A Different Method is Required....
Grand slam tennis is a remarkably complex chess match. In addition to overcoming nervous tension, players have to learn very quickly what their opponents can and cannot do; it dictates strategy. Typically a player has one primary strength, two moderate capabilities and some discernible weakness. The player’s journey involves contemplating all of these attributes and reckoning where to build. What is the ceiling for this type of player? When will this type of player hit the "wall" and not progress?
A player’s next step depends on which of the four or five attributes he/she is going to focus — there is a sea of players at different places in their journeys, all with different attributes, focusing on what they need at that moment so he/she doesn't reach his/her wall. It is, indeed, a vast spectrum.
In the world of enterprise software, you may have an application that appeals to a certain type of company at a certain stage with a certain emphasis — this is one part of the spectrum. This is the enterprise software industry's version of the “early adopter." Either via the Founder's contact list or through other means, the word gets out and they find you; they are already looking for your type of solution. This audience, however, has limited range.
None of the other players think they have a deficiency that needs the added attention brought by your solution. You can help them later, BUT not at this moment. They are the "early majority." They are not looking for you; they might benefit from your solution, but they aren’t actively looking for it.
The sales techniques required for someone who might benefit from your solution compared to someone seeking your solution are remarkably different. We talk to many companies who hit a $5 million ARR plateau (the wall) and then wonder why their growth slowed to a crawl. They were under the impression that the early majority’s willingness to take a meeting and listen was something similar to early days, when a meeting turned into a sale. It was all new language and they had not prepared themselves for people not loving them at first sight.
Therefore, you need to ask yourself or someone who has experienced the momentary loss of celebrity, “what should you do differently?” Do not ignore what history has taught us; that which worked previously is either not working among a different type of population or do I, perhaps, need to alter my sales methods?
A player’s next step depends on which of the four or five attributes he/she is going to focus — there is a sea of players at different places in their journeys, all with different attributes, focusing on what they need at that moment so he/she doesn't reach his/her wall. It is, indeed, a vast spectrum.
In the world of enterprise software, you may have an application that appeals to a certain type of company at a certain stage with a certain emphasis — this is one part of the spectrum. This is the enterprise software industry's version of the “early adopter." Either via the Founder's contact list or through other means, the word gets out and they find you; they are already looking for your type of solution. This audience, however, has limited range.
None of the other players think they have a deficiency that needs the added attention brought by your solution. You can help them later, BUT not at this moment. They are the "early majority." They are not looking for you; they might benefit from your solution, but they aren’t actively looking for it.
The sales techniques required for someone who might benefit from your solution compared to someone seeking your solution are remarkably different. We talk to many companies who hit a $5 million ARR plateau (the wall) and then wonder why their growth slowed to a crawl. They were under the impression that the early majority’s willingness to take a meeting and listen was something similar to early days, when a meeting turned into a sale. It was all new language and they had not prepared themselves for people not loving them at first sight.
Therefore, you need to ask yourself or someone who has experienced the momentary loss of celebrity, “what should you do differently?” Do not ignore what history has taught us; that which worked previously is either not working among a different type of population or do I, perhaps, need to alter my sales methods?
Clearly, history tells us that selling to this early majority is quite different from selling to the early adopters. Have you hit the wall yet? How will you evolve your processes to overcome this age old challenge?
If you would like us to help you break through the wall and get what you deserve for your company's enterprise software offering, please contact us at dave@moicpartners.com or chip@moicpartners.com
