Economic Buyer section: Prospect qualifying questions
Economic Buyer questions to ask the prospect at grey moving to yellow
Status Grey – No knowledge of or access to EB
Guiding Light Principle: Knowledge. While you may have encountered people who claim to be the “decision maker” or the “budget owner” it is not clear who has the final approval to make the investment.
- What are the current company business initiatives for this fiscal year and which one can we best align with?
- Who owns the initiative we can best align with?
- Who gave that owner the funds or budget to accomplish the initiative?
- Who could take the funds away?
Economic Buyer questions to ask the prospect at yellow moving to green
Status Yellow – Know who EB is; gaining access to EB; not sure of PBO’s .
Guiding Light Principle – Access – It is now time to test your champion. You know who the EB is but you have not met with him or her. You have reason to believe that your solution can impact a key business need of the EB. You have someone offering to Champion you to the EB, but that meeting has not yet occurred.
- Explain to me how the last Eb meeting you had or attended went?
- Other clients have benefitted from getting additional resources or the best resources after meeting with the Eb, what other benefits from a meeting do you think would help you?
- Eb’s like to provide guidance, what do you think she/he would change or add to our mapped out decision process? What would they think is most important in the decision criteria?
- If you and I were to meet with the EB before any external or internal resource intensive events, do you think that is the best timing? If not, what is and why?
Economic Buyer questions to ask the prospect at green.
Status Green – Access to EB and knowledge of business outcomes
Guiding Light Principle: Sponsorship – You’ve met with the EB. They have confirmed that your solution addresses a business issue that they care about. They provided some guidance on their financial criteria to take action. They have agreed to provide oversight to the buying process and you have a plan to maintain contact.
- Based on the agenda, what would be a good outcome of this meeting for you?
- Now that you have heard what business problems we are addressing and your current state, do you think this warrants your attention?
- Are we addressing the right business outcomes?
- Here is the list of stakeholders involved, should anyone be added that isn’t currently engaged?
- Is the timing we have defined for you in line with your investment plans this year?
- How would you like to be kept informed?
- What is the best way for me to communicate with you if I need to contact your directly?