Three basic, yet critical components in the sales process

Have you ever heard of BUD? I'm not referring to the BUD that you drink, but rather 3 basic (and I mean basic) things that we must identify to move forward in a sales process. Can you guess what BUD stands for? While there are several steps in a complex sales process, I can guarantee that if you don't cover these 3 basic things upfront, there is no sales cycle. Sometimes salespeople have a hard time asking the questions that are critical in determining whether the opportunity is real or a waste of your time.

Here we go...

Budget. How many of you actually ask whether the project is budgeted and how much is being allocated for the project. First of all, it is critical to identify who owns the budget. In the tech world, it's typically a business unit executive. Questions to ask... Is this projected budgeted? What do you think this project is going to cost the organization? How much do you have allocated for this project? No budget...No Sale!

Urgency. Nothing happens without an urgent need. Questions to ask... Why is this a need? How do you know this is an issue? Who in the organization is affected? What is the cost of failure? No urgency? No Sale!

Decision Maker. Guess who wins if your competitor is working with the decision-maker and you are not? Questions to ask... Can you explain your decision-making process? Who is involved in making the decision? When can I meet with them? Who is the final decision maker? When can I meet with them? Who signs? No decision-maker? No Sale!

Address BUD in your first meeting and you will know whether to engage or to walk away.

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