My Rule of 5 for Sales Success
Jan 21, 2025As salespeople, we know how critical it is to identify and build strong key connections within a prospect's organisation. That’s why I live by My Rule of 5: for every prospect, I aim to establish key relationships with at least five known and influential contacts in their organisation.
Why five? Because deals rarely hinge on one person. A champion can advocate for you, but the decision often involves influencers, budget holders, technical experts, and even end users. Building a network of five contacts ensures you're not blindsided by a single point of failure in the decision-making process.
Here’s how I approach this:
1. Identify Key Players: Who influences the decision? Who currently bears the most pain without your solution? Use tools like LinkedIn and org charts to map out stakeholders.
2. Build Trust and Value: Understand each contact’s goals and challenges, tailoring your solution to resonate with their needs and ways to reduce the current pain.
3. Stay Relevant: Keep all five contacts engaged throughout the sales cycle with regular updates, value-driven insights, and timely communication.
My Rule of 5 has helped me strengthen my sales pipeline, mitigate risks, and create advocates across all levels of a prospect's business. It’s not just about closing and winning deals; it’s about building long-term relationships that last well beyond the initial sale.
Are you practicing your own version of the Rule of 5? Let’s discuss in the comments how building a wider network of relationships has helped you succeed in sales.
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