Unless you’ve got a celebrity superstar parading you into the offices of senior leadership, you’ve got to find a way to gain access. This is probably the biggest challenge facing enterprise sellers today… and one reason why The Challenger Sale is being received as the best new sales literature in decades. Access is an issue and the answer, separate of relationships and other referrals, is two-fold as your messaging must be: a) Compelling – focused on current client fiscal pain and clear solution b) Sustained – repetition for effective landing; just like advertising

Sometimes the economic buyer is painfully aware of the need, and other times the seller must invest considerable resource extracting those data points prior to soliciting executive sponsorship. It’s difficult for an executive to turn a deaf ear to a professional seller who has done his or her homework and who can speak in metrics specific to the client’s operations. Also, be on full alert for how key stakeholders can achieve PERSONAL wins by going forward with your project. Perhaps there are executive-level Management By Objective (MBO) incentives in place that your key contact is motivated to achieve, or possibly by adopting your solution individuals will experience career growth; keep your eye out, as these PERSONAL motivators are often more powerful than the fiscal ones.

The Power of Customer Intimacy is real. Bear hug the customer, and they’ll not only tell you what the winning hand needs to be, they’ll tell you when to play which cards.

I tie these two paradigms together because client system success should be your focus. Closing deals is important but our end zone is not a purchase order, but rather a client reference. Taking a long view in working with enterprise clients is critical for sustained success.