PREVENT the objection, "My boss won't authorize anything."

Objection # 7 of 85: My boss won't authorize anything.

When does it usually occur? Initial contact introducing your self in sales and after the presentation.
Probable Cause: Buyer does not believe s/he has authority.
Objective: Identify people who play the various decision-making roles.

PREVENTION STRATEGY 1 of 5: Identify from your lead source (referral, directory, or network), the people who (by title or position) would most likely be in the different decision-making roles.

In most B2B sales opportunities, six different types of decisions will be made. One person can make five of the six decision types, or there may be many people making just one type of decision. These different types of decisions are made by people in corresponding roles. You can tell which role they’re in by the questions they ask. Select a prospect and identify the people in each of these roles.

Quick review from previous blog:

Key Decision-Making Roles

To better understand these roles, think about a customer you know well and put names to the descriptions.

1. Final Authority: Interested in Return on Investment (ROI), Return on Assets (ROA), and Rate of Return (ROR). This role is responsible for all the budgets you impact and can move money from one budget to another. This is the right level to call on for most sales opportunities.
2. Specifier: Interested in performance specifications and cost-justification. They are usually functional area managers, but they could also be consultants hired by the company to find and sort through potential products, services, and suppliers.
3. Negotiator: Interested in the ratio of the number of Features to the quoted price. They are usually, but not always, found in Purchasing Departments where they may buy thousands of different items on a list. Because of this sheer volume and variety, they may not know anything about what they’re buying, but will often start the conversation demanding a discount.

Note these first three decision-makers are interested in the money, but in three different ways. While it might even be the same person playing all three roles, it's important to provide the correct information in the correct way. Don't get trapped by lumping them together.

1. End User: Interested in user-friendliness and functionality. This includes how easy it is to do business with your company and get support when needed.
2. Coach: They are inside the buying loop and will guide you through the buying process. “Mentors” are coaches who are biased in favor of you and can become your “Champions.”  If they help you get the meetings, but not necessarily get involved with the decisions, they become your “Sponsors.” All three are coaches and allies, just different types.
3. Recommenders: These people are outside the buying loop. They could be disinterested third parties with no stake in the outcome. They could be others who have used your products and services before or who simply know you and are willing to recommend you.

These three decision-makers all have "credibility" as a common denominator, but in three very different ways.

Decision-Maker Bias

Decision-makers are also biased for you, neutral, or against you.

In a future blog, you’ll learn how we use the Benefit Questions to move the person from negative to positive. Use the three-step method for defusing anger and other negative emotions to move a blocker to a more positive position. You can use the blog list button to select the 2020 blog # 11 that discusses this three-step method.

Here is a brief description along with the basic strategies used to move them toward a more positive bias.

• Champions: Know you well and can run interference for you.
• Favorable: Would prefer you but are not broad-based enough in their understanding of the Advantages and Benefits you offer to be Champions.
• Neutral: Neither for you nor against you. What you’ve got or what your competitor offers is fine.
• Unfavorable: Would prefer someone other than you.
• Blocker: Could have had an unsettling experience with your company.

Starting with the next blog, we’ll present ways in which you can Prevent, Preempt, and Respond to each of these objections.  

Resources:

Objection Free Selling is now 59 months on the Amazon Top 100 Best Sellers list.

If you want a shortcut to the top of the sales force, invest $4.99 for the eBook or $19.95 for the paperback. Carry it with you. Tab the pages, make your own notes, and start your own sales objections strategy book for the specific objections you get for what you sell. Make flashcards. I did.

This blog's content comes from Chapter 6: Strategies Specific to Each Objection in the Objection Free Selling book. The skills necessary to carry out every strategy and tactic are also included in the book.

Select this link to take the FREE sales diagnostic to identify which objections are stopping your sales and which skill sets you need to learn and use to prevent, preempt, and respond to these specific objections. Only ten questions.

Select this link to preview and buy the eBook or Paperback: Objection Free Selling with its 874 objection PREVENTION, PREEMPTION, and RESPONSE strategies for the 85 most common sales stopping objections.

Select this link to the eLearning course: Objection Free Selling.

Select this link to download the free list of the 85 Most Common Sales Stopping Objections organized by missing "Buyer Beliefs" that cause them and to see the list of upcoming blogs.

This bestselling book provides a detailed diagnostic of the B2B sales process steps, complete with action items to implement. Easy validation process.

Select this link to preview and buy the eBook or Paperback: Strategic Sales Plan. Includes sales process diagnostic checklist.

Select this link to the eLearning course: Strategic Sales Plan. Includes downloadable sales process diagnostic checklist.

Select this link to download the sales process diagnostic checklist job aid.

Select this link to preview and buy this bestselling eBook: Value Selling Strategies P.R.O.S.P.E.C.T. Model. It combines the steps of the sales process into an easy to learn and use sales model designed to prevent most of the common sales stopping objections.

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