#047: How to build decision concensus

Read time: 2 minutes

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• Are you having great first conversations but then prospects go dark?

• Are deals taking longer to close?

• Are you only talking to one person who is the “decision maker”?

Two of our most popular courses, Mastering Technical Sales Discovery and The Science of Closing will give you the tools and knowledge you need to align your solution to high priority initiatives and create decision consensus for your buyers so your deals close faster and at a higher price point.

Oh and they’re free when you sign up for a trial of Succession. In total they’re about 3.5 hours of content combined. All broken up into <10 min modules. Perfect for the busy sales rep who’s constantly bouncing between calls and following up with customers.

Did you know that the average buying process involves about seven buyers? Between influencers and the actual decision maker, 7 people are involved in some capacity.

Yet, in 78% of the deals sales reps work, they’re only talking to one point of contact. No wonder it feels like we’re missing something when deals go dark!

Picture this: you're chatting with a prospect who loves what you’re offering, but they can't make the decision on their own (you should always assume this is the case). It’s like hitting a wall. I used to ask, "Who else should we involve in the next conversation?" Seemed logical, right? But more often than not, the prospect would say, "Let me socialize this with the group first. I'll get back to you." And just like that, they'd vanish into thin air. Never to be heard from again.

After enough lost deals, I realized the problem wasn’t just the question itself, but how I was asking it. I was basically asking them to put their neck on the line and introduce me to people who weren’t interested yet.

Rephrase the question

So, I switched gears. Now, instead of asking directly, I frame my questions to get a better handle on the internal dynamics. Here’s what I ask now:

1. “Where does this rank on your priority list? Why?”

   This helps identify if this is a real priority to the person you’re talking to. You want to get an idea of the urgency they will have to move forward or not.

2. “Who is most likely to be skeptical of this? Why? What else would they prioritize above it?”

   This helps identify potential naysayers and understand their priorities. Knowing who might push back gives us a chance to prep our counterpoints.

3. “Is there someone on the team who won’t want to change what you’re doing?”

   Change is hard, and some folks just love the way things are. Spotting these people early means we can better prepare to show them why change is good.

4. “We agreed the problem is X. Is there someone who would disagree with that?”

   If the team isn’t on the same page about the problem, we’re not getting anywhere with solutions. This question helps surface differing opinions early on.

5. “What other organizational priorities are we competing against for time/attention/budget?”

   Knowing what else is on the table helps us position our solution more effectively. Plus, it sets realistic expectations for the decision-making timeline.

These indirect questions give us a ton of insight into who needs to be involved in the decision. With this info, I can make solid recommendations on who should be in the room for our meetings. I can also reach out to them individually to set up deeper 1:1 discussions to learn about their priorities.

Changing the Meeting’s Purpose

Another game-changer has been shifting the purpose of these group meetings. Instead of jumping straight into a presentation or demo, the focus is now on uncovering any group disagreements about whether this is the right problem to be solving right now.

Why does this matter? People won’t reach a consensus on a solution if they can’t agree on the problem. By getting everyone aligned on the problem first, we’re setting ourselves up for smoother sailing when it comes to discussing solutions.

Wrapping Up

By tweaking the message and asking the right questions, we can better navigate the complex purchasing dynamics within prospect organizations. This not only helps us involve the right stakeholders but also ensures we’re tackling the real issues. Let’s use these insights to refine our strategies and close more deals.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Episode 40: [Sales] Small actions create big results with Jessica Rietbrock

• Small company vs big company

• How to leverage LinkedIn to generate more leads

• Win more deals by being faster to respond

• Pick the best deals to focus on

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