Understanding and Selling To High-level Decision Makers

October 22nd, 2009

By Tom Reilly, author of “Crush Price Objections”

High-level decision makers (HLDMs) think differently than other people involved in the decision process. Since HLDMS create funding for ideas they like, it behooves you to understand how these decision makers think.

First, they are long-term thinkers. For HLDMs, value is the long-term outcome of a decision, not the short-term acquisition price of a product. Purchasing agents buy price; HLDMs buy outcome.

Second, HLDMs buy partnerships, not products. They want to collaborate with other businesses that are moving in the same direction, on parallel tracks, and at the same speed. You must think and act like a prudent businessperson.

Third, money to HLDMs is either profit or cash flow, not simply a cheap price. The conversation they want to have about money is how your total solution affects their bottom line. Money is always a bigger and better conversation to have than price.

Fourth, HLDMs are results oriented versus process oriented. They want to hear about the outcome of your customer experience, not about the details of how you will do something–that conversation is for the users of your product. The results they want should be seen in your value proposition.

Fifth, they worship time. Waste it and you lose them. Respect it and you may have an ally.

According to the research, 90 percent of salespeople fail to penetrate their accounts at the highest levels. These five points will help you successfully engage and sell to HLDMs.

NOTE: You can read more about HLDMs in Tom Reilly's book on Value-Added Selling (McGraw-Hill).

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