Recognize that when an individual makes a purchase there are four different sub-decisions that must successfully be addressed for the transaction to occur. And, at any one of the four core sub-decision levels a “veto” can take place, the same is true when you are making a PRESENTATION to a prospect or customer.

Many sales professionals become so intense on the presentation of the facts/features (what something does) and the benefits (what value that means to the buyer or how that will serve them), they may not even recognize when they have cornered themselves in their own presentation by not having addressed a core decision factor.

Studies indicate that in every buying and selling transaction, the buyer among all of the variables that may be studied and considered, will always make four minimum mental sub-decisions in evaluating an offer. In some selling presentations, the sales professional must realize that there may be multiple decisions makers involved in the process and if this is so, it may very well be due to differing people making differing sub-decisions when it comes to these four specific over decisions. So, focus on the four core sub-decisions and don’t get worried as to the number or lack of number of individuals involved in the process.

The four core mental decisions considered in every buying transaction are:

• Financial, can we afford it and does it make economic sense? How do the financials work, etc.?
• Technical, does this offer address what one really needs? Does it address our technical requirements, regulations, laws, project needs, personal needs, etc.?
• User, will we really use it and gain enough use for the investment/price/cost? Will the person that this is being bought for use it or will this be another source of conflict back home/work? Does the prospect even see themselves in your solution and using or being ‘it’?
• Coach or Advocate, this is the person or internal voice that likes the offer and may like the sales professional and encourages you to just “go for it”. They may serve as a champion of the offer and can be powerful gatekeepers for gaining insight about the other four decision makers and how to engage them.

Be careful, if your entire sales presentation is dependent upon this single sub-decision maker making the deal go through, you may be in trouble. The other three sub-decisions and internal voices may serve to veto your offer when you are not there to defend it!

Sales professionals must recognize that every successful PRESENTATION must address all four respectfully. If any are not addressed professionally and the sales transaction takes place anyway, this will only spell future disasters!

Sales professionals must recognize when one of the four core mental decisions’ is not effectively addressed, a sale occurred anyway – they unsold the presentation!

• Buyers remorse occurs when someone buys something (or in a recruitment perspective joins an organization based solely one only one sub-decision point), gets home and then realizes that it has caused a financial problem or burden to them. They realize that they are not really using it as intended and they got caught up in the emotion of the sales transaction and did something that now logically doesn’t make sense to them. They may return the item or if they keep it, they may never return for future business opportunities.
• Intimidation occurs when they reflect back on what they purchased and realize it has too many gadgets, too much power for them in respect to what they actually needed – over technical for them. What seemed easy during the PRESENTATION is now intimidating.
• Frustration occurs when they reflect back upon what they bought, realizing that they did not really need nor will they really use it and then recognize that the Coach got the best of them. Now they become mad at themselves and resentful towards the sales professional and organization they represent.

As you can see and the need to coach your sales professionals to see, that miss selling can create future selling challenges and problems. Successful selling centers on, addresses and does not avoid speaking to these four core mental decisions. In fact a cornerstone of successful selling involves qualifying your prospect/customer to ensure that they can:

• Afford the offer!
• That the offer speaks to their specific requirements for performance!
• That they will in fact use and benefit from the offer!
• That they are really satisfied with the offer and desire it, want it!

Successful selling addresses four core mental decisions every time.