How do you know...

Author

Keith Weightman
November 11, 2023

This week’s tip I learned from the master of selling with buyers, not to them - Nate Nasralla.

If you don’t already follow him - stop reading this and do it now.

You should also go pick up his new book:

Most sellers think that because their buyer is “nice to them” or seems to give them “insider information” they have a champion.

Wrong.

Here are the 3 simple words to remember and help confirm if you have a champion or just a coach.

If you’d rather watch an 83-second clip of me whiteboarding it - click the image below.

Incentive

First, your buyer must have “incentive” or something motivating them to get your deal done.

  • Is there a promotion on the line?

  • Are they new to the role and looking to make a splash?

  • Does your solution impact a KPI they’re both measured & bonused on?

If there’s nothing on the line for your buyer - chances of them pushing hard when it matters are slim to none.

Information

Can you buyer provide what Nate calls “The Treasure Map”?

Can they give you the information needed to craft the right strategy to win?

  • The key players

  • The biggest detractors

  • How decisions have been made in the past

They’re able to take you from the starting point to treasure - because they already know the path that leads there.

If your buyer isn’t able to answer the above - or even worse…

Knows - but won’t tell you…

You don’t “yet” have a champion.

Influence

Now this one I believe is the most important.

Your buyer can have both Incentive and Information - but if they lack “Influence” you don’t have a champion.

If they’re not able to get others on board - and create an internal narrative on why your project is the right one - they’re just a coach.

One way to tell if they have Influence is to pay attention to the group dynamic.

  • How do they interact with their team during meetings?

  • Does the team look to them for consensus or approval?

  • Do they ask their opinion on why it’s a fit?

  • Or do they sit back and let others take the lead?

Without influence - your deal will stall.

So the next time you think you have a champion - run it through Nate’s 3 I’s.

Do they have:

  1. Incentive - something motivating them to get the job done

  2. Information - can lay out the treasure map

  3. Influence - can influence the outcome of the deal

If you have all 3 - congratulations - you have a champion.

Less than 3?

You may only have a coach or a fan.

That’s it for this week and hope it was helpful to someone.

If you liked this article, please share it with a friend.

You can check past issues here. ✌️