Win the Champion First and then Sell the “ask” to Power

You've worked really hard to book that first meeting. Now, it's time to make all the cold calling count.

While we won't do an entire discovery, here are some things to double underline to prepare to multi-thread in champion-level discovery:

· Solve their problem first: Understand why they decided to talk with you in the first place. These may or may not be business problems, but they are THEIR problems.

· Drill down to 2-3 business or boss-level problems: These should be problems their business (and power) cares about -- attrition, missed goals, etc.

· Ask questions one-level-up to plant the seed: -- like if you're meeting with a Head of Finance, ask them "how might your CFO think about this?"

If you've done this correctly, you'll be well positioned to go in for the big ask.

Sell the “ask” to Power

Most sales reps ask for power because THEY need it to close a deal, but you need to explain to your prospect that it's actually in THEIR favour to bring in power:

· Suggest the golden path: Don't just ask them who should be involved. Suggest explicitly which roles typically help drive a buying process forward in your experience with similar siutations.

· Know your names: Don't just name drop those roles. Be ready to drop the names of the people you need to reach. Do your research first through the company website and LinkedIn.

· Phrase your ask in terms of why it’s necessary to talk to these specific people: Foreshadow that you'll need to work with folks above the line to resolve those business level pains you just found! 

Bad Example: “We need to get Mary involved because she writes the check.” 

Good Example: "Mary's feeling XYZ business problem and that's going to help you solve YOUR problem with more support."

Once they’re on board, you can stop selling to them and start selling with them. (Teamwork makes the dream work.)