Selling to Major Accounts: The Power of Understanding People, Not Just Functions

Selling to major accounts isn’t just about understanding functions—it’s about understanding people. In enterprise sales, you’re navigating a complex buyer network where each individual brings a unique personality to the table.

And while sales teams work hard to understand these different buyers, their focus is typically on each person's functions, like selling to the job description instead of the person.

After all, selling is ultimately just about knowing who you’re talking to and what they care about (their pains). If you can do that, bridging to your solution is natural. Yet, most sales teams miss the first two parts.

Point being, it’s important to sell to more than just ‘who’. Sell to ‘why’ - it covers both functional and intrinsic motivations alongside each buyer's role in the broader process. Here’s a 4-step process to doing this effectively:

First, Identify Buyer Impact

Buying team members are identified not only by title but by their impact on the deal – High, Medium or Low.

Second, Utilize Real-Time Buyer Insights

Don’t just pander to personality. DISC can play an essential part in not over- or under-stimulating a buyer – but due to the buyer’s rapidly changing environment, it’s key to understand what’s top-of-mind for them in real-time to establish yourself as a trusted advisor instantly.

Companies are already exploring this change. Replicate Labs' AI-powered live buyer personas provide real-time insights into your buyers' world, offering real-time data on their behaviors, preferences, and challenges. This lets you anticipate their needs and tailor your approach perfectly.

Third, Craft Tailored Selling Strategies

You now know three critical things: who you’re talking to, what they care about, and their impact on the deal. Now, it's time to leverage methodologies to craft selling strategies for effectively communicating with individual buyers (hint: Sandler Training).

Sandler’s approach incorporates behavioral insights directly into your sales process. This includes developing targeted up-front contracts that set clear expectations, utilizing advanced questioning strategies to uncover deeper needs, and applying negotiation tactics that resonate with each buyer’s DISC profile.

Fourth, Establish Clear Action Items

The last step is identifying the concrete action items that will move the process forward, including the due dates and the specific selling team members responsible. It’s like building a RACI chart for your sales team to ensure accountability and clear direction for your plan of attack.

By having a deep dive into the account’s behavioral network and building a plan while adapting the communications, the team increases its competitive advantage and their success probability. Sandler Training and Replicate Labs offer the tools and insights you need to navigate these complex networks and close more deals.