Selling to Technically Savvy Buyers
I spent twenty-some years selling security technologies and solutions to a wide range of buyers. Without a doubt, technically savvy buyers are the most difficult to close. They know what they want and they expect you to understand their problems. I endured numerous brutal grillings from these kinds of buyers. They were awesome experiences.
Technically Savvy Buyers can be anybody, with any title, and from any background. That the quiet, nerdy person in the back of the room with pink hair and tattoos might be the real decision maker, even if they do not have the title. Their technical expertise makes them hugely influential. That is the person you need to convince if you want to close the deal.
One way you can tell you are working with a Technically Savvy Buyer is they ask a lot of specific, pointed questions. Answer them honestly. They can see through marketing fluffery.
Recently, I was advising a cloud security startup on their go-to-market strategy. I will share with you the advice I gave them regarding selling to this prickly batch of buyers.
Things Technically Savvy Buyers C are About
- Why are you in business
- What specific problems does your product/service solve
- How it does it solve those problems (with details)
- Why is your product/service unique or special
- Who else has been successful using it
Things Technically Savvy Buyers Do Not Care About
- Who is on your board or an executive
- Who invested in the company and why
- The awards you have won, especially vanity awards
- How many “influencers” you know
- What you accomplished ten years ago at a different company
- Numbers or statistics you made up that lack evidence
- Any mention of the word “Musk”
What are you selling? Yourself or a solution? Insecure, incompetent people sell themselves. Capable people sell ideas and solutions.
While you may need to simplify your products for a broad audience, be on the look out for technically savvy buyers. They are more influential than you may think..
