A few weeks ago, we spoke about the importance of Step 2 in the SAYA System: Discovery. This is where you truly understand the problems and challenges that your prospect has, and gain clarity on whether or not you believe you can help provide a solution.

At that point in the sales process, we transition into Step 3: Figuring out if they can actually buy your solution. 

The “Buying Process” is Step 3 in the SAYA System and it helps the sales professional determine whether or not they are going to be able to navigate the process of selling their solution to their prospective client. 

It has 3 essential components: Money, People, and Timeline.

Money
Do they have a budget?
If yes…how much have they budgeted? What happens if your solution costs more than their budget?
If not…would they be able to “rob Peter to pay “Paul” if they thought the value was worth it?
Do they have an idea of how much they would be able/willing to spend?

People
Who are the people involved in making the decision?
Are they true decision makers, influencers, people you would want to collect information from or end users?Who is their current provider? Is staying with them an option?
Who else are they talking to? How do they feel about those other options?

Timeline
When do they hope to have a solution implemented?
If that were to happen, working backwards, what are all the steps that would need to be taken to make that work?
What happens if they don’t have their solution in place by that point? What would be the consequences (if any)?
Does the prospect’s ideal timeline match up with how quickly you would be able to deliver your solution? If not, what’re you going to do about that?

It is absolutely critical to uncover information about Money, People, and Timeline in Step 3.

One of the core commandments at SAYA is “You can’t learn new information while being told ‘no’”, and when this does happen with salespeople, it is almost always  information that they could’ve found out in the “Buying Process”.

Most objections will be about money or people. Whether it is that their budget isn’t as big as you thought, they are scared to make the investment or other people involved in the decision making process are more lukewarm on the idea than you realized…

I could go on all day…

There is a reason you don’t jump directly from Discovery to Proposing your solution. You must first figure out if they can buy it from you! I know it’s tempting to jump in and try to fix, rescue, or solve. But you have to do your due diligence of gathering more information to know if you have earned the right to even consider proposing a solution. 

It’s common to see fear and limiting stories show up when you arrive at Step 3 in the process. Let’s unpack a few common barriers faced in Step 3, and how you can confidently work through them like the professional salesperson you are!

Asking about money can be tough
As you transition into that part of the conversation, be sure to mention the “prison” and “paradise” that you gathered from them in Discovery. This way they are grounded in the value that a solution would potentially bring to them. Remember, you are selling value. So focus on the potential value!

Who else?
When asking about people, don’t forget to ask about all the people the decision will impact. The last thing you want is for your sale to go sideways at the last moment because there was a mutiny by the “end users” when they found out about you! Don’t make assumptions that your prospect will proactively fill you in on every decision maker or person impacted. It is your job to listen intently, ask questions, and be thorough in understanding before you move on in the conversation.

Contingency plans
Be sure to discuss contingency plans with a Timeline. Have a backup plan if things don’t happen as anticipated, because as I’m sure you’ve experienced, things often don’t go as planned!

By the end of Step 3, the Buying Process, sales professionals should have a comprehensive understanding of the prospect's willingness to find a solution, their budgetary constraints, decision-making dynamics, urgency, and any other factors influencing their decision. It is crucial to gather this information before encountering a potential rejection. You should have a clear response to the important query, can you actually sell it to them?

Lean in during Step 3 and don’t hesitate to reach out if you are stuck on this step in the process.