Within every strategic account there are numerous people that are your sponsor, coach or ally. These are the folks that helped you earn the business and they are your supporters. Lurking somewhere, however, is someone that does not embrace the continual usage of your product, service or solution. Their interest lies in removing your product and replacing it with an option (or company) that they favor. We can hear your outcry from here: “Not in my strategic accounts.” “No way this is happening.” We hear you and we understand your concern but please hear us out.
Types of Strategic Account Snipers
There are two types of strategic account snipers: overt and covert.
Overt: The overt sniper is outspoken. They don’t hide their feelings–they express them. They openly tell you that they don’t like your product, service or solution, you or your company. They are usually very specific in their dislikes; they don’t mince words. Many hold a grudge from past years. It could be an unresolved product problem, a dispute over an invoice or a personality clash. In other situations, they simply believe that another supplier should have their business. What’s key is whether the sniper has influence within the account and among the decision makers. Will they be heard by key personnel?
Covert: The covert snipers are sly. You seldom see them coming because they avoid direct confrontation and publicizing their negative feelings. In fact, they may even appear to be your friend. Behind your back, however, they are a negative force that is using their power and influence within the organization to remove your product, service or solution. Covert snipers are the most challenging because by the time you realize there is a problem it’s too late to remedy it.
It’s guaranteed that if you have a strategic account, there is someone that wants you out. There is at least one individual that, for whatever reason, supports your competitor. Key to your success is to find them and neutralize their influence if possible. We cannot emphasis strongly enough the importance of taking proactive and protective measures. In the 2015 MHI Global Sales Best Practices Study respondents were asked “When you lose a strategic account, do you always know the reasons why? Within healthcare, 32% knew the reasons for the loss compared to 86% in world class selling organizations.
Identifying a Sniper
In poker, good players look for the “tells” with their opponents. A tell is a change in a player’s behavior or demeanor that gives clues to that player’s assessment of their hand. A player can gain an advantage if they observe and understand the meaning of another player’s tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious. In sales there are “tells” as well. Here are a few:
Overt Sniper: They make overt statements that tell you exactly where they stand. It’s easy to decipher the overt sniper.
- “I don’t like your product and I will do everything in my power to keep it from being used.”
- “This product should go out for an RFP and I am going to do my best to ensure it does!”
- “We should have never chosen your product and I remind everyone in the organization frequently.”
Covert: Their behavior does not match what they say. This makes them difficult to find. They use stealth.
- Listen for vocal displays that don’t match verbal content. For example, someone may say something positive about your product but their voice lacks enthusiasm to support the verbal content.
- Look at their “back channel.” The back channel is what an individual does when someone else is speaking. Do they nod their head in agreement? Do they seem animated and enthusiastic? Or, are they passive with a flat affect?
- Observe whether they initiate support without being prompted. Do they elaborate on your claims by giving examples and providing support or are they unresponsive?
Neutralizing a Sniper
You may never get a sniper to become an advocate for you, your product or your organization. In this situation, your goal is to simply neutralize their influence. The higher the sniper is in the organization the more power and influence they have. While low-level snipers are a source of irritation, they can be effective in creating confusion that slows the buying process.
To neutralize them, there are three options that may prove helpful:
- Engage a key executive. Employ an executive in the buying organization who sees significant benefit in working closely with your firm. Chances are they were the final yes that approved the initial business relationship and the on-going repeat purchases. They understand the value you provide and have a vested interest in your success. You can ask them if they think there are any snipers within their organization or share your concern about a specific individual and ask for coaching.
- Confront the sniper. Ask the sniper for support. If they say yes it will be somewhat more difficult for them to reverse their position. If they say no, then ask them to share their concerns so you can deal with them objectively. Some snipers want attention others want to be involved. Try to discover what “win” they anticipate from undermining your sales efforts. Do they support a competitor? Are they fearful of some unstated risk to them? The more you know about the sniper, the better your precautionary steps will be.
- Ignore them. While this is an option, hoping they will have a change of heart is usually not the best strategy. If they are low in influence, a key executive who sees value in your solution may advise you to avoid and ignore them. An old adage may be useful: “Keep your friends close and you enemies closer.”
Parting Thoughts
Snipers are a reality within any strategic account. Savvy sellers are vigilant. They realize that they have to be found and they always are asking “who wants us removed from this account?”
As always we welcome your thoughts and input. Feel free to start a discussion.
