Finding the sweet spot in conversations with prospects is never easy, but with a toolbox of tactics, pillars, and enablers you can make your life so much easier.
Going into conversations effectively blind, with nothing to lean on, is somewhat crazy. That’s why as part of the positioning and sales strategy process we identify enablers that help you get over the line.
Now, unlike Critical Pillars last week, enablers are a little easier to explain. I mean, the clue is in the word.
Enablers unlock your potential and allow you to go further into the sales process, closer to that all-important deal.
There’s no set number of enablers that you should be identifying, but we tend to find six to eight that would cover off a number of bases so that you’ve always got something to rely on if you need it.
It’s important to define the enablers when you choose them, but first, you’ve got to be able to identify them.
Identifying enablers
This is where things get interesting and we can start to link the value proposition to the sales process. Enablers are what allow you to switch on a deal and make the sale.
Think about your core strengths as a business. Are you experts in design? Do you have pedigree in a certain industry?
By identifying the attributes and traits that enable you to open conversations and close deals, you can lean on them when you do have those all-important conversations.
For example, if you’re talking to a prospect in an industry you’ve for form in, you can lean on that enabler and bring the conversation around to your pedigree and bring up case studies.
Or, if your strong suit is speed and complexity, you can show up to the bigger pitches armed and ready with the knowledge you need to wow the prospect.
Identifying enablers shouldn’t be done in silos, either. It’s key that you work on this with your nurturers and closers, as they’ll be the stakeholders that will need to lean on the enablers in real world conversations.
Why listing and defining enablers gives you a blueprint
Although you might think that you’ve got your key strengths in your head and you don’t need to define the things that get you over the line, it’s always worthwhile to do so.
Defining the enablers, and by that, I mean literally writing definitions of each enabler, allows you to cut through the noise and see some of the whitespaces you operate in.
Of course, competitor research allows you to find your whitespace, but enablers allow you to see what you have over your competitors. By knowing what your strengths are, you can play to them and be truly prepared for the conversations you’re having.
Your enablers offer a blueprint for success. They guide you through conversations, almost as prompts for the strengths you need to be highlighting in sales conversations.
And that’s just it – sometimes we all need a prompt to help us through tricky conversations. Sales conversations are rarely linear or straightforward, so having a set of tools at your disposal is never a bad thing.
Food for thought
To reach your enablers, there’s no straight path. It takes looking in the mirror, hard conversations, and team alignment.
You can’t just pluck them out of thin air, either. It’s a team process to determine what your strengths are, and could even involve past clients to understand what worked for them.
You could even go one step further and speak to clients that you didn’t win, so you can understand which routes to avoid or which areas you can work on.
However you determine your enablers, it’s worth remembering that going in blind rarely works – so it’s recommended that you take time over this process to ensure you’ve hit the sweet spot.
Further, it’s almost a confidence-building exercise. It’s nice to know that your team are agreed on your strengths and that you’ll all back each other when needed in these conversations.
If you need a hand determining enablers or striking up conversations, drop us a line and we’ll roll up our sleeves alongside you.