Selling to Business Decision Makers

Selling to Business Decision Makers

When you’re selling, you need to make sure that you have the right messages for the right people within a prospective customer organisation.

All companies, whether public or private, have a similar organisational structure, consisting of three main pillars:

1. ‘Go To Market’ (in the private sector) or ‘Value for Money’ (in the public sector)
2. Operations
3. Support Services (the enablers to the first two).

You need to think carefully about the message do you need to communicate to each of the three pillars.

The Three Pillars

Typically, each pillar is responsible for certain activities and has a different focus. Each pillar requires a different conversation; one size does not fit all. Each pillar has a different focus, as follows:

• Go to Market = Achieving greater market share (or value for money in the public sector)
• Operations = High customer satisfaction
• Support Services = Enablement, control and governance.

The Vision

The level you are approaching within the organisation determines the various messages you need to create for the different people. For example, if you’re speaking to high level executive, talk strategy and the art of the possible. If you talking to people lower down the organization, talk about the pain of being bogged down in day-to-day detail.

The Helicopter View

The CEO sits above all three pillars, interacting with the following key Executives (CxOs):

• The Chief Marketing Officer in a consumer led organisation, or the Chief Sales Officer in a business to business organization
• The Chief Operating Officer leading the operational functions
• The Chief Finance Officer leading the Support Services function

The key deliverables of each part of the organisation are visible above

Key Accountabilities at Each Level

• Strategy (CEO & Board) = Goals & aims
• Programmes (CxOs & Senior Management) = Transformational change and/or operational improvement
• Projects (Middle Management) = Delivering the programme elements
• Tasks (Junior Management) = Delivering the projects and/or Operating the business

Establishing the Context

Before you start working on the messages you’re going to use for any prospective business, get really clear on who you need to speak to, their main objectives and the issues they’re struggling with, that you can help them with.

For more advice on creating the most appropriate messages for your business, call us now on 01494 716 688 or email us at info@youd-andrews.co.uk.