When trying to reach the decision-maker in a deal, there are several different ways that you can go about it.

It’s not just about messaging as many people at the account until you get a response; what’s key is to get a sense of the people involved, how they fit together with each other in their organization, and then determine the best method of getting in touch with the right people.

This blueprint shows four key ways that you can go about this, and which scenarios each one works well for. You will also learn the art of multi-threading, a powerful technique to build consensus and get all key stakeholders involved.

Identifying and influencing the people involved in the buying decision is a prerequisite to any successful sale. The buying center is the group of people who are involved in the buying process for your solution — those with purchasing and financial expertise, those with technical expertise, top-level management, and those who actually use the product. This blueprint shows you how to develop an account plan based on the roles that are in the buying center.

Most prospects use a relatively arbitrary decision process. Uneducated buyers often make the mistake of weighing criteria and basing their decision on which solution checks the most boxes on the list of requirements.

However, an educated buyer decides based on impact. As a sales professional, you need to guide your prospect to help them make their decision using impact.

To run an effective demo, used the SPICED framework in order to ground your demo and keep it directly relevant to your customer’s pain points.

At the same time, use these demo best practices of setting the stage, keeping your audience engaged, and connecting the wagons to orchestrate next steps.

Conduct a proper diagnosis using the SPICED framework. Employ question-based selling, with a combination of open- and closed-ended questions to peel back the layers of their pain points, and to understand the impact that your prospect is looking to achieve.