Latest / Closing the Deal with Fexingo: Sales, Negotiation, and Revenue Conversations for Operators / How a Rep Won by Asking for the Buyer's Growth Forecast
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot on this show about the power of asking the right question at the right moment. Today's episode is about a question that most reps would never dream of asking, because it sounds almost rude. Luna: Rude is my favorite kind of question. What are we talking about? Lucas: Asking the buyer for their growth forecast. Not the budget for your solution, but the actual revenue projections for their company over the next three years. Luna: Wow. And someone actually did this and won? Lucas: Yeah, and the story is a great example of why this works. A rep selling an analytics platform was stuck in a six-month evaluation. The buyer kept saying they loved the product but the ROI just didn't justify the price. Classic stall. Luna: So what did they do? Just ask for the forecast out of nowhere? Lucas: Essentially, but there was a setup. The rep had been working with the CFO's team and had a good relationship with the procurement lead. At a working session, the rep said, 'I want to understand what this company looks like in 2029. Can you share your three-year revenue forecast?' Luna: And the buyer didn't hang up or call security? Lucas: They hesitated, then said, 'That's pretty sensitive.' The rep just sat with the silence. And the CFO's team member said, 'Actually, if we want you to build a business case, you need to see the numbers.' Luna: So it turned into a collaborative exercise. That's smart. Lucas: Exactly. They shared a high-level projection: they planned to double revenue from forty million to eighty million over three years. That changed everything. The rep could now tie the analytics platform to a specific growth target, not just generic efficiency. Luna: Because if you're going to double, you need data infrastructure. The cost becomes an investment in that goal. Lucas: Right. The rep built the business case around enabling that doubling. They said, 'You can't get to eighty without cleaner data, and that's what this does.' The deal closed two weeks later. Luna: But I have to ask: isn't this insane? Asking for a company's growth forecast is like asking someone for their salary in a job interview. It feels invasive. Lucas: It is invasive, but the key is the framing. You're not asking for the sake of curiosity; you're asking because you need to build a business case that aligns with their strategic goals. When you frame it that way, it becomes a request for collaboration, not a demand for secrets. Luna: But what if the buyer just says no? Then you've made it awkward. Lucas: You have to be ready for that. The rep had a fallback: 'I understand, could you at least share your growth capacity constraints?'' That's a softer question. Luna: So you don't just throw the question out there, you prepare a ladder of related questions. Lucas: Exactly. And by the way, this isn't just a tactic for enterprise software. I've seen it work in services, in hardware, even in a consulting engagement. Luna: Before we go deeper, I'm thinking about something. We've had a lot of conversations on this show about these kinds of moves. And honestly, I love that we can do this without any ads interrupting. Lucas: It's a choice we made, and it's only possible because listeners support us. If you find these episodes useful, you can keep it that way at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing but it adds up. And every bit helps us keep the podcast independent. Lucas: So back to the forecast question. The deeper reason it works is that it flips the buyer's internal narrative. When you ask about growth, you're positioning your product as a tool for expansion, not just a cost to be minimized. Luna: That makes sense. It's like the difference between buying a new machine to cut costs versus buying one to produce something new. The decision criteria are totally different. Lucas: And the forecast question forces the buyer to articulate that growth story. In the example, the CFO's team had to think about how they'd double revenue. Once they said it out loud, the analytics platform became part of the plan. Luna: But what about the risk of offending someone? I'm thinking of a junior buyer who might not have the authority to share such information. Lucas: You're right, you have to gauge the room. The rep in our story had already built a relationship with the CFO's team. If you're dealing with a procurement manager, you might need to ask differently: 'What are the company's top three strategic priorities for the next two years?' That's less sensitive but still gets you the same info. Luna: So it's not necessarily the specific number, it's the strategic direction that matters. Lucas: Exactly. And once you have that, you can map your product's value to it. It's a version of the classic 'sell to the outcome' but taken to a more profound level. Luna: I've also heard that some reps use this in a slightly different way. They ask for the forecast to figure out if the deal is worth pursuing at all. Lucas: Oh, that's a great point. If the company is flat, maybe they don't need your product. But if they're growing fast, your product becomes a catalyst. So the forecast question is also a qualification tool. Luna: And it helps you avoid those long, expensive pursuits that go nowhere. Lucas: Right. The rep in our story might have spent another six months if they hadn't asked. Instead, they got clarity and closed. Luna: So, practically speaking, how do you bring it up? What's the exact phrasing? Lucas: You can say something like, 'To help me build a business case that justifies this investment, could you share your revenue growth targets for the next few years?' It's direct but respectful. Luna: And if they push back, you can say, 'I understand it's sensitive. Maybe you could share just the growth rate, not the actual numbers.' Lucas: Exactly. You're giving them a path to share without feeling exposed. Luna: What about the data? Once you have the forecast, how do you use it in the pitch? Lucas: You build a simple model. If they plan to grow 30 percent per year, what are the bottlenecks? Data, talent, process. Then you show how your product removes those bottlenecks, quantified in terms of that growth. Luna: It's like you're becoming a strategic partner rather than a vendor. Lucas: And that's exactly how you win. The price becomes trivial when you're talking about enabling a doubling of revenue. Luna: I love this tactic. It's bold, but it's also deeply rational. I can see why it works. Lucas: The next time you're stuck in a deal, ask yourself: do I know where this company is headed? If not, maybe that's the question you should be asking. Luna: And if they don't share, at least you know where you stand. Lucas: That's the thing, the forecast question is a win-win. If they share, you get a roadmap. If they don't, you've asked the question that shows you're thinking about their business. Either way, you're ahead.