--- title: "B2B sales: how do your prospects approach risk?" description: How do B2B prospects approach risk? And what can vendors do to become the lowest risk option? image: https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/file-14206466-jpg/images/risk_blocks_trimmed.jpg --- This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # B2B sales: how do your prospects approach risk? ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) October 6, 2009 ![B2B sales: how do your prospects approach risk?](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/file-14206466-jpg/images/risk_blocks_trimmed.jpg) Jill Konrath's "Selling to Big Companies" website is a must-read resource for anyone concerned with improving their sales performance.  In a recent blog, Jill asked her readers to share their experiences of dealing with their prospect's perceptions of risk.  It's a key challenge in today's risk-averse buying climate.  Here's what I wrote: > Hi Jill > > Great question - and one that’s incredibly relevant in today’s market, where the avoidance of risk may well be the predominant emotion driving buying behaviour, and where so many buying journeys end in a decision to hold off and do nothing for the moment. > > ![RISK](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/file-14206466-jpg/images/risk_blocks_trimmed.jpg)I’m speaking from the perspective of complex B2B buying processes, where it seems that having a strong ROI is not enough to win the prospect’s confidence.  Successful vendors are having to prove that they offer the lowest risk of all possible alternatives, including - this is critically important - the decision to simply “do nothing”. > > Sales people can’t hope to emerge as the lowest risk alternative through some last-minute slight-of-hand during the closing process.  The foundations need to be built from the start of the buying process.  Rather than diving in to premature (product) elaboration, when a prospect acknowledges an issue, the top sales performers I’ve been able to observe seize the opportunity to explore: > > - What has caused the issue to become important at this point? > - Who else is likely to be affected by the issue? > - What would be the cost/impact of not dealing with the problem? > > Handled well, these and similar questions can open the door to identifying and connecting with the other affected stakeholders early on in the sales process.  Just as important, they can lay the foundation for helping the prospect identify the costs and consequences of not dealing with the problem. > > In fact, I advise the clients I work with to think very hard about qualifying out opportunities where the prospect cannot easily articulate the consequences of inaction – because in today’s risk-averse climate they run the risk of doing all the hard work of eliminating the competition, and getting chosen, but not getting bought. > > Vendors who are able to help their prospect clearly balance the benefits of solving the problem against the costs of doing nothing, and to present this to the financial approval process, will be in a much better position to address the risk issue – and will have truly earned their role as “trusted advisor”.  What's your experience?  How importance is risk avoidance in your prospect's thinking?  And how have you been able to help them alleviate the perceived risks in making a buying decision? ###### Tags: [Complex Sales](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/complex-sales) ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) October 6, 2009 Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. [Follow me on my website](https://www.inflexion-point.com) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) [Follow me on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bobapollo) ### Comments ###### Related Articles ### [Rebalancing Risk in the Buying Process](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/22363/Rebalancing-Risk-in-the-Buying-Process) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Jun 09, 2009** Let’s face it - today’s B2B buyers are scared. They are concerned about the risks and consequences of making a bad buying ... ### [Why your salespeople need to learn to listen laterally...](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/102449/Why-your-salespeople-need-to-learn-to-listen-laterally) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Nov 19, 2013** I introduced the phrase “lateral listening” into a recent blog article, and had quite a few people ask me what I meant. In ... ### [Amazon’s shamefully shoddy strategy](https://www.inflexion-point.com/Blog/bid/109089/Amazon-s-shamefully-shoddy-strategy) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Feb 26, 2014** Over the years, I’ve found much to admire about Amazon. They have generally made it easy for me to buy from them, and on the ... [![Outcome-Centric Selling Academy offer](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hubfs/OCSA%20CTA%20300x300.png) ](https://inflexion-point.thinkific.com/) Subscribe Categories - [Complex Sales (375)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/complex-sales) - [B2B Marketing (200)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/b2b-marketing) - [B2B Buying Process (122)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/b2b-buying-process) - [Value Selling System (114)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/value-selling-system) - [Outcome-Centric Selling (100)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/outcome-centric-selling) - [Scalable Systems (89)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/scalable-systems) - [Thought Leaders (75)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/thought-leaders) - [Revenue Management (59)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/revenue-management) - [Opportunity Qualification (36)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/opportunity-qualification) - [Intelligent Targeting (35)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/intelligent-targeting) - [CSO Insights (32)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/cso-insights) - [Sales Enablement (31)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/sales-enablement) - [Selling in the Breakthrough Zone (31)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/selling-in-the-breakthrough-zone) - [Sales + Marketing Alignment (30)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/sales-marketing-alignment) - [CRM (24)](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/crm)