bad product.
There are so many elements in the buyer’s decision process that can go against you. It is not just a failure you didn’t manage to convince them to buy. Politics in the firm, other stakeholders that control processes, budget restrictions, other company’s priorities, procurement guidelines, the fear of change, their current status quo, other competitors of yours they are considering, etc. are some of the factors that affect buying decisions.
Sales is not just about what you offer and how good your product fits to the buyers’ world; it is inevitably also understanding what is happening on the other side. Study the client, try to gain time with them and see behind the lines what is happening in their world.
Happy selling!