8 Practical Tips to Move Opportunities Forward

Why eight? That seems to be a strange number. But it isn’t if you understand that buyers are often in one of the following buying stages:

1. Why Should I Change?
2. What Should Change?
3. Who Should we Change to?
4. What Commitments do we need to make the Change successful?

And once you recognise where in these buying stages your stakeholders are, you need to do two things:

1. Decide what you want them to discover
2. Share insightful information to support their discovery

Multiply these and you got eight actions to move opportunities forward.

Why Should I Change?

80% of customers are in this stage. It is not a buying stage until something or someone challenges the customer’s status quo.

Action No. 1: You want your stakeholder to discover a different perspective on their challenges, and that the risk of not changing is bigger than they thought.

Action nr. 2: Share 3rd party insights that back up your business growth idea and a success story of another customer in a similar situation, you have helped – driving better results.

What Should Change?

Most opportunities stall at this stage because sales reps start selling their solution instead of helping stakeholders discover the solution criteria needed to make your business growth ideas (in Why Change?) happen.

Action nr. 1: You want your stakeholders to discover the solution criteria needed to drive better results.

Action nr. 2: Share what solution criteria are currently missing and what unique criteria are needed. Share a business case about how these solution criteria have helped other customers.

Who Should We Change to?

Many sales reps think that all they have to do now is propose their solution and attach a price to it. From the buyer’s perspective, you are still one of the many options.

Action nr. 1: You want your stakeholders to discover that you are the only one who best fits the solution criteria discussed.

Action nr. 2: Share your solutions and why these will provide your customer with a better strategic position and a better financial outcome. That is the real value customers are looking for. Give referrals of companies you have helped.

Commit to Change

The rest of the opportunities stall at this last buying stage. Many sales reps are waiting for the customer to say yes. However, those who stay in control and take action will close the deal.

Action nr. 1: You want your customers to discover they are still at risk of missing out on the new growth opportunity without signing the contract and setting a start date.

Action nr. 2: Share with your customers how you will help with implementation. Share your implementation plan. Customers are waiting for your guidance here. Who is doing what and when? They will be thankful, and you will close the deal.

Moving opportunities forward is a matter of helping stakeholders with their buying tasks. Selling is helping, and you are in control of that.

❓What are your tips to move opportunities forward?

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