Welcome!
In this post we’re going to look at the Megadeals Discipline’s second cornerstone; Ecosystems and ecosystem architects.
When your organisation enters the process of closing a low to medium-sized deal, you’re using dialogue techniques, and you’re looking at the following points:
1. You’re dealing with 5-7 stakeholders in the buying organization.
2. You need to ensure that you can cover the problem.
3. You need to have a solution related to the problem.
4. You need to know the business case inside and out.
However, when you’re entering a Megadeal process, you need to cover the points above aligned with a new set of techniques to identify your top target accounts and prospects, then map out the stakeholders inside and outside the buyer organisation and address stakeholders within a wide range of hierarchies.
You need to understand the ecosystem within the customer organisation and each party that becomes involved with the deal. More often than not, Megadeals will affect local authorities, manufacturers, distributors, politicians, partners, municipalities, consultants, landowners, and more. Even in many medium-sized deals, you need to sell cross-functionally and into a matrix- or cube organisation. Most megadeals require that you rely on on several different organisations and influencers outside of the target organisation. Check out more about this in our webinars, book, and podcast.
An excellent way to map out the target organisation’s stakeholders is by using the LinkedIn Sales Navigator aligned with some tips and tricks that you can find in the Megadeals book.
A person that is very experienced with identifying different parts of the ecosystem as well as shaping it is called an ecosystem architect. This key player can add insight-based value and shape the entire ecosystem, no matter the deal. They build trust and prepare answers to any objections by negative stakeholders.
You can identify an ecosystem architect by a wide range of characteristics, such as:
1. Competitive people with only one thing on their mind, reaching their goals without letting anyone interfere or stand in the way. Even if they have to choose between achieving their goals and pleasing others, they’re most likely going to sprint across the finish line.
2. They will identify all the deal angles and visualise how the deal will play out for everyone involved, seeing the big picture, granular details, and everything in between.
If you’re interested in learning more about the ecosystems in and around organisations and identifying or becoming an ecosystem architect;
Check out the Megadeals Book, listen to our podcast, or contact us for upcoming webinars and more information.
