I found this article in the Miller Hyman website and thought it would be of value to our agents.

Enjoy and good luck,

Rick 

Why didn't we see this coming? When a sure-fire sale goes down the drain because a gatekeeper shoots you down, you want to understand why, and your manager wants to know what happened. So, why do gatekeepers say no?

Who is the gatekeeper? Gatekeepers are people who can't say yes, only no – and usually do. Typically, the gatekeeper role is played by the "Technical Buyer".

• In every sale, there are buying influences that must be considered, each with a different point of view and a different reason for considering your proposal. The Technical Buyer is one that can frequently derail your deal because the Technical Buyer's role as gatekeeper is to screen out. 
  
  
• Contrary to popular opinion, Technical Buyers don't say no because they're ornery. They throw blocks in your way because that's their job. It's their task to limit the field of sellers and to come up with a short list. They don't decide who wins, but they do decide who can play. 

Technical Buyers make recommendations for how your solution meets specifications. Technical Buyers have various areas of expertise. Their expertise is their knowledge about the measurable and quantifiable aspects of your product, service or solution. Their expertise might be in the area of purchasing, finance, engineering, legal, planning, technology, government requirements, etc. They are concerned with issues such as

• does it fit the budget? 
• is it compatible with existing systems? 
• is it compliant with standards, like ISO 9001?
• does it meet government regulatory guidelines?

Technical buyers make judgments about the measurable and quantifiable aspects of your product or service based on how well it meets a variety of specifications.

For example, even when there's a match between your product or service and the need, a Technical Buyer, such as a purchasing agent, still can throw a wrench into the works by screening you out based on specifications – anything from price and delivery schedules to logistics and references. A personnel manager might block a sale because of a potentially harmful impact on morale. A government contracting officer could screen you out because of regulations. In each of these examples, a Technical Buyer can pull the plug on a sale that everyone else wants.

Before they shoot you down
In identifying the gate-keeping Technical Buyers before they shoot you down, you have to know that their principal focus – the reason they'll recommend you or show you the door – is the solution itself. Therefore, the better you know your solution and understand all the tests it might have to meet, the better your chances of "staying alive".

Tips for working with Technical Buyer gatekeepers
Technical buyers are looking for ways to provide value to their organizations – presenting solutions with heavy discounts, by forcing vendors to compete against each other over price. They're putting a lot more pressure on salespeople to substantiate ROI claims. The following tips can help you make the cut and move the sale forward.

• Identify success stories about companies who have successfully used your solutions, and be ready to share them.
• Be familiar with specifics on how your solution has positively impacted customers.
• Find an "internal coach" to help think through your position. 
• Work with the Technical Buyer to define and document the business case supporting your solution. Help them achieve the recognition they're after, while improving their internal sales effort. 
• Be cautious of Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Get in early and help develop the business case that supports your solution.