#6: Enterprise Deals Don't Close Themselves

The bigger the business, the more complicated the process of targeting, engaging and closing.

The bigger the business, the less linear / sequential the buying journey as there are many people that are formally / informally making decisions aka the Buying Committee.

Needless to say, this is why top tier sales people are so valuable as navigating the buying committee of each opportunity is art + science, requiring all sorts of EQ, IQ, judgement, skillsets etc.

People buy for many reasons - some involve their heads, others involve their hearts + others involve company politics / agendas etc.

Mapping the true buyer motivations of a single buyer is hard enough but mapping the buying committee's motivations is next level tough.

Org charts are useful but they don't reflect the nuances of formal vs informal power / influence, how decisions do + don't get made.

One of the most impressive skillsets that top tier sales people have is their ability to develop relationships across the buying committee early in the process + throughout, become a strategic advisor, ask thoughtful but tough qualifying questions and secure micro-commitments along each phase of the sales cycle.

The amount of collective productivity + growth this can unlock in an organization can't be overstated as it helps teams focus on what's real + what matters vs getting churned.

Enterprise deals don't close themselves.

Top tier sales people + their teams do.

January 9, 2021 (Tweet Link)