Conventional wisdom has always been: The fewer people involved in the selling process, the smoother it’ll run. But not anymore.

New research shows that salespeople can increase their chances of closing by involving more people in the selling process.

The strategy is especially critical when a sale becomes dead in the water because a prospect can’t or won’t make a decision.

Using leverage points

One way to involve more people: Tap into a prospect’s leverage points.

Every prospect has leverage points — people in the organization whom he or she:

• admires
• reports to, or
• competes with.

And when salespeople use these leverage points, fence-sitting prospects can be pushed to make a purchase.

So salespeople should make it a point to find out who these people are and get a message to each of them.

Finding the right person

Generally speaking, the best people to use for leverage points are:

• the prospect’s immediate supervisor
• the superior’s superior, and
• the prospect’s equals in the organization.

Making the group presentation

Salespeople are used to doing face-to-face presentations to a single prospect. But when the faces multiply, dynamics change.

Here four ideas that’ll make group presentations more effective:

1. Confirm who can and can’t stay for the entire presentation. If some attendees say they must leave early, try to find out their role in the decision making process — and make sure they get all the key info before they leave.
2. Watch everyone closely during the presentation. Does one person seem to get more attention when speaking? Try to key in on those whose input holds more weight.
3. Encouraging participation. If prospects seem too quiet, try to ask the attendees for their opinions. The goal: Generate dialogue among the group that may help uncover what it is they really want from you.
4. Make sure all prospects have the chance to speak. Ask all department heads how the purchase affects them. If some attendees seem reluctant to speak, call or e-mail them later. They may feel uncomfortable voicing concerns in front of others.

Adapted from “The Power To Get In,” by Michael A. Boylan.

Tags: boost business, presentations, prospects, salespeople