Executives are inherently skeptical of salespeople and product demos. To disarm them, frame the initial group meeting as a collaborative "problem discussion" rather than a solution pitch. The goal is to get the buying group to agree that a problem is worth solving *now*, before you ever present your solution. This shifts the dynamic from a sales pitch to a strategic conversation.
To secure a critical meeting with a large buying group, don't just ask your internal champion to set it up. This adds work to their plate and creates friction. Instead, remove the effort by ghostwriting the meeting invitation for them. This simple, tactical step makes it easier for your champion to act on your behalf, increasing the likelihood of getting the right stakeholders in a room.
Instead of waiting to combat objections live during a high-stakes group meeting, work with your champion beforehand to anticipate them. This proactive step allows you to prepare your strategy and address potential deal friction before it can derail the conversation in front of the entire buying committee. It's about seeking out friction early to ensure a smoother path to consensus.
Over half of all lost deals fail not because a competitor won, but because the customer chose to do nothing. The primary sales challenge is defeating inertia. Buyers, like a group of friends choosing a restaurant, will often default to a familiar, 'good enough' option rather than risk a new, potentially better one. Your solution isn't competing against another product; it's competing against the status quo.
Rather than blaming external factors like poor leads or missing product features, elite salespeople focus on what they can control to change their outcome. A manager's advice highlights this crucial mindset shift: you can complain and point fingers, or you can use your time to strategize what's within your power to do differently. Ultimately, the salesperson owns both the make and the miss of their quota.