• What We Do
    ○
    • Sales Technology Consulting Services
      ○
      • Sales Technology Consulting Services
      • Stakeholder Analysis & Sales Technology Audit
      • Sales Technology Selection Strategy
      • Sales Technology Vendor Moderation
      • Sales Technology Adoption Program
      • Sales Technology ROI
      • Multiyear Sales Technology Strategy
    • Research/Advisory
      ○
      • About Clear View Reports
        ○
        • Outbound Prospecting / Agent Assisted
        • Sales Enablement / Content Management
        • Sales Skills Development and Reinforcement
        • Sales Technology and Training Selector
  • Sales Tech Selection Resources
    ○
    • Certified Sales Technology Landscape
    • Tools and Guides
      ○
      • Sales Tech Stack Selection Tool
      • Sales Technology Buying Roadmap
      • Sales Technology ROI Guide
    • Sales Training
      ○
      • Sales Training Solutions
      • Certified Sales Training Landscape
  • Learning Center
    ○
    • The Neutral Zone Sales Technology Blog
    • The Neutral Zone Podcasts
    • The Neutral Zone Webinars
  • About
    ○
    • Contact Us
    • Our Story
    • News & Press
  • Sales Technology Selection Tool
Vendor NeutralVendor Neutral
  • What We Do
    • Consulting
      • Stakeholder Analysis & Sales Technology Audit
      • Sales Technology Selection Strategy
      • Sales Technology Vendor Moderation
      • Sales Technology Adoption Program
      • Sales Technology ROI Framework
      • Multiyear Sales Technology Strategy
    • Research/Advisory
      • Certified Sales Technology Profiles
      • Certified Sales Training Reports
      • Analyst Research
        • Outbound Prospecting / Agent Assisted
        • Sales Enablement / Content Management
        • Sales Skills Development and Reinforcement
      • Sales Technology and Training Selection Tool
  • Sales Tech Selection Resources
    • Sales Technology Solutions
    • Tools and Guides
      • Sales Tech Stack Selection Tool
      • Sales Technology Buying Roadmap
      • Sales Tech ROI Guide
    • Certified Sales Technology Landscape
    • Sales Training
      • Sales Training Solutions
      • Sales Training Selection Tool
      • Certified Sales Training Landscape
  • Learning Center
    • The Neutral Zone Sales Tech Blog
    • The Neutral Zone Podcasts
    • The Neutral Zone Webinars
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Our Story
    • News & Press

Industry Experts and Thought Leaders

The Neutral Zone Sales Blog

Buying Sales Technology and Training is hard. We’re here to help with curated content from leading experts, thought leaders, and analysts.

Scroll Down

4 Huge Hurdles Enterprise Buyers Have to Overcome (That Sellers Need To Help Them With)

If there was ever any doubt as to technology’s potential impact on the large enterprise sales process, consider this eye-opening finding from McKinsey.  Their analysis identified a pool of $74 to $298 billion in revenue growth that could be unleashed through enabling technology in sales. They found technology can power growth primarily through new customer experiences, refined pricing, and enhanced selling processes.

So, if there is that kind of potential growth for large enterprises that invest in sales technology, why isn’t everyone on the bandwagon? Simply put, it is really hard to get new technology approved. There are layers of decision-makers, established procurement processes, and a lot of users to consider. Sellers are often trained to identify the buyer’s problem and offer a solution. However, it is just as important to understand the prospect’s challenges as they relate to the basic logistics of the buying process. 

We’ve compiled four top challenges facing enterprise buyers.  Carefully consider each one and how your sales team can help their prospects meet these challenges. 

Align the Calendars of Many Participants 

With so many decision-makers, aligning everyone’s calendar for a sales meeting is the No. 1 challenge. As a salesperson, be careful that you don’t get so excited about getting a time on the calendar that you settle for getting in front of only a fraction of the decision-makers. Setting a meeting that involves numerous players takes patience and empathy. Be flexible, and open to conducting multiple meetings or demos. Be sure you are the one that is inconvenienced, not your prospect. 

This approach not only gets you in front of the right group, but it demonstrates willingness and availability, two key qualities buyers will be looking for in a vendor. Easy accessibility and approachability might just be the key differentiator that sets you apart from your competitors. Show that you value your prospect’s time. 

Find Value for Multiple Players

View each enterprise prospect as a combination of many individual clients. One study found that the No. 1 challenge for B2B salespeople is “their inability to communicate value differentiation.” That challenge grows exponentially in a large organization. Even though sales technology is targeted for the sales team, multiple departments and players are often using it. Finance, customer service, marketing and IT are just some of the teams that will need to adapt their workflow when there is a change in sales tech. Large enterprises must justify new sales tech by finding value for each of these players. Sellers must be aware of this challenge and help them communicate individualized value. How so?

  • Communicate benefits not features. Features belong to products. Benefits belong to customers. View each player as an individual customer. What benefits of your product will appeal to them? They will measure the value of your product from the anticipated benefit they hope to receive.  Develop clear benefit statements for each player. 
  • Provide clear, digestible content. Decision-makers will often go back and discuss the sales tech with their teams. Be sure they have transparent, easy-to-understand content to share. That includes pricing models and platform details. Give them the “sound bites” they will need to get buy-in from their teams. Explain what makes your product unique in the most concise way, so it can easily be repeated. 
  • Show and tell. Involve your prospects by “showing” them value. We don’t just mean a demo of your product. Use graphs to show retention rates, sales increases and increased productivity for support teams. Think about each department involved and include a visual component that demonstrates the value for them. 

While you’re here, check out this webinar: How Distributors & Manufacturers Can Equip Their Sales Teams for Success

They Must Justify the Risk

The enterprise software market is the fastest growing segment in the IT industry, exceeding 10 percent year-on-year growth. Enterprise leaders are bombarded all the time with promises of getting the best of all worlds through some type of software. While many tech solutions legitimately offer benefits, they also come with risk. Decision-makers are left with the job of justifying that risk. Is the cost worth the ROI? Is the end result worth the learning curve and lost productivity they’ll have during transition? 

How can you help them justify the risk? Of course, clearly communicating the benefits is key. However, remember that your prospects know you are a salesperson, and your opinion is tilted in your favor. They will often look to outside sources to mitigate risks. They will look to user recommendations, product reviews or other forums that relate to your online reputation. What does the online chatter say about you? Can you provide your prospects with other large enterprises that will recommend your product? These user recommendations will go a long way in helping your prospect justify the risk of investment. 

They Have a Complicated Procurement Process

The procurement and legal process for a large enterprise is complicated. Sellers who seek to understand the purchasing evaluation process put themselves at an advantage. Who needs to buy-in? What group will make the ultimate decision? How does your product fit into the enterprise’s existing tool stack? Decision-makers will often consult potential users. Can you meet directly with the sales team? This might require an additional meeting/demo.

As power-users, the sales team is positioned to give valuable feedback to key decision-makers. Get close to them. You can do this through conventional presentations, email, or direct calls. Or, you can use indirect means, such as social media. Engage key users on LinkedIn or other channels. Demonstrate your position as an industry leader through high-quality content. Understanding the role of each player in the procurement process will ensure you are making your time count. 

Certified vendor reports

August 10, 2020 Dan Cilley
  • We’re in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution. Is your manufacturing business implementing digital transformation in the most effective way?
    Are You Ready for Industry 4.0? The Digital Transformation of Manufacturing According to many in the manufacturing industry, we are currently in the middle of the...
  • Top ERP Transformations That Support buyers
    Top ERP Transformations That Support Buyers B2B companies are currently up to their necks in "digital transformation." They're moving at a rapid clip to enhance the...
  • Increase-eCommerce-Adoption-by-including-your-Sales-Team
    eCommerce Adoption and Your Sales Team Internal Resistance Any type of change within an organization is likely to see some resistance. It’s not that change is necessarily...
  • 10 Ways to Provide Value to Sales Technology Vendors
    10 Ways to Provide Value to Sales Technology Vendors…Even When They Don't Win the Deal Not every sales technology vendor is the perfect fit for your...
  • Why You Are Experiencing Digital Transformation Failure
    Top 10 Reasons You Experience Digital Transformation Failure In a world of augmented technology and heavy investment in resources for digital transformation, it is alarming that...
  • Data Driven Digital Transformation of Your Revenue Operations
    Data Driven Digital Transformation of Your Revenue Operations We live in a rapidly changing business landscape. If your organization is still relying on intuition and gut...
  • Propel Your Growth in 2022 with Revenue Operations
    A Healthy Revenue Operations Program Is Essential to Driving Growth Why You Need RevOps Now More Than Ever  If you’re a midmarket or enterprise company and you’re...
  • Everything You Need to Know about Digital Transformation
    Everything You Need to Know about Digital Transformation Digital transformation can be a powerful tool your business uses to maximize productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Here's what...
  • Step-by-Step Strategy for Driving Digital Transformation
    11 Steps for Driving Digital Transformation through Sales Technology Adoption A Proven Digital Transformation Strategy and Framework Are you looking to update your business strategy with digital...
  • Framework for Effective Digital Transformation Strategy
    Why People, Processes, and Technology Are Vital to Your Digital Transformation Strategy With the new year, many companies are reassessing, updating, or implementing their business strategy....
  • How to Vet an Enterprise Sales Technology Consultant
    10 Questions to Ask before Hiring an Enterprise Sales Technology Consultant Carefully Vet Third-Party Consultants for Maximum ROI Sales technology has the power to revolutionize how you...
  • Defining the Ongoing Costs of Your Sales Tech Stack
    How to Define the Ongoing Costs of Your Sales Tech Stack Solutions 5 Key Factors That Affect Your Bottom Line When it comes to defining the ongoing...
  • 5 Common and Costly Sales Tech Stack Mistakes
    5 Mistakes That Prevent the Perfect Sales Tech Stack How to Improve the ROI of Your Sales Technology When organizations think about the “perfect” sales technology stack,...
  • Have Success with Your Sales Technology Selection in 2022
    Reevaluate Your Sales Technology Selection Process in 2022 Why Technology Matters, and How to Have Success with Your Selection Process With the start of a new...
  • B2B Digital Sales Trends during COVID-19
    What’s Changed in B2B Digital Sales? What We’ve Learned with the Dramatic Shift to Digital Sales Programs during COVID-19 For anybody operating a B2B organization during the...

Upcoming Events

No event found!
Vendor Neutral Dark Background
  • Sales Technology Solutions
  • Sales Technology Selection Tools
  • Sales Technology Consulting Services
  • About Vendor Neutral
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Copyright © 2021 Vendor Neutral LLC. All Rights Reserved