6 Signs Your Prospects Have 'Skin in the Game' During a Consultative Sale.
6 Signs Your Prospects Have 'Skin in the Game' During a Consultative Sale.
Some prospects are just browsing. But others? They’re fully invested, with
How do you know which ones are worth your time?
Look for these signs:
1. Investing Time and Resources
↳ Willing to schedule multiple meetings
↳ Involves senior decision-makers early on
↳ Shares detailed information about needs
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧.
2. Sharing Internal Information
↳ Openly discusses budget and resources
↳ Provides access to relevant internal data
↳ Talks about goals and specific challenges
𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
3. Active Participation
↳ Asks thoughtful, in-depth questions
↳ Requests feedback or solution adjustments
↳ Follows up after meetings
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.
4. Engaging in Co-Creation
↳ Collaborates on building a tailored solution
↳ Participates in planning sessions or workshops
↳ Offers input on proposal development
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤.
5. Making Small Commitments
↳ Agrees to pilots, trials, or discovery phases
↳ Takes preliminary steps like signing an MSA
↳ Provides referrals or introduces decision-makers
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝—𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.
6. Discussing Budget Alignment
↳ Talks about budget allocations early in the process
↳ Shows willingness to adjust the budget as needed
↳ Offers insight into financial approval steps
𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Watch for these indicators. They separate the curious from the committed. When you see these signs, lean in—it’s time to move the deal forward.