Sales Training - Test For Power
About This Video
One of the most expensive mistakes in B2B sales is spending weeks or months working a deal only to discover your contact can't actually say yes. John Barrows teaches a systematic approach to testing for power early in the sales cycle --- before you've invested significant time and emotional energy. He explains why simply asking "are you the decision maker?" is unreliable (almost everyone says yes or inflates their role) and provides a set of diagnostic questions and behavioral tests that reveal where power actually sits in the organization. Barrows covers how to map a buying committee, identify the different types of power (budgetary, technical, organizational), and verify whether your champion has access to the people who hold each type. He also addresses the delicate politics of power testing --- how to investigate authority without insulting your contact or making them feel diminished. This is essential training for any rep who's ever been ghosted at the finish line by a deal they were sure was closing.
What You'll Learn
- •Why asking "are you the decision maker?" is unreliable and what to ask instead
- •A set of diagnostic questions that reveal where real power sits in an organization
- •How to map a buying committee and identify different types of power (budgetary, technical, organizational)
- •Techniques for verifying champion access to decision-makers without alienating your contact
- •Behavioral signals that suggest your contact lacks authority, regardless of what they claim
- •How to do power testing early enough to disqualify bad-fit opportunities before they waste your pipeline
