What’s Behind the Mask?

If you saw a woman with blue hair wearing a leopard mask and belly dancing a few weeks ago, that was me at some masquerade party in Marin. I got a head start on Halloween this year- especially since I jump at any excuse to get dressed up and dance. That’s why Halloween is one of my favorite holidays- I can be anything I want to be, I can pretend, hide behind a mask and take on a new character inspired by my alter ego.  

The No-Po comes out on Halloween, these are the powerless decision-makers who act as though they have power and keep you out. Learning how to distinguish the powerful from the powerless is so important and in a Sales 2.0 world, the following trends and realities make it tougher for us to find the powerful:

1. Web 2.0 Technology: Data Overload- with the advent of pre-call research tools, it’s easier to figure out how to contact a prospect, finding the right prospect is another matter entirely.

2. Too Many Management Layers- with so many mergers and acquisitions, more layers or managerment are being created but fewer people have access to budgets.

3. Title Mania- every organization doles out titles on it’s own terms and you have a confusing mess. A Chief Marketing Officer one day can becomoe a Chief Marketing Technology Officer another day. We may be chasing someone with an impressive title who has no power.

4. Committee Decisions- buying influence is shifting to mega-committee. So more people are involved in the decision-making process, and it’s harder to find the ones who hold the budget.

5. Educated Buyers- customers are more informed than ever. As a result, we may find ourselves engaged in long, technical discussions with people who can’t qualify the sale.

Time to take a hard look at your forecast and determine who’s hiding behind the mask. Happy Halloween!