Have you ever lost a deal because you didn't effectively distinguish yourself from the competition?
- Where is the edge?
- Amateurs rely too heavily on product or service.
- Can you stand on your own?
Years ago, there was a Xerox commercial that showed salesman after salesman presenting himself to a prospect and saying, "And it's just like a Xerox!" In the final seconds of the commercial, a particularly poised and confident salesman says, "Ahem - it is a Xerox!"
Some ad agency must have made a fortune on that commercial. Interestingly, the copiers all looked pretty much alike. So did the salespeople! Maybe the ad agency could have improved the message a little bit by both making the "superior" product and the "superior" salesperson stand out somehow.
Where was the edge? In the product? In the salesperson?
You are a professional salesperson. No doubt you represent a good product or service. You and what you sell are not, however, one and the same.
Amateur salespeople rely too heavily on their product or service. The professional can stand on his own. You should be unique in the approach you take to presenting not only your product, but also yourself.
Do you know what the competition is doing?
Take a look at your competition and see whether you can come up with a game plan that is unique. For example, if your competition is relying on a 70-slide PowerPoint presentation to run the meeting, what can you do differently?
Find a way to stand on your own.
There is something you can do to stand on your own, something you can do that will be unique in your corner of the marketplace. If you are truly a professional, you will find out what that "something" is - and build it into what you do, day in and day out.
One classic opportunity for differentiation lies in targeting particular "added-value" features and benefits your company offers to accommodate the unique needs of specific prospects and customers, thereby creating a truly one-of-a-kind connection that no competitor can match. This is an art, not a science. In today's technology-driven, feature-rich selling environment, however, it is definitely an art worth mastering.
If you choose to go down this road, remember that "added-value" is only valuable if the prospect discovers a need for what you are offering. Without this acknowledgement, the "added-value" becomes added "expense" in the prospect's eyes and a reason to negotiate price or reject the product altogether. You must make the shift in your own mind, and in the mind of your prospect, from vendor to advisor. You must, in short, diagnose before you prescribe...and you must then connect the dots in a way that your competitors can't.
Check out our collection of free resources.
Sandler Training – 100 W. Big Beaver Road - Suite 100 - Troy, Michigan 48084
You might also be interested in:
