Multithreading in Sales Leads to Bigger, Safer Deals

That's Why Top Performers Make it a Habit

When deals rely on a single contact, they’re fragile. Multithreading is how top performers protect and grow opportunities.

The Risk of One Contact

Have you ever lost a deal because your contact has left the company, or changed roles and you wished you had established more meaningful relationships with other stakeholders? When a single point of contact is heavily relied upon during the sales process, it can create vulnerability if that person is no longer available to advocate for the deal or provide the necessary information and support.

What Multithreading Means

True multithreading goes beyond just convincing everyone on the buying committee to okay your product – a necessity these days to close almost any deal. Multithreading is an effective way to mitigate the risks associated with relying on a single contact and it can lead to more opportunities, better qualification and understanding, and stronger relationships with an organisation.

Where possible you want to have a minimum of two contacts, the person involved in the decision and an advocate, depending on the size of the organisation. Ask for introductions, let one refer you to another. That way they are both invested and engaged and you end up with two stakeholders seeing the benefit of working with your company through their own lenses.

The Double Whammy

The glass half full side of us would suggest that when your contact moves on it's not a bad thing, because although you may have lost the original deal and have to re-sell back in, you do end up with two companies with potential to prospect. The contact might not have had a need at the original company (Never. Burn. Bridges!), but may do at the new company. It can also refresh old conversations. I call this the 'Double Whammy.

The Cost of One Admirer

The glass half empty side of us thinks that when the change happens you lost the deal because you only had one contact and put all your eggs in one basket. This is where the importance of multithreading comes in and according to LinkedIN it is about "Having a fan club full of Multiple Champions VS a Single Admirer.”

Bigger, Safer Deals

The data (and common sense) show that a multithreaded account is a safer, more secure one, and has the potential to lead to far bigger deals than accounts that solely rely on a relationship with one individual. By creating multiple champions, sellers are making sure that one individual leaving doesn’t result in the loss of an entire deal.

Want to build a fan club of champions vs relying on a single admirer? Explore how our Sales Representation, Sales Mentoring, or Sales Management services can help. Get in touch!