Has this ever happened to you? You think you’re all set for a sales meeting when you learn that the people you were planning to meet with have shuffled the deck and “others” will be joining the meeting.
How does that make you react? Your brain may tell you to dismiss this as unimportant or irrelevant, that it doesn’t matter, that this change will not affect the meeting and the outcome you are hoping for. But, what if it will? Will you be able to pivot?
ENTER THE ALIENS
In biology, introducing a foreign species into an ecosystem upsets the balance in, and can destroy, its environment, economy or health. In your prospect’s buying ecosystem, alien species are additional buyer stakeholders who join your prospect’s decision-making process. How will this affect your main contact’s role in that process? Her perceptions? The ultimate outcome?
Solving for every unknown is impossible, but you can count on one thing: unexpected things will happen. Changes to which stakeholders are involved in a meeting or in the client’s buying process changes the sale. Will you be able to make that pivot, and adapt, or will you stay locked onto your prior course?
PIVOTING
You may remember Lance Armstrong, the once famous and now disgraced professional cyclist. In 2003’s Tour de France – the super bowl of championship cycling – he executed a creative, impressive and famous pivot. Since most pro cycling teams have elite-level fitness and equipment, the major risk is an accident. When someone goes down in front of you, it tests your agility in a high stakes moment. Midway through this race and a 185km stage, Armstrong approached a pile-up that had claimed one of his chief rivals. What does he do? Instead of plowing into and joining the carnage, wrecking his body and his bike, he steers his bike away from the pile-up. In fact, he veers off the road completely, into and across a field. In the process, he eliminated a key competitor, avoided injury and gained time on his rivals.
How do you execute a great pivot in your selling, so that you can adapt when conditions change? Here are five best practices:
Breathe. In addition to sending oxygen to your brain so that you can think clearly, it will help you remain calm and focused.
Think. Who are the new players? What is their role? Why are they joining the meeting?
Adjust. The sales process doesn’t always move forward. Be willing to take steps back to do more discovery to understand the interests of these new stakeholders and bring them on board.
Focus. Arrive dialed in, ready to ride across the field to win if needed.
EXECUTE
In your pursuit of a sale, the players will change at different points. If your aim is to win, not just to show up, the best practices above will enable you to stay agile, and ready to adapt to changes so that you can eliminate a competitor and get closer to the prize.
How agile are you in your selling?