Six Useful Tips for Selling to Multiple Decision Makers

Not every sale is a case of simply persuading a single potential client. When selling to larger organisations, salespeople may be faced with the challenge of pitching to two or more purchasing decision-makers. In this scenario, the rules change slightly and the task of selling becomes a little bit more difficult as the seller must take the different personalities and motivations of the prospective buyers into account. Business skills training experts, Maguire Training, offer the perfect solutions and strategies for successfully Selling to Multiple Decision Makers. This practical and effective course equips delegates with the knowledge they need to be able to manage a sales meeting and tailor their approach in order to influence the purchasing decisions of a team of buyers.

Whilst there is no equally advantageous substitute to formal sales training in the art of selling to multiple decision-makers, we share six top tips to help sales managers and salespeople make the best of any sales opportunity when faced with two or more decision-makers.

1. Arrange a sales appointment that is convenient for everyone
Ideally, you want to have the full attention of the whole purchasing team for the entire duration of the meeting; your sales efforts will be undermined if one or more of the decision-makers arrives late or has to depart early for a meeting or other appointment.

2. Build rapport with each member of the decision-making team
Arriving early to your appointment and conducting an informal meet-and-greet chat with each decision-maker as they turn up will help you to determine the role, influence, motivation and purchasing power of each, allowing you to tailor your presentation and questions accordingly. If this approach is not possible, you might begin the meeting by formally introducing yourself, your company and your role and inviting each decision-maker to do the same.

3. Find out how the final purchasing decision will be arrived at
It's vital to know which factors will influence the ultimate decision to buy or not to buy, as possession of this information will allow you to focus on satisfying the individual and group criteria necessary to secure a sale.

4. Encourage open discussion and participation but keep the meeting focused
Every member of the decision-making team should be encouraged to put forward their questions, concerns and opinions but be sure to maintain control rather than allow the meeting to become an off-topic conversational free-for-all.

5. Pay equal attention and respect to each individual decision-maker
It's entirely possible that one or two personalities may reveal themselves as dominant in your sales meeting but these decision-makers should not be exclusively deferred to. The needs and views of each of the decision-makers should be acknowledged and addressed equally to ensure that any individual objections are handled and that all questions and concerns have been dealt with satisfactorily.

6. Follow up the sales meeting with each decision-maker individually
Having discovered the particular hot topics and motivations that will influence each decision maker, follow up your meeting with a courtesy call or email to each which reinforces the way in which your product or service perfectly addresses their individual needs and the ways in which it will benefit their business.

These are just a few of the ways in which salespeople can improve their prospects of successfully selling to multiple decision-makers. To help sales professionals with busy schedules to obtain the benefits of Maguire Training's experience and expertise, Selling to Multiple Decision Makers is offered not only as a classroom-based session but also as an online training course via the company's innovative E-learning platform.