If, or when, your customer doesn’t want to work with you to put together a plan, or doesn’t jump right into the plan you propose, there is usually a specific reason why they don’t. I have found the following six issues at the root of most customer hesitation to move forward with you on a Process of Mutual Discovery. If you’ve shown them your plan and asked, ‘Is there anything we need to change about this plan, or are you ready to move forward with the next step?’ but did not get a ‘Yes!’ it might be that:
1. The Plan Isn’t Right
Sometimes we don’t listen well enough, we don’t really understand their buying process very well, or the timing of the plan isn’t right. Somehow what they told us, and what we propose back, just doesn’t match up. So, when you sense their hesitation, make sure and ask, ‘What about the plan itself? Does this match with what you told us in terms of the steps involved and the timing and so forth?’ Maybe they will suggest a change or two. Or maybe they will say, ‘No, this is pretty much what we told you. But . . .’ You might need to move on to the next potential objection.
2. We Have Confused ‘B’ with ‘C’
Once we learn our product and solution set thoroughly, and once we develop a well-rounded ‘problem knowledge,’ it’s easy to start broadcasting solutions before we fully diagnose the problem. We can inadvertently start positioning our solution as their desired outcome instead of what the solution is going to enable them to do, and the results they are trying to achieve. You might need to clarify by asking, ‘Have we misunderstood what you are trying to accomplish here? The objective is ____ (fill in the blank), right?’ If that’s not the problem, then move on to the next possible issue.
3. The Desired Result or Point ‘C’ Isn’t Very Compelling
Sometimes, things look good and sound good, but not quite good enough to take action on. There might be other uses of capital and resources that are simply more compelling than the project you are part of. There just may not be a very powerful motive to make the change, or there is no consequence to the status quo. Or, despite how great ‘C’ looks, the perceived risk is just greater than the perceived return. Perhaps you could ask, ‘It sounds like the payback or the return on this project just isn’t that compelling right now. Is that what’s holding you back from moving forward?’ If not, try the next one.
4. The Customer Plans to Reach Point ‘C’ with Someone Else
It is entirely possible that your plan is great, but some other vendor has provided a plan or a solution that is more closely aligned with their vision or is perceived to be lower risk. Despite all we do, we don’t lead in every deal, so maybe we should ask, ‘Are you leaning toward another solution to solve this problem, or maybe another provider has a better plan?’ Sometimes they do have someone else in mind. Other times, that isn’t it, but they still aren’t sure they are ready to take the next step. Keep digging.
5. You Are Dealing with the Wrong Person
One mistake that we all have probably made is asking the person we think is our buyer to ‘buy-in’ to our plan, when he or she doesn’t have the authority to do so. We might be asking the wrong person. If the person we are dealing with really doesn’t have the authority, it would make sense that they are going to be hesitant to commit to working with us, wouldn’t it? We need to be very careful if we decide to ask a question about this. We might try, ‘You know, John, maybe you would feel more comfortable if we took the time to garner a little more support for the project before we jump into a process like this. Maybe we should get a few more folks on board. What do you think?’
What we wouldn’t want to do is make them feel as though we don’t respect their position by coming across with something like, ‘John, it sounds to me like you really don’t have the juice to make any decisions around here.’ Be careful not to insult somebody who you want as an ally. We’ll need all we can possibly get.
6. The Next Step You Are Proposing Isn’t the ‘Next’ Step
Perhaps the most common reason that our customer isn’t ready to start working through the milestones and clearing the hurdles as they have been defined, is that the next step we have proposed simply isn’t the next step. Something else internally or externally may need to happen before they can move forward. Sometimes they have to meet with three more vendors in round one before they can proceed with any vendor. Other times, they need to report back to the committee to get guidance or approval to move forward. We could try asking, ‘I’ll bet there is something else that needs to happen first, right?’
When this happens, then that new hurdle just becomes one more line item on the plan. You’ll simply need to ‘Insert Row’ and plug the new task or the new activity in wherever it belongs on your table or spread- sheet. You will probably insert dozens of rows as you work with your client through the Selection and Buying Process, and as pointed out earlier, the few milestones we defined in the Implementation and Utilization Process will probably be replaced by a more complete implementation plan once we get to that point.
Whenever you hit a bump in the road, a brick wall, or a really big pothole, think about these six issues above. Asking questions around these six is a helpful way of troubleshooting the process to try to determine where things have gone wrong and how to get back on track.