Business to business (B2B) marketing & selling are very sophisticated processes. You need to understand that there are a number of people, or possibly groups, that influence the B2B sale.
In recent articles I wrote about the four influencers in a B2B sale. Initially we talked about the Financial Influencer, and then the User Influencer. As a quick revue, the four influencers are again.
1. The Financial Influencer(s)
2. The User Influencers
3. The Gatekeeper(s)
4. Your Champion or Sponsor
This article will focus on the Gatekeepers.
The Gatekeepers
The gatekeeper can also be referred to as the technical buying influence. The role of the gatekeeper is to screen out or even block your proposal. There are many groups who may be gatekeepers. They can include any of the following.
• Purchasing agents
• The finance department
• The legal group – may be inside and outside the company
• Human resources
• The IT department
• Engineering
• Operations
• Even Executive Assistants
As you can see, depending on the technical and financial influence of your product and service, there are many groups that can be involved. Also, the impact your proposal has on the organization will determine how many of the above groups will get involved.
These people generally will only be involved for a short time, and then not be involved at all, after your proposal has been accepted. The keys for these groups are the following.
• They judge the measurable and quantifiable aspects of your proposal.
• They have certain specifications that have been set up beforehand, and they tick off whether you meet those specifications or not.
• They can and will make recommendations.
• They cannot say yes, but they can say no, and their vote carries quite a bit of weight.
It is often the users that develop many of the specifications for a proposal. This group acts as the gatekeepers to ensure you have met those specifications. You need to understand who these groups are, and how you can reach them for your proposal.
It is often difficult to get to know them personally, because they are usually only involved for a short time, during the proposal phase. However, you need to be aware of their influence, and if possible make every effort to meet and understand how they operate during the decision cycle.
Selling in a B2B environment is a complex and sophisticated process. But once you understand the process, and the different influencers, it becomes much easier, and a lot more fun.
Kind regards,
Ian Dainty
416.277.4537
ian@b2bbusinesscoach.com
The post Who Makes The Buying Decisions in a B2B Sale – Part 3? appeared first on Business to Business Marketing | B2B Lead Generation | B2B Business Coach.
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