Understanding evaluation procedures and gaining insight as to how a specific buyer
or team of buyers is evaluating suppliers and proposals is vital for the salesperson to
be effective and requires the integration of several bases of knowledge. First, information
gathered prior to the sales call must be combined with an effective needs–
discovery dialogue with the buyer(s) to delineate the buyers’ needs and the nature
of the desired solution. This establishes the most likely criteria for evaluation. Further
discussion between the buyer and seller can begin to establish the importance
the buyers place on each of the different performance criteria and often yields information
as to what suppliers and products are being considered. Using this information
and the salesperson’s knowledge of how their products compare with
competitors’ offerings allows the salesperson to complete a likely facsimile of the
buyers’ evaluation. With this enhanced level of preparation and understanding,
the salesperson can plan, create, and deliver a more effective presentation using
the five fundamental strategies that are inherent within the evaluation procedures
used by buyers.