Calling on accounts is like riding a bike.

Would you rather ride a bike uphill or downhill? Probably most of us would prefer riding a bike downhill. It requires a lot less work! But in most instances, where there is a downhill, there is also an uphill.

Successful salespeople apply this principle to their accounts, especially when prospecting. Start a couple of levels higher in an account when prospecting than usual. Starting higher may take a little longer and require you to be consistently persistent, like riding uphill. It takes effort to reach these people, but ultimately this is where the decision-makers are. They hold the purse strings. Why not start there, and discover their objectives for a purchase? They can point you in the right direction to the additional influences that affect investments. You become a priority to these influences when it comes from above that they should speak with you! Then, doors open easier. It’s like riding a bike down a hill.

Successful salespeople also plan their questions to ask all the influencers in an account. For example, the economic buyer, sometimes referred to as they, should be asked different questions than the person who uses your product or service. The same is true for technical influences. Successful salespeople use a different set of questions for this person than for a coach or champion. Developing specific questions for the various influences requires work, like riding a bike up a hill, but what goes up comes down. When you understand their needs, it is easier to close the business when you have a consensus among all the influences involved.

So, study your accounts. If you only work with one influence, get on that bike, peddle uphill, ask the questions, and then enjoy the ride down. Join our next Buying Influences workshop for tips on communicating with the different influences in an account.