How to Anticipate the Next Compelling Event of the Buyer Process

Your Buyers face their own compelling events. If you are the leader of Sales Operations, ask yourself a few questions:

• Have I prepared the Sales team for the next compelling event?
• What seasonal events are approaching?
• Are we ready to provide solutions when these events occur?

To know a Buyer’s compelling event is critical. Why? Because this is the real reason the Buyer is buying. Compelling events are the engine of the Buyer Process. Before 2013 starts, now is the time to identify Buyer compelling events.

To get started, download this Compelling Event Assessment job aid at this event. Then update your Sales Process to assess these events as they happen. Designing or updating your Sales Process is complicated and time consuming. For Sales Operations, supporting the VP of Sales takes priority. So use an experienced Sales Consultant to assist you.

Where in the Buyer Process do you identify a compelling event?

A compelling event can be a new product, competitive pressure…or a hurricane. A Buyer will take action in response. That action is expected to deliver a significant business result. That result will either improve the situation or reduce the pain. The compelling event defines the reason for the Buyer to act.

You need to consider these events as part of the Buyer Process.  Then align the way you sell to the Buyer. Here are two places to identify the compelling events:

• At every stage of an existing sale in progress.  Identify compelling events real-time. Ask the right questions of the prospect and they will reveal what is causing them to buy. Use the compelling event assessment job aid. Mandate this activity as part of your Buyer-centric Sales Process.
• As a trigger to start a new sale.  Prepare Sales to be a step ahead of the Buyer. Build the job aid into specific points of your Sales Process. For existing customers, make it a part of the Account Management phase of the Buyer Process. For new customers, build it into the Demand Generation phase. Sales Reps should identify two types of compelling events:

   

• Unexpected: Hurricane Sandy is an example of an unexpected compelling event. You can’t specifically prepare for these.  After all, they’re unexpected.  But you can give Sales the tools to quickly assess them

   

• Expected: The upcoming Presidential Election is an example. You can prepare for this.  Anticipate economic changes that will affect your customers.

What to focus on when using the compelling event job aid?

This tool helps identify events that motivate a Buyer. It provides a way to measure the magnitude of these events. For Sales Operations to know this will increase your ability to forecast. When used, the tool will gather information around these 4 key areas:

1. Internal Pressure. Identify the influences within a Buyer that are causing the need.
2. External Pressure. Identify the influences outside the Buyer that cause the need.
3. Personal Impact. Understand the ways in which the purchase decision will impact the decision-maker. (i.e. compensation, personal promotion, and job security)
4. Consequences of Inaction. Understand what happens if the decision-maker fails to make a decision.

Call to action

Have you prepared your team for compelling events that trigger a sale? If not, download the Compelling Event job aid at this event. Prepare Sales. Incorporate this job aid into your Buyer-driven Sales Process. Then successfully anticipate the questions the Buyers are asking themselves.

To learn more about this topic, email me. I am happy to discuss Sales Process and the Compelling Event Job Aid.

Author: Dan Bernoske

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