We’ve all been in this conversation at one time or another in our sales careers. Your prospect may understand some of the value you can provide, but is also considering using internal resources to achieve the same result.
If you put yourself in the buyer’s shoes, this option makes complete sense. When looking at potential solutions, you would be negligent not to weigh all your options. As a seller, you must remember that “Do it Internally” is a very different competitor than “Do Nothing." Where “Do Nothing” is a conversation focused on the need for change, “Do it Internally” is a conversation about business resources, outcomes and metrics.
You beat “Do it Internally” by raising the bar with your buyer. When internal resources are your biggest competitor, you need to focus on the Positive Business Outcomes the client is striving to achieve and the required capabilities that will drive those outcomes. If a buyer is trying to implement a solution, he/she has a list of requirements that are needed in order to make the initiative a success. Remember, these required capabilities exist with or without any outside vendors. The customer needs them to be in place whether you’re in the equation or not.
Every one of those requirements should be tied to a metric. Aligning them with measurements achieves two critical outcomes:
The next step is to get your prospect to agree to socialize the required capabilities and the metrics identified. Ask your buyer, “How are you going to ensure that every person who touches this decision process understands these required capabilities and these metrics?”
Gaining this understanding ensures that anyone who is going to touch the buying decision understands how EVERY potential solution (even “Do it Internally”) MUST be judged. There are a few dynamics here that are critical to understand:
1. The concept of Positive Business Intent must be present in all your interactions with the buyer, especially when you are competing against “Do it Internally.” When sellers do this well, they are able to:
It’s critical that the customer knows, through your words and actions, that he/she is the primary focus of the conversation. Your purpose is to help with their business.
2. The number of people who now touch the buying decision is increasing, so you can’t assume that this key information will get communicated well throughout your prospect company. If the message is muddled, the client can potentially make a choice based on gut feel instead of well thought out requirements and metrics that will achieve their desired results.
When you understand the desired measurable results, you can more easily demonstrate how your solution can achieve even better metrics. Differentiate against “Do it Internally” by treating it as any other name-brand competitor.