For two years, we shared a small cramped office in Adams Morgan, in an office building that has since been demolished. Chris and I were colleagues, are opposites and will always be friends. He started his sales career in Charlotte NC before moving to DC with his wife and kids. From seller to sales manager, to now running a large digital team in Pittsburgh, he is a tireless worker.
His response when I asked him, what is the best sales advice he has received?
Work hard to discover the decision maker’s motivation(s) and satisfy it. That is often the only differentiation you can offer and gets you to the actual need the buyer.
Example: The customer asks you to present a software solution to solve a communication channel need within the marketing department. You discover the real motivation for this business need is due to a lack of human resources and a hiring freeze. Automation is the only feasible solution in the buyer’s mind, but they indicate the freeze will likely expire and they mention that they want their team to manage the software. If you only offer the software and its natural extensions, it will be hard to stand out. Instead, look to package the software along with team training and interim staff support. Offer to provide a transition plan for migrating software management to the buyer’s team at the end of the hiring freeze. Highlighting an approach that satisfies short-term concerns around resource coverage with a bridge to the long-term goal of managing the software in-house is far more likely to stand out because it addresses the buyer’s actual needs. If your product/service is not easily differentiated, dig deep to find the buyer’s motivations, and you will have a better chance at winning their attention.
Chris currently is the Director of Digital Marketing at BarkleyREI. He has a wonderful wife and two boys. He has done his fair share to keep the ginger bloodline flowing. BarkleyREI is a full-service digital marketing agency offering an integrated approach to strategy, analytics, and performance marketing solutions. The agency leads digital advertising strategy and website design projects for many large Universities, tourism and non-profit clients. As a buyer, he is motivated by Oreo Blizzards from Dairy Queen.
