This works if the users are able to use the product (in this case on their personal device maybe) first, and are part of the same organisation.
But what about cases where the user isn't directly related to the decision maker? Doubly so when it's a hard to justify purchase? (I.e. you're not selling bread or IBM machines.)
For example, say, a keyless entry fob for a car. The driver benefits immensely. The CTO of Ford may probably not even entertain a meeting ("Huh, what does he think, locks are bad or something?! What's wrong with a secure lock?")
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to approach such a situation if you developed the fob and now want to sell it?
In your scenario, you're looking at a bottom up approach. Instead of going to Ford, you start at the bottom of the food chain. Used car dealerships, auto body shops, and other places that sell/install accessories for your car.
A great example is remote starters. Same idea. Great for the user, not so much for say Ford. The first places I saw these being installed? Stereo shops would use it as a cross selling feature whenever they were selling something else to a customer. I could be wrong, but it took a few years for the manufacturers to start including remote starters as an add-on. Before then, it was all kinds of other shops selling and installing them.
But its a trench warfare type of deal. You have to get into the hands of the people who can install them, then work your way up to approaching dealerships and larger clients.
I've done this with an anti-theft device. Start small, then build your client base and use that as a springboard to get interest from larger clients.
Interestingly I'm currently doing a version of that except with top-bottom and bottom-up approach.
I.e. like you describe I the younger sales rep on the team am going bottom-up after the smallest guys. And my boss, the CEO is going after the top management. We're both selling the same thing but with different argumentation.
The idea is that the buzz of excitement will turn into consensus when everyone in the middle sees approval from the top and positive feedback from the bottom.
Just be sure your product actually works. Third party/aftermarket remote starters and car alarms are (were) nortorious for causing a varity of intermittent, obscure electrical issues. Not sure if it was the devices themselves, or the installation, or both.
But what about cases where the user isn't directly related to the decision maker? Doubly so when it's a hard to justify purchase? (I.e. you're not selling bread or IBM machines.)
For example, say, a keyless entry fob for a car. The driver benefits immensely. The CTO of Ford may probably not even entertain a meeting ("Huh, what does he think, locks are bad or something?! What's wrong with a secure lock?")
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to approach such a situation if you developed the fob and now want to sell it?