One of the most common reasons deals go off-track is a failure to identify and engage with all of the required decision-makers and stakeholders. Even when your champion is bought-in and telling you everything you want to hear, someone else is responsible for budget, another person for data security, another for integrations, another for implementation, legal, procurement,...the list keeps growing. At every stage a new stakeholder shows up with the potential to derail a partnership you've been working for months.
Accord is designed to help you proactively identify and get buy-in from all the key players. This involves mapping stakeholders as early as possible, understanding the role each person plays, and engaging them with the information they need to advance the deal. Let's take a look at how this works.
1. Use Placeholders to Facilitate a Conversation about Stakeholders
Using Placeholders on the Team tab in Accord creates an early opportunity to work with your champion and identify the stakeholders that need to be looped in. You can input the roles & titles usually involved in evaluating and launching your solution. By first giving your champion this context, and then asking for input, you can collaborate and define a comprehensive buying group. This allows you to start planning an engagement strategy for each person, and primes your champion for some of the conversations they'll need to have within their organization.
2. Guide the Buying Journey with Next Steps
The Next Steps tab plays an important role in understanding the buying group. By providing a clear explanation of the evaluation & implementation process, your champion will have a better understanding of who to involve and when. Take the time to highlight the stages and steps in your plan, and explain what's involved in each. Then ask your champion who would be responsible and what information they'll need.
3. Keep Everyone on the Same Page by Assigning Tasks to Stakeholders
Both you and your champion can add step Owners & Stakeholders. This ensures that everyone understands their role and has the context they need. Automatic notifications direct them to the right information at the right time, making it easy for different stakeholders to engage & execute. Establishing a shared understanding of how each person fits into the equation is key in making sure that your partnership moves forward as planned.
The best reps control their deals by identifying and managing all stakeholders. Accord allows you and your team to do this easily & consistently.
