1. To address a current problem or issue

2. To address a future anticipated problem or issue

3. To gain an advantage

4. To achieve a goal

    Here are some examples:

    - Improve competitiveness, responsiveness, quality, customer service, performance

    - Reduce overhead & operating costs, scrap & waste

    - Increase sales, innovation, production, market-share

    - Boost management oversight & control

    - Introduce new products & services

1. It starts with an unrecognized problem or issue (some refer to this as latent pain).  Normally, people do not become aware of the problem or issue until it manifests itself in the form of adverse impacts to the individual or to the business.  When a problem or issue is recognized, either it is tolerated and viewed as part of doing business, or it is identified as something to address.  When the latter occurs, it is referred to as perceived need.  While sellers can't create need, a good seller can elevate minor and unrecognized problems and issues to the point of perceived need and make a sale.

2. What motivates a person or group of people to take action to address their need is not the extent of the need, but rather the level of the problem or issue felt by the individual(s) perceiving the need.  How the source problem or issue affects each person is referred to as pain.  Pain is frequently different for different individuals.  Some may feel frustration, others may be worried or angry.  Pain may develop early in the buying process or may evolve as the impacts of not addressing the problem or issue become more apparent.  Pain is not the problem itself, it is the anxiety felt due to the problem or issue not being addressed.  An attribute of pain is that, if the source of the pain originates lower in the organization, it tends to boil and develop upward in the organization when not addressed.  The more significant the problem or issue is, the higher pain is felt in the organization.  This is important, since decision-makers (with access to funding) reside higher, at the top of the organizational structure.  This is why experienced sellers target those in upper management.

3. When pain reaches a critical level, most people do something about it.  Some change jobs, leaving the problem for someone else.  Most people look for a way to solve the problem.  Frequently, people start by looking at how the problem or issue could be addressed using available resources.  When it is apparent that the problem or issue can not be effectively addressed internally, they look outside the business for a solution.  We refer to this as looking or shopping.  Shopping starts with trying to understand specifically what is needed and what is available, then taking a closer look at the best, most cost-effective offerings(s).  What the buyer wants in the form of a product or service is referred to as the solution.  In other words, solutions are what the buyer is looking for in terms of a product or service offering.  Occasionally, when looking for a solution, nothing acceptable is found, which halts the buying process.

- Note that many sales opportunities are missed because the seller is focused solely on businesses looking for a solution (those with an active buying project) and not on opportunities with problems or issues where they have not started looking for a solution or where the buying process was halted because no solution had been found.

4. To complete a sale, the buyer must select the seller's solution and make the purchase, which consists of a number of steps, referred to as the selection and purchase process.  It is important that the seller understand the steps of this process as they are unique for each buying opportunity.  The seller can favorably or adversely affect this process.  The steps of this process typically include:

• The requirements for the solution are known and may be well documented in the form of a RFP (Request For Proposal).
• The final decision-maker has the support of his/her management team or vice versa
• The capabilities of the product or service they are looking at matches the solution requirements.  We refer to this as alignment.
• Key capabilities have been demonstrated or discussed in detail
• That one product or service has been identified as the best solution
• The vendor supplying the product or service checks out — they must be credible,  have a track record of success with others, appear to have longevity, etc.
• That making this purchase will provide a positive financial or other strategic return.
• Legal and other purchase administrative departments have signed off on the acquisition
• And funding is available to make the purchase
• The paperwork is in place

The Buying Process

Typical Buying Process and Solution Life Time-Frames

As a solution ages and the business grows and evolves, new problems and issues emerge and grow that typically are not addressed by the current solution.  Thus the buying process begins again.  This cycle may repeat itself numerous times in the life of the business.  We refer to this ongoing repeating process as the problem-solution continuum.

Problem-Solution Continuum Showing Multiple Solution Lifes

The solution replacement cycle showing the repeating periods of

No-Interest and Interest (windows of sales opportunity)

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