In the world of enterprise sales, building relationships is key to success. The more connections you have within an organization, the more likely you are to win the deal. However, managing those relationships can be challenging. This is where relationship maps come into play. Relationship maps are a visual representation of the individuals and teams within an organization and their relationships with one another. In this blog post, we’ll explore how relationship maps can help enterprise sellers win more deals.
Before we dive into the benefits of relationship maps, it’s important to understand how to create one. Relationship maps can be created manually or with the help of specialized software. Manual relationship mapping involves researching an organization and its people, then mapping out their relationships on a whiteboard or piece of paper. Specialized software, on the other hand, can automate the process, saving time and effort.
To create a relationship map, start with the organization’s decision-makers. This includes executives, managers, and team leaders. Next, add in the influencers, those who may not make the final decision but can sway it. These individuals could include subject matter experts, advisors, and consultants. Finally, add in any other relevant individuals who may play a role in the decision-making process, such as technical experts, procurement teams, or legal departments.
Once you have your list of individuals, you can begin mapping out their relationships with one another. You may find that some people have multiple connections while others have none. Don’t worry if your map isn’t perfect, it’s a living document that can be updated as relationships change.
Enterprise deals are complex and often involve multiple decision-makers and influencers within an organization. Leveraging relationship maps can help you navigate these complexities and drive successful enterprise deals. Here are some tips for leveraging relationship maps to drive enterprise deals:
Now that we understand how to create a relationship map let’s explore how they can help enterprise sellers win more deals.
One of the most significant benefits of relationship maps is their ability to help sellers identify decision-makers within an organization. By mapping out the relationships between individuals and teams, sellers can identify who has the most influence over the decision-making process. This allows them to focus their efforts on building relationships with those individuals and tailoring their sales approach to their needs and interests.
Relationship maps also help sellers build relationships within an organization. By understanding the connections between individuals and teams, sellers can identify common interests and goals. This allows them to establish a rapport and build trust with their prospects. Relationship building is critical in enterprise sales, where deals can take months or even years to close. Even if the current relationship is not built well, one can always leverage the existing relationship at a later point in time.
Relationship maps can help sellers develop a sales strategy that is tailored to the organization and its decision-makers. By understanding the relationships between individuals and teams, sellers can identify the decision-making process and tailor their approach accordingly. This includes understanding who needs to be involved in the sales process, what their priorities are, and what their objections might be. A tailored sales strategy is much more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Relationship maps can also increase sales productivity by streamlining the sales process. By understanding the decision-making process and who needs to be involved, sellers can avoid wasting time on individuals who have no influence over the decision. This allows them to focus their efforts on building relationships with those who matter most.
Finally, relationship maps allow sellers to track their progress throughout the sales process. As relationships are built and strengthened, the map can be updated to reflect these changes. This helps sellers stay organized and on track, ensuring that they are not missing any critical relationships or opportunities.
In conclusion, relationship maps are a powerful tool for enterprise sellers. By mapping out the individuals and teams within an organization and their relationships with one another, sellers can identify decision-makers, build relationships, develop a sales strategy, increase sales productivity, and track their progress. Relationship maps are a living document
As enterprise sales leaders, you know that you only win when your team engages high-and-broad in their deals through personalized value-selling. But let's face it, your current approach is a kludgy CRM workaround or an unsystematic collection of docs and spreadsheets that each rep uses differently, which means you don't know if it is working and if it does, you don't know why it works or how you can scale it! BuyerAssist will change that for you.
Empower sellers with tools for planning, executing and collaborating around large deals to win buyer trust and accelerate growth.
Equip managers to know for sure which deals are on track and support others to get on track.
Enable primary buyers articulate the value to internal stakeholders, build consensus and make a favourable decision.
Stephen Neilan, VP of Sales, Skedulo
