Written by: Vickie Sullivan | March 06, 2018
How to Win Clients: Develop More Champions
Blinding flash of the obvious: Buying decisions are made in groups. But a study highlighted in Successful Meetings magazine drills down to what we knew intuitively but didn’t have stats for.
Look past the focus on meetings and events. What got on my radar: Buyers report that in 84% of cases, the winning vendor had a champion in the group. Which begs the question: Do you even know who your champions are?
My take: It’s easier to focus on the buyer and referral sources than it is to nurture our champions. Even if the buyers know and like you, they can be swayed if someone else advocates for your competition. This happens all the time.
Listen: How to identify and nurture your champions
According to the study, two-thirds of the respondents said content and research can most likely influence the group. That’s great. And if our advocates are hidden, how do we nurture them? How do we best help them advocate on our behalf? Because you KNOW that the competition has their advocates, too.
The days of buyers making a decision in isolation are over. Creating champions is just as important as creating referrals. Let’s be more strategic here.
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