Economic Buyer – internal inspection questions
Status Red – No knowledge of or access to EB
Guiding Light Principle: Knowledge. While you may have encountered people who claim to be the “decision maker” or the “budget owner” it is not clear who has the final approval to make the investment.
- Tell me what the Agenda is for the EB meeting?
- Explain to me the questions you have planned?
- Describe to me how you will uncover information about their organization & buying process?
- Tell me how you will uncover the Budget?
- Explain to me how you will discover how and when the budget can be used?
- Describe to me why they should be willing to share this information with us?
Status Yellow – Know who EB is; gaining access to EB; not sure of PBO’s .
Guiding Light Principle – Access – It is now time to test your champion. You know who the EB is but you have not met with him or her. You have reason to believe that your solution can impact a key business need of the EB. You have someone offering to Champion you to the EB, but that meeting has not yet occurred.
Questions regarding the Champion:
- Tell me why the Champion thinks now is the best time to go to the EB?
- Explain to me what type of previous experience the Champion has in setting up meetings like this?
- Describe to me what the personal wins are for the Champion to take this kind of risk for us?
Questions regarding the EB
- Tell me who is the EB?
- Explain to me how you know they are the EB?
- Describe to me how you know they have discretionary use of funds?
- Tell me how the EB is affected by success or failure of this project?
- Explain to me how they will he be recognized or rewarded if we are able to achieve the results we believe we can deliver?
- Describe to me how they will he be affected if things don’t change?
Status Green – Access to EB and knowledge of PBO’s.
Guiding Light Principle: Sponsorship – You’ve met with the EB. They have confirmed that your solution addresses a business issue that they care about. They provided some guidance on their financial criteria to take action. They have agreed to provide oversight to the buying process and you have a plan to maintain contact.
- Tell me how the EB confirmed they have control over the funds?
- Explain to me how she communicates the business value we can deliver?
- Describe why it is a priority for him?
- Tell me when she needs to see the benefits of the investment?
- Explain to me who will review the ROI?
- Describe to me:
- What other obstacles there are?
- How will we deal them?
- Who has the most to gain?
- Tell me who the additional stakeholders are?
- Explain to me how they benefit from our solution?
- Describe to me the results you have documented that illustrate those benefits?
- Tell me how they plan on publicizing these results?
- Explain to me who is rewarded or embarassed the most by these results & their role in the decision?
- Describe to me how this will advance the campaign?
- Tell me what your communication schedule is with the EB?
- Explain to me how it will be Frequent, Regular & Scheduled?
- Describe to me what your plan is if it isn’t Frequent, Regular or Scheduled?