191: Buyers Have No Urgency So We Have To Create It

<p>Having a buying need and doing something about it can often be quite disparate ideas.  There are many things we would all like to do in business to grow our companies.  The constraints are usually money and people.  The lack of resources holds us back and so we persevere, always hoping that somehow, we will be able to bridge that gap between where we are now and where we want to be. </p> <p> </p> <p>At the CEO level, we are always focused on the strategy for the company and the future goals.  This is something that occupies a lot of thinking time.  Once you get below that level, the intensity drops off.  The CFO is thinking about this quarter or this year.  Worried about the finances, the cash flow, the ability to find the funds to invest, the analyst reports, etc. </p> <p> </p> <p>If we are talking about line managers, they are concerned with meeting their targets and keeping their good people and getting rid of the not so good people.  HR has a very curious take on all of this.  Basically, they don’t care all that much.  They have a functional role here in Japan and are the rule police.  Sometimes they have to respond to internal demands and go and source resources in the form of people or training, but generally they are passive.</p> <p> </p> <p>When the buyer is looking at the gap between where they are now and where they want to be and they judge it is pretty close, they don’t feel any urgency or need to buy.  They will have certain drivers pushing them along in their role in the business, but this gap perception component is key in selling to buyers.  If we can’t show that the opportunity cost of no action is too high, then they are not inspired to do anything.  Doing nothing or doing what you have always done are the easiest decisions for any buyer. </p> <p> </p> <p>They are always time poor and a purchase decision usually comes wrapped in other tasks that will need attention, as a consequence of making that buying decision.  Not buying isn’t always about the money. Often it can be hesitancy around the