Turn technical problems into business problems

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This is a super short and tactical newsletter to emphasize the importance of this one question… Use it on your next call and let us know how it goes!

The biggest reason deals stall is because your solution doesn’t align with an urgent business priority.

The challenge is that most of the people we talk to have technical problems or needs and aren’t thinking about the broader implications of a purchasing decision.

I would argue the most important thing you can focus on in sales right now is getting incredibly good at discovery. The ability to uncover high-priority business initiatives that your solution solves.

Many of the reps we work with and train are great at getting into the technical details and solving “project” level objectives (better data, higher quality, reproducibility, etc…) but they struggle to roll those project-level objectives into business-level problems.

Budget is so hard to come by right now and if you can’t solve a problem that aligns with a “critical path” program, you’re unlikely to win the deal.

Here is a simple yet important question you need to ask once you’ve identified the problem someone is facing.

“What’s going on in your company that’s making this a priority right now?”

This question helps shift the conversation from technical challenges (which don’t get much funding) to business-level challenges where budget can be shifted/moved around to solve the problem. By aligning your solution with these broader goals, you build urgency for your solution.

If a company is facing investor pressure to meet a deadline, your solution can be framed as essential for hitting that target—not just solving an isolated technical issue.

By aligning your solution to solve business-level problems you move from a "nice-to-have" to a "must-have" solution.

This is how you build urgency and avoid getting ghosted.

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Episode 48: [Sales] 5 Skills Needed to Sell in Today's Environment

This is a recording of the presentation we gave at the ELRIG Drug Discovery event last week in London.

If you like these formats, make sure to let us know and we'll do more of them!

Skills
- Relentless Prospecting
- Deliver Expert Insights
- Align Your Solution to High Priority Initiatives
- Demonstrate Differentiated Value
- Build Decision Consensus

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