timetovalue

Enterprise Account Executive

What are strategies for keeping enterprise deals (8 month sales cycle) moving during the summer?

People are constantly going on vacation. Scheduling a "demo/platform discussion" meeting 2-3 months out is risky. I'd to hear what other sellers are doing to move the needle further (i.e. drip short videos, etc.) when the response to a request for a group demo is "I'll be out of office" or "X will then be out of office," but are open to schedule in 2-3 months when everyone on their team can attend. Yes, they acknowledge a real problem exists - there is pain.

👑 Sales Strategy

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SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

Do you really have prospects that take 2-3 month vacations?? If so, then they likely have someone covering everything for them while they are gone since if your absence isn't felt over a 2-3 month period then your job is meaningless.

Find out who that person is, they become your new champion. Stay on top of them, and keep them appraised. If they can make the decision independently then you close them. If they can't, you make sure they are sold hard so that when your DM returns they not only sell for you but ensure that they pass the baton for you.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

It's like that multiple people are on vacations at different times, and that makes it harder to schedule. HARDER though, not impossible.

You want concrete next steps, always understand the pain and the impact of your solution, and work back from a specific date they want to end that pain to keep things going.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

yep good point. very unlikely they are really gone for 2-3 months.

This sounds more like an excuse and you need to understand what is REALLY holding them back.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

I think the most important thing you can do is make sure you REALLY understand they pain points they have that you can solve.

Make sure they AGREE that they have these problems and that they want to solve them.

If you have that, then it shouldn't matter that you have to schedule a meeting a few weeks or months out.

but if you dont have that nailed down then you need to move away from that person when they are out of town and talk to someone else.

SaaSam

Politicker

Account Executive

THIS

That is selling in a nutshell.

They have a problem that is costing them X, you can solve that problem for Y. If the numbers make sense and they agree that the problem is big enough that it requires their attention you'll get the sale.

All too often as sellers people look at this backwards. I have a solution to a problem want to buy my crap? It's like trying to reel in a fish before you set the hook, you'll likely lose them.

Once you master the approach of solving their problems instead of getting them to buy your product, you'll have prospects make time for you and you'll rarely have a no-show.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I do have some customers in EU who are working around their own employees' rotating weeks off, but that's something we've all planned for and recognize as a factor in some business planning. It's not slowing us down for 2-3 months, though, and honestly, we record demos all the time, because inevitably someone can't attend a meeting but everyone else wants to keep moving. But, if this is really the case for an account or two, fine, so be it. Get the meeting on the calendar, and move on to other accounts that might not have these issues now. If this is happening with all your accounts, that's another issue.

FormerStartupJobHopper

Tycoon

I do SMB so take my advice with a grain of salt but that seems like a long enough time frame that it is likely to be a brush off. I'd basically ask in whatever way is natural to you "are you really telling me you aren't available to meet for 2 months and are still interested? Usually those things are mutually exclusive."

They should either be able to find 30 minutes before September, or yes, they are lying/exagerrating their pain. Buyers are liars

meeseeks

Old School Bravo

Sales Manager

I’d recommend trying to multi thread into the account with whoever is covering for the ppl on vacation or anyone else who’s a potential influencer in that account for you. You may not be able to share anything meaningful while they’re away, so it’s the best time to gather more information and perspectives. If you’ve had a few calls already, you have enough context to reach out to other employees.

Then once your DM returns, send them a video compiling your findings/slide deck as a refresher before you can resume the next meeting.

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

OOO emails can be a rich source of information:

1. Signature contains their phone number, at times their cell number
2. Email contains their date of coming back
3. At times, it also has names of other people to contact in their absence

Use excel/salesforce to store this information and try capitalizing on it. Nobody goes for a 2-3 month vacation. Not the majority at least.

Maybe, set up meetings in advance for when they're back? Or contact the ones mentioned in the email? Or maybe your buyer's boss?

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Keep in touch with multiple contacts within the same company so you don't have to worry about it.

tightlines

Politicker

Account Executive

Take them to lunch or dinner

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timetovalue

What are strategies for keeping enterprise deals (8 month sales cycle) moving during the summer?

11 comments

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