6 Techniques for Closing 6-Figure ERP & CRM Software Sales

There are many ways you can influence the outcome of 6-Figure ERP and CRM software sales, both positively and negatively. Rather than focus on the more obvious items such as functionality or price, I decided to address intangible qualities that are not always easy to identify yet have a profound impact on the outcome of a sale.

To come up with this list of 6 winning sales techniques, I enlisted the help of David Lahey, VP of Sales at Sage, a global developer of business and productivity software such as Sage Accpac ERP, Sage CRM and Sage MAS 500. David and I both agree there's no "sure-thing" in sales, especially in the highly competitive world of ERP and CRM software. Still, the following is a list of 6 proven sales techniques that will certainly improve your chance of success.

1. Dedicate a sales resource to the prospect – no matter whether you have a full-time sales person or not, make sure somebody is “bird-dogging” the opportunity so the prospect feels important and at the center of your universe. It doesn’t take many slow responses to information requests or meeting follow ups before a prospect forms a negative opinion about your firm. Your initial communications should be prompt and complete. Bottom-line, give the impression you are on the ball and care about the prospect’s needs.
2. Demonstrate the ability to be a trusted advisor – one of David Lahey’s recommendations stresses the need to be honest and up front with your prospect. The sub-text is, if you’re not careful, it will come back to haunt you in the form of a dissatisfied customer. It’s best to stay focused on what your business software and consulting services can do to improve a prospect’s bottom-line results rather than make promises you can’t keep.
3. Understand why the prospect is looking for software – another recommendation from David that can’t be emphasized enough. It’s critical to spend time on a thorough discovery of what factors are driving the prospect’s desire to change software; it’s also a great way to determine if the prospect is really serious about a change or just “kicking the tires.” Even more important, you establish a base-line understanding of the 3-5 most critical issues the prospect needs to address in a new software implementation.
4. Focus the conversation on consulting services rather than product and price – also known as Solution Selling, this approach emphasizes your ability to address a prospect’s overall business needs as opposed to getting bogged down in a discussion of product features. The trick is to tell your prospect to focus on your consulting experience, track-record of creating successful industry-specific solutions and overall responsiveness to post-implementation support needs. This is information that should be present in all of your marketing collateral: success stories, press releases, brochures, website, etc.
5. Be positive, courteous and professional – sounds like common sense, right? You’d be surprised at how many VARs keep their consulting game-faces on during the sales process, not realizing that one of the BIG secrets to winning 6-figure software deals is, to put it bluntly, seduction! And I don’t mean flirting with the prospect! Being very polished in your manners, dressing nicely for face-to-face meetings and maintaining a positive and professional attitude on the phone—all help a prospect form an opinion about your firm, including how well you will solve the prospect’s business needs. Make the overall experience special for the prospect. It’s an intangible quality that can’t be overlooked when trying to close large software engagements. After all, when you’re buying a Mercedes, you want the royal treatment!
6. Calculate the “cost not to solve” to show how it’s more expensive if the prospect does nothing – another great point from David, which relates back to point 5, where the emphasis of the sales discussion needs to be shifted away from just product features and price. If done correctly, the “cost not to solve” approach will help offset any sticker shock a prospect might feel when seeing your proposal. While there’s no getting around the effect of a 6-figure price tag, you can certainly help your case enormously by showing how much better off the prospect will be with your solution in place. Be prepared to roll up the sleeves to define the cost of transactions that are burdensome and costly to the prospect. You can also prepare a spreadsheet that compares the onerous pre-implementation costs to your post-solution savings. The prospect will quickly see how much better off they’ll be with an investment in your software and services. Remember, the prospect has to agree with your financial assumptions for it to be successful. If that happens, then closing a 6-figure sale will be that much easier! 

With these 6 proven selling techniques added to your sales arsenal, you’ll be in a much better position to blow away the competition and win those 6-Figure ERP & CRM deals that eluded you in the past. If you have any questions for David or I, please feel free to email me at: dmanzer@thesagecloser.com.

Good luck and happy selling!