Let's get back to it next year

Some projects just don’t have urgency, but that doesn’t mean your deal needs to slip to next year. Here’s one of my fav ways of closing these deals:

Disclaimer: This only works if you’ve gone above and beyond for your Champion. If you’ve made them look good.

Can you answer all of these with “yes”?

1. I have an identified pain that’s confirmed by the Technical Buyer
2. There’s a Cost of Inaction of not solving that pain that’s confirmed by a TB, EB, or Champion.
3. The Impact on the business is confirmed by the Economic Buyer
4. You have a Champion on project. At least one person with: ↳ Information (on how things get done internally) ↳ Incentive (to roll out the project) ↳ Influence (over the decision)
5. You co-created the business case with your Champion and gave them all the resources and enablement materials to make the sale internally

Did you get 5/5?

Read on!

Just because there’s a clear COI, ROI, and the project is a priority doesn’t mean it will get signed in this Quarter.

Buyers don’t (necessarily) need to make the purchase in a given year/quarter/month.

But they’re open to working with sellers who’ve proven their worth.

So if you’ve gone above and beyond for your Champion, call them.

Here's how you win

🗣️ “[Name], we’ve [list the key things you’ve covered leading up to this point]. Is anything missing for you to present this project to [EB]?”

(often you’ll get told “no”)

Then follow it up with:

🗣️ “Can I ask for a favour? I’m missing [amount] to hit my quota this year and I can only do that if [Company] and [2 other deals] sign in the next 2 weeks.

Is there any way you can help get this contract signed by [date]? No harm if no, but I had to ask.”

But why does it work?

I love using this “favour card” because by this time you’ve earned the right to ask for a favour and aren’t being pushy.

You’re being transparent about your needs and why you’re making the ask.

At the same time you’re also giving them a way out so they don’t have to lie to you.

You’d be surprised how well this works!

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