Selling to government requires a different approach to other markets. Sales fundamentals apply but subtle strategies need to be employed in order to succeed. Successful salespeople in Canberra don’t fit the Glengarry Glen Ross sales stereotype, successful salespeople need to be great problem solvers i.e. consultative sellers.
Ensuring sales success can be a slow process of building trust and relationships. In selling to the Federal Government market, how have you planned to address the following?
Government doesn’t like the hard-sell approach
We believe that you must educate rather than sell (“consultative selling”).
Rarely a short-term time imperative – difficult to push timelines forward with urgency.
Well educated market – assume a higher base level of understanding
Let the sale be the last step rather than the first step in a process.
Understand your domain – policy and business drivers.
Making or saving money can sometimes be redundant in a value proposition.
Committee based decision making
Rarely is there a single key-decision maker
Understand all people involved in the buying process
Understand the different motivators of each area involved
Sales take a long time – “due process”
Understand how procurement works
Need a strategy around building and maintaining your pipeline
Difficult for small players – leverage personal relationships, look for complementary partnerships
Systems and processes in place to manage contacts, leads and complex sales
Aversion to risk
Will a purchase stand up to scrutiny in fora such as senate estimates?
Only very strong business cases or where there are political incentives are government customers likely to take on any cutting egde to do anything cutting-edge, inhibit innovation
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Selling to Government
Selling to government requires a different approach to other markets. Sales fundamentals apply but subtle strategies need to be employed in order to succeed. Successful salespeople in Canberra don’t fit the Glengarry Glen Ross sales stereotype, successful salespeople need to be great problem solvers i.e. consultative sellers.
Ensuring sales success can be a slow process of building trust and relationships. In selling to the Federal Government market, how have you planned to address the following?
Government doesn’t like the hard-sell approach
Committee based decision making
Sales take a long time – “due process”
Aversion to risk
Credibility and References are important