Buyers

You think sales people are quirky, well let's take a moment to talk buyers. And I know Lumbergh was a boss, but I bet he made a capital acquisition or two in his career. And I bet his zany demeanor drove sellers absolutely nuts. Imagine you the sales professional, polished and rehearsed ready to meet a Lumbergh for the first time. And as you go through your pitch you are stopped by a, 'ugh yeeeaaah'. And it happens again when you ask what initiatives are on his plate for the fiscal year. 'Ugh yeeeaaah.' It's enough to pickup and walk out. 

But is it a personality trait or a buyers tactic? Either way buyers are just as intelligent as sellers and they are hyper-informed now too. They have the ability to learn just about as much your widget as you the seller does and in a lot of cases they may not even need you the seller at all. So this begs the question, what do you do as a sales professional knowing buyers are trying to render you obsolete?

Well first things first you need to recognize this fact. Only when you do will you take the high road and offer an experience that the buyer cannot create on their own. Second is recognizing that buyers study procurement just as sellers study sales. Tactics, negotiation skills, methods of shutting down your calls, all that. Don't kid yourself sellers. They practice just like you do. And the last part goes back to the first statement of creating an experience that buyers cannot create themselves. This is done by asking intelligent questions and getting the buyer to think about their business and acting consultative. 

It's a crazy business environment sellers and buyers engage in, but one completely rewarding to those who are enlightened. 

Stoked!