The buying process traditionally wastes a lot of energy. That wasted time and energy might have to do with Sellers trying to get Buyers to buy the way sellers have been taught that Buyers buy.
Except that Buyers don’t act the way Sellers need for them to act.
Are you a Buyer attempting to herd your team towards consensus? Perhaps you are a Vendor attempting to understand the buyer’s processes. What would happen if less time was spent herding cats and more time was spent in thoughtful and productive collaboration and deliberation?
Nancy Nardin,Geoff Rego, and Vijay Dendukuri, co-founders of the Customer Engagement startup Hushly, created a platform with that in mind. Hushly allows buyers and vendors to have permission-based conversations from the very start of the purchase process. The entire Buying Team can assemble virtually then invite and communicate anonymously with vendors under consideration.
Do I have your attention?
The ultimate question of any seller is “how do we get sales conversations started earlier?” Yet Buyers shudder at the thought of issuing an RFP which ends up resembling a wholesale cattle call from any and every vendor in search of business.
That’s why Buyers go stealth with their Hidden Buying/Selling Cycle.
Sellers cannot force the Buyer’s hand. That’s why only 2-4% of potential buyers ever fill out a web form for “more information.” Why? Buyers have to divulge their identity. They may get sucked into the sellers need to sell.
I don’t need to tell you how successful that status quo strategy is. Not too many buyers want to share their contact information with sellers that early in the buying process.
Instead, the founders of Hushly ask, why not allow Buyers to Buy the way they want to: inquire anonymously and download vendor information anonymously?
Buyers can set up an account with Hushly. Vendors receive an alert that a Buyer has downloaded information on a particular product, platform or service. The Vendor can send that Buyer information anonymously via the Hushly platform.
Vendors are invited to the Buying Table – Anonymously. Earlier. With confidence.
Liberating Buyers and Sellers
Once you liberate a Buyer to obtain the content they need to make a buying decision, sellers can start to influence the top of the Buying Decision funnel. Earlier.
Once you liberate a buying team to assemble virtually (even if they are all in the same city, with conflicting schedules, you get it), to obtain the content they need to discuss and deliberate and prioritize to make a buying decision, sellers can start to influence the top of the Buying Decision funnel. Earlier.
When you liberate a buying team to access the breadth and depth of the content you are offering, your willingness to collaborate creates Sellers Mindshare at the Buying Table.
Creating Buyers Mindshare becomes less about generating leads and contacts (since 70% of the purchase process has been completed once leads are generated). It becomes more about collaborating with the Buyers Process.
When you stop forcing the Buyer’s hand to comply with the Marketer’s or Seller’s process, you create business.
Hushly aligns Sellers with the Buyers’ processes by respecting the Buyers’ need for Anonymity.
Hushly brings out the best in those Sellers who understand that they can create tremendous value and relevance by moving UP the Buying Funnel, earlier in the Buying Process.
That’s Pull Marketplace Dynamics to me.
That means Buyers can spend less time on the defensive from aggressive – rather than collaborative – sellers. Buyers can spend more time on thoughtful deliberation about what’s best for their company and the outcomes to be achieved. Sellers have the chance to build trust and influence the buyer.
In my book, Hushly has the potential to disrupt the manner and the timing in which buyers and sellers communicate. That’s a recipe for startup success and business success over the long haul.
Babette N. Ten Haken, President of Sales Aerobics for Engineers®, LLC, catalyzes business transition, startup growth, and professional development. She is resolved to creating revenue-producing collaboration strategies with and for non-traditional sellers, engineers, manufacturers, and technical startups.
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