7,2.
On average, it takes more than 7 meetings to make a complex sale, with no fewer than 6 different contacts !
But what is a complex sale?
A complex sale is characterized by two aspects:
- The complexity of the product or service proposed, requiring a long sales cycle to clearly define the interests of the product or service for the prospect.
- The complexity of the buying environment: a multiplicity of contacts, both in-house and with the prospect, all with a role to play in the purchasing decision. Complex sales is a real team sport!
But how can you assess your ability to win a complex sale?
How can you mobilize your various contacts to ensure the success of your sale?
Here are our 3 keys to success.
*Source: Nomination 2021
KEY No. 1 - Identify the parts
What do a game of chess and a complex sale have in common?
In both cases, there are behavioral rules and tactics for winning the game! Each move represents a cost and must produce the desired evolution.
This chess analogy is at the heart of our approach to complex sales, the Chessboard Method.
In the Chessboard Method, we compare the parties involved in a complex sale to the pieces of a chess game. Knight, rook, queen, king... all have their own specificities and their own role to play!
The first key to a successful complex sale is toclearly identify the role of each of your interlocutors and their position on the chessboard.
This analysis will enable you to :
- Know when and how to address each contact
- Take advantage of the role of each part to make your sale a success
- Better anticipate and define the best action at each stage of the game
But this account analysis exercise requires a precise methodology and tools.
Our complex sales trainingbased on the Chessboard Method, provides you with the methods you need to successfully approach your prospects.
At the end of this training course, your sales staff will be able to identify the different parties involved in a decision and manage the different stages in the progress of their business.
Find out more about the Exchequer Method on our dedicated page.
KEY No. 2 - Have allies
To win a complex sale, it's crucial to have one or more people interested in your service or product. This ally on the customer's side will give you access to factual data that will help you identify the stakes and the context.
So having allies in your sales is a key factor for success!
This requires identifying and understanding the interplay between the players (based on behavioral and relational aspects).
At Kestio, we help you define a strategy (the overall plan) and adopt a tactic (adapting to the terrain and the unexpected). To find out more, talk to one of our experts on complex sales.
KEY No. 3 - Balance the balance of power
In the world of complex sales, it's essential to know how to balance the balance of power to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. As in a game of chess, the winner is not the one who suffers the game, but the one who leads.
To establish a healthy and balanced power relationship with your customer, it's crucial to master your art. You need to feel that you're bringing something important to the table to turn the tide and take control of the sale. If you don't master your art, you run the risk of losing the game.
It's important not to try to dominate or be dominated in the seller/buyer relationship. The aim is for both parties to feel confident enough to exchange freely.
Assertiveness is one of the keys to achieving a balanced commercial relationship with your prospect. It enables you to clearly explain the importance of the exchange.
Two crucial tips
- It's important to have strong self-esteem and assertiveness to strike the right balance in the relationship with the customer, without forcing or aggressing.
- It's essential to have absolute certainty that your product or service brings high added value to your customers.
How do you structure such an approach and bring everyone's efforts together?
Kestio provides the answer in a webinar analogy with the series "The Queen's Game". By combining behavioral rules and analytical methods to make the right decisions, you'll be able to overcome any potential obstacles in your complex sales.
You can discover our dedicated webinar via the link below.
KEY No. 4: Expert advice
