Buyers Don’t Want a Relationship with Sales … Until They Do!

 

What does this mean? 

 

Buyers don’t want to engage with salespeople, initially. Buyers want to pursue their processes of problem analysis, information gathering, and product comparisons as far as they can without engaging with salespeople to avoid getting snared in sales processes. This is where marketing materials and demo automation support buyers’ efforts.

 

However, once they are ready to commit to a buying process, buyers do want help in the form of an earnest, authentic relationship with the vendor.

 

Experienced buyers (and champions) want vendors to support their buying processes. Buyers know what they need in terms of discovery conversations, solution discussions, proof points, implementation dialogs, and post go-live support. It is the sales team’s job to understand the buyer’s desires and deliver as needed. Even better, it is the sales team’s job to anticipate buyer needs and pre-deliver!

 

Inexperienced buyers (and champions) need help in two dimensions: Understanding their own buying processes and how vendors can support them along their buying journey. Again, good sales teams seek to understand buyer desires and deliver. Truly great sales teams anticipate and pre-deliver!

 

These are some of the key concepts behind Buyer Enablement. What are you doing to support and assist your buyers?