Pitching the Non-Decision Maker...

12 years ago

Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki

Do you try selling the non-decision maker?

I have to say my closing percentage drops a lot when trying to close the non-decision maker, who in turn has to close the decision maker.

I'm about at the point of not even attempting to close, which is intertwined within a consulting call, unless the decision maker is present or present also.

How do you folks deal with trying to pitch a non-decision maker?

Do you even make the attempt?

You seem sincere, so I'll treat the post seriously.

The single greatest jump in income I've ever made...is when I just refused to pitch non decision makers. I mean, I didn't even make exceptions...because each exception was another wasted hour of my time.

Don't even be tempted. In my entire life, I have made perhaps 12,000 in home presentations. Maybe 300 of them were to a wife only. A wonderful person who couldn't say "Yes". I made one sale. One sale out of three hundred. I'm a slow study.

I still see salespeople making pitches to people who couldn't possibly buy, even if they wanted to. Insanity.

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MichaelWinicki

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

You seem sincere, so I'll treat the post seriously.

The single greatest jump in income I've ever made...is when I just refused to pitch non decision makers. I mean, I didn't even make exceptions...because each exception was another wasted hour of my time.

Don't even be tempted. In my entire life, I have made perhaps 12,000 in home presentations. Maybe 300 of them were to a wife only. A wonderful person who couldn't say "Yes". I made one sale. One sale out of three hundred. I'm a slow study.

I still see salespeople making pitches to people who couldn't possibly buy, even if they wanted to. Insanity.

Thank you for the reply Claude!

I've learned a valuable lesson in not wasting time with folks who aren't capable of making a final decision.

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jamesfreddyc

12 years ago

Often the non-DM is the one in my product demo because they are going to be the end user. However, I qualify them before hand by simply asking, "are you authorized by <DM Name> to purchase $x.00 for the office/practice/biz?".

If not, then no demo unless that person is present.

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Jason Kanigan

12 years ago

Yup, you figured it out for yourself, OP

"I'm about at the point of not even attempting to close, which is intertwined within a consulting call, unless the decision maker is present or present also."

You will find your effectiveness and usage of time skyrocketing when you do this.

It's fine to talk to and include Influencers in the process. But do what you yourself said to do above.

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Peter Lessard

12 years ago

Totally agree with Claude. The ONLY time this gets muddy for me is pitching larger organizations that require some sort of decision by committee.

At that point I am willing to do some preliminary pitch but will not provide a proposal/price unless its to the decision makers and really I only provide a proposal when its just ready to be signed, not as something for them to consider and get back to me on. Counting on someone to re-explain what you do rarely results in a sale unless its just a rubber stamp approval.

I simply tell them I have no idea if I have interest in working with them until I meet the people running the show because frankly that's the truth.

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bizgrower

12 years ago

A year or two ago there was a thread or WSO by somebody who landed a huge marketing deal with
McDonald's corporate. This involved inside help to know who the influencers were and what the other pitches were and so on. Bigger ones like that, and when decisions are made by groups, then you have to have a good relationship with non-DMs.

Smaller settings - have a good relation with the people with will get you to the DM and only pitch fully to the DM. Use your BS detector and business intelligence to sort out a non-DM who might be preventing you from talking to the DM for whatever reasons are on their agenda.

(I'm kind of just babbling because I just had a stressful few hours. All of my team was off their game, or off their rockers today.)

Dan

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Rus Sells

12 years ago

The quicker sales people learn that's it a waste of time to pitch those who have no power to make decisions the better off they'll be.

Totally agree with Claude and others on this one. = )

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dave147

12 years ago

Don't usually give any pitch time to the non-decision maker, but it will depend
on how much of an influence the non DM has over the DM.

It can be worth while to give a couple of minutes on a few bullet point benefits so that the non DM has a better idea, and is enthusiastic about the product or service, therefore will be more inclined to pass it onto the DM.

Don't ALWAYS under-estimate the non DM. Consider the influence they have, if there's no influence then no pitch time, if there is influence then a few minutes of your "valuable time" could make all the difference.

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Rus Sells

12 years ago

Dave you have a point but pitching the non DM is like starting a whisper chain.

What you whisper in the first persons ear ends up being different by the time it reaches the last persons ear.

Originally Posted by dave147

Don't usually give any pitch time to the non-decision maker, but it will depend
on how much of an influence the non DM has over the DM.

It can be worth while to give a couple of minutes on a few bullet point benefits so that the non DM has a better idea, and is enthusuasic about the product or service, therefore will be more inclined to pass it onto the DM.

Don't ALWAYS under-estimate the non DM. Consider the influence they have, if there's no influence then no pitch time, if there is influence then a few minutes of your "valuable time" could make all the difference.

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Claude Whitacre

12 years ago

i have done presentations to a non-decision maker, and then had to re-pitch the decision maker in the helper's presence.

The problem is that, when the non-decision maker hears the pitch the second time, it isn't as exciting. There is less enthusiasm.

I've had the non decision maker, who was very enthusiastic when they saw the presentation the first time, talk the decision maker out of buying.

So, for example, when a non-buyer is in my store, I may give a very short presentation. Maybe show one or two features. Enough to whet their appetite. And then I show the whole thing, when both are there. That way, there is something new for both to see.

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dave147

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

So, for example, when a non-buyer is in my store, I may give a very short presentation. Maybe show one or two features. Enough to whet their appetite. And then I show the whole thing, when both are there. That way, there is something new for both to see.

So the non-buyer gets a quick pitch?

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Claude Whitacre 12 years ago

Originally Posted by dave147

So the non-buyer gets a quick pitch?

Only in my retail store. If it's an outside appointment (Selling online marketing services) , they get just a brief overview of the benefits of what I do, and the benefits of the buyer meeting with me.. If it's a referral, I just talk about the referrer...not the product.

There is absolutely no way I'm going to give enough information...that they think they can decide, based on what I've told the non-buyer. That's the danger.

You pitch the non-buyer, and they will relate 3% of what you told them, to the buyer. And they will decide based on that very flawed and limited information. So......they get nothing but some small talk. It happens rarely, because my appointment is with the business owner. And, frankly....if I get an underling to relay the information to the man that I had an appointment with, It's probably the end of that relationship anyway. I lose interest almost immediately.

In a retail store, you can't refuse to give information. I just don't give everything I've got. The non-buyer doesn't know that though.
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dave147

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Rus Sells

Dave you have a point but pitching the non DM is like starting a whisper chain.

What you whisper in the first persons ear ends up being different by the time it reaches the last persons ear.

Yeah that's true, that's why it's a quick "pitch", if the influence is there.

Better to have a whisper than silence I think. That way, when you do get through to the DM, there may have been some "influence" or at the very least, some vague familiarity from having heard a whisper

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MichaelWinicki

12 years ago

Originally Posted by dave147

Yeah that's true, that's why it's a quick "pitch", if the influence is there.

Better to have a whisper than silence I think. That way, when you do get through to the DM, there may have been some "influence" or at the very least, some vague familiarity from having heard a whisper

Would you quote a price to the non-decision maker?

I would think that's a definite no-no.

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dave147 12 years ago

Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki

Would you quote a price to the non-decision maker?

I would think that's a definite no-no.

Yes that would be a no-no.

No pricing to the non DM, not at all!
If you did that then the price would almost be the first thing the non DM would repeat
back to the DM, and little else.
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- MichaelWinicki 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by dave147
  
  Not at all!
  If you did that then the price would almost be the first thing the non DM would repeat
  back to the DM, and little else.
  
  Agreed.
  
  That would seem to be about the last thing you would mention to the non-DM.
  
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  dave147 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki
  
  Agreed.
  
  That would seem to be about the last thing you would mention to the non-DM.
  
  The DM must see the VALUE and the NEED first from YOU before the price is conveyed.
  Your pitch to the DM should express HIGH VALUE and imply a HIGH
  price, then when your price is revealed...it's a no-brainer
  
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helisell

12 years ago

Was taught 35 years ago...only ever try to sell to the man.

M...oney
A,,,uthority
N...eed

These things must be qualified very early on in any interaction.

As an aside...I have great fun doing courses when I say....'you must only try to sell to the man'

I always get lots of indignation from the ladies in the room...until I explain.

Still I AM easily amused.

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