If you are a sales manager, a major account executive or are responsible for high-value client relationships, what role does the subject matter expert play & at what stage of the account development process do you involve them?
Here are some of the most common questions:
1. Do you send your subject matter expert to first-time meetings?
Generally, experts are most comfortable in peer-to-peer discussions, where a defined scope of work has been established. Most experts prefer to deal with facts, such as processes and methodologies rather than uncovering a potential client's preferences.
2. Which stage of the sales process is the expert most effective?
Experts in large companies are found in user groups, project implementation specialists and vendor management.
Since the subject matter expert inside client organizations often has the role of “implementer”, a peer-to-peer discussion surrounding project parameters and specifications is usually the best time to involve your expert.
3. If you are a business owner and/or a specialist practitioner, isn't your network of other experts the best way to find new clients, since other experts will understand the value of what you're offering?
It is likely that your access and affinity within a large company is with your peers or other experts in your field, what I call a "natural network". This may be where your network takes you and where you are most effective.
Subject matter experts inside large organizations have the role of“implementation”. They are called upon by senior executives to:
1. evaluate your solution in terms of being appropriate for the business problem the company is trying to solve
2. work with your firm if you are selected as a supplier.
While "implementers" can nix a deal on the basis of your competence, they are not the "cheque signer".
Therefore, starting discussions with the head of each business unit in the corporation, getting the executive "green light" and having the executive refer you to their "implementation" group is a better strategy.
The next episode will deal with the "Network Myth".
Catherine Mcquaid is a Big Game Hunter in the Urban Jungle. Her clients are mid-sized business services firms who want to win consulting assignments with the Fortune 1000. Trained as a semiotician/literature critic, she now owns a key account development business.
Her strategies for getting into large companies and getting very senior executives to open the door to the C-suite can be used by big game hunters everywhere. She writes on Major Account Acquisition strategies.
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To contact directly: email, phone, 416.923.0877.
Excellent article!. As SME in IT controls that support business processes, I feel pretty identified with the content of your narrative. Thanks for sharing it.
Posted by: Romina | December 10, 2009 at 09:59 PM
Since this is perfect for my field I love reading about it :) Keep up the good work on your content. For some odd reason, I don't know if it is your post or typepad but you have quite a bit of spacing and it kind of hurt my eyes.
Look forward to more of your posts.
Posted by: Tim | December 04, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Great Article Catherine, Now I realize what I have been doing wrong, I bring my expert in right away, I am so nervous about my salesmanship that I need to hear how they respond and what they respond to. thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Darlene Sabella | December 04, 2009 at 04:17 PM