Comprehensive and compelling
“Everyone agrees that sales differentiation is a good thing, but no one has ever explained exactly what, why and how to truly become differentiated. Until now. Sales Differentiation is a comprehensive and compelling look at an often-overlooked strategy for sales success.”
— Deb Calvert, author, Stop Selling & Start Leading and DISCOVER Questions®
Compel your dream
“If you want to compel your dream clients to change, you have to be different in a way that makes a difference. Lee Salz has written a comprehensive guide to differentiating your offering in a crowded, me-too marketplace. More importantly, this book will help you do the critical work of differentiating yourself!”
— Anthony Iannarino, Author of "Eat Their Lunch: Winning Clients Away from Your Competitors"
Implementing the concepts
“I. Love. Everything. About. This. Book. Lee Salz not only powerfully describes why DIFFERENTIATION is so critical, but he shows you exactly how to differentiate yourself, your sales approach, and your messaging. Implementing the concepts in Sales Differentiation will get you more meetings with the right buyers, elevate how they view you and your solution, and help you close more business.”
— Mike Weinberg - author of the "New Sales. Simplified." and "Sales Management. Simplified."
World sales success
“Here’s the path to no longer hear the price objection ever again, as well as rendering your competitors as irrelevant. Lee Salz, in Sales Differentiation, shares his decades of real world sales success so all can now reap the rewards. Don’t read this book – DEVOUR it!”
— Jack Daly, CEO / Entrepreneur / Coach and Best Selling Business Author
Competitive advantage
“As I’ve traveled around the world over the past several years working with companies and their salespeople, I’ve been amazed to find that they do not know, and cannot articulate, their competitive advantage! How can a company or salesperson expect prospects and customers to give their time and attention if they do not understand,clearly and concisely, what that company can do for them that no one else can do? So, how can you demonstrate your competitive advantage? Buy Sales Differentiation by Lee Salz, read it page by page, implement its 19 strategies and you will then be able to set yourself apart from your competition and clearly show your customers what your company can do for them that no one else can do.”
— Dr. Tony Alessandra, author of "Collaborative Selling: How to Gain the Competitive Advantage in Sales"
Stand-out
“I find many salespeople forget that they have an opportunity to stand-out from the competition in the way they sell so instead they fight to win sales on price. Lee’s book will help ensure that doesn’t happen to you.”
— Brandon Steiner, CEO and founder of Steiner Sports Marketing
Entertaining writing style
“In today’s sales environment where buyers are subjected to more sales ‘noise’ than ever, Sales Differentiation is a must-read (and must-implement) for any salesperson who wants to stand out and excel. With Lee’s engaging, entertaining writing style, peppered with numerous stories and examples, you’ll find yourself reading the book quickly. But, you’ll want to go through it again several times to absorb, highlight, and write down the many valuable how-to’s to use on your own calls.”
— Art Sobczak, Author of “Smart Calling”
Next level
“Sales Differentiation is filled with great examples that are perfect for both beginning salespeople looking to develop their skills and experienced salespeople seeking to take their sales results to the next level!”
— Dawn Deeter, Ph.D., director, Kansas State University National Strategic Selling Institute
Filled with dozens
“Filled with dozens of proven concepts as well as highly-relatable stories, this book shows that salespeople who differentiate themselves not only win more deals, but they also win at higher margins. It is a brilliant and practical how-to guide for salespeople at every level. If you want to escape the high penalty that comes from the buyer’s perception of sameness, this book is your key to success.”
— Gerhard Gschwandtner, CEO, Selling Power magazine
Step-by-step manner
“Finally a book that addresses differentiation in a step by step manner that allows salespeople to apply what they learn, immediately. The practical easy to read format and examples to drive the point home are exceptional. Get this book in the hands of every salesperson you know.”
— Alice Heiman, Founder and CSO at Alice Heiman, LLC
Opening doors to winning
“Sales Differentiation shows how salespeople are more important than ever in terms of adding value and differentiating their product or service from the competition. The concepts presented by Lee Salz will help you in every phase of the sales process – from opening doors to winning deals at the prices you want. Make sure you have a pen, paper, and highlighter in hand when you read this book.”
— Paul Nolan, Editor, Sales & Marketing Management magazine
Detailing multiple strategies
“Finally, a definitive approach on what it means to differentiate yourself and what you sell. Lee Salz has done a masterful job of detailing multiple strategies you can use now to genuinely set yourself apart in the eyes of your customers. The value in the book is in his examples, which allow you to understand what you need to do to create a sales differential your customers will notice and, more importantly, pay for! This isn’t a book to simply read. It’s a book to read and apply. You won’t regret it!”
— Mark Hunter, CSP, “The Sales Hunter,” author of “High-Profit Prospecting”
A treasure
“A treasure chest of practical, tactical, and doable ways to differentiate yourself from the competition! Read it… Use it!”
— Anthony Parinello, author of "Selling to VITO, The Very Important Top Officer"
Fantastic and strategic
“In a sea of businesses and salespeople competing in the same spaces for the same dollars, being different is the only way to get an edge on your competition. Lee Salz has penned a fantastic and strategic book that gives salespeople the formula to do just that. Simply put, this book is not only incredibly useful, it’s different.”
— Ken Kupchik, author of The Sales Survival Handbook and creator of Sales Humor
Profitable sales
“Lee Salz says it’s not just what you sell, but how you sell it. His 19 sales differentiation strategies are a surefire way to drive profitable sales.”
— Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller 'Swim with The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive'
Best practice
“Salespeople know that differentiation is a best practice but have been left to their own devices to figure out how to do it… until now. Sales Differentiation presents strategies that salespeople can quickly put into practice.”
— Verne Harnish, founder Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)
Highly recommend
“When I was creating the Rainforest Café, I sought to create a differentiated diner experience. In Sales Differentiation, Lee Salz provides you with the strategies to create a differentiated experience for your clientele. I highly recommend it for anyone in sales.”
— Steven Schussler, creator and founder of Rainforest Cafe, T-REX, Yak & Yeti and The Boathouse all featured at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL
Outstanding sales
“In Sales Differentiation, Lee delivers a fine addition to his line of outstanding sales reference tools. It’s straight forward, packed full of real world examples, and presented in a fresh unique way as only Lee can. He not only addresses many common sales myths and barriers but provides examples and detailed processes to help you differentiate your products and services in a way that will catch a buyer’s attention.”
— Larry Reeves, CEO, American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (“AA-ISP”)
Deals at the prices
“Lee Salz’s sales differentiation strategies are just what you need to stand out in a crowded market, create more meaningful conversations, and close more deals at the prices you want.”
— Jill Konrath, author of "More Sales Less Time" and "SNAP Selling"
Actionable and easy
“In a sales world with so much noise, Lee’s book stands out just like his teachings. It’s actionable and easy to read, made for any level of sales professional.”
— Max Altschuler, Max Altschuler, CEO Sales Hacker & Author of "Hacking Sales"
Simple and effective
“Sales Differentiation is full of ideas that will immediately help you win more business. For example, Lee’s Sales Crime Theory – do your investigating before you make the sales call – is so simple and effective yet a large majority of sales executives think that doing one’s homework is finding a phone number or at best, visiting a prospect’s website. Lee gives you easy-to-implement ideas that will ensure you are relevant, that give you permission to ask challenging questions, that give you an edge in negotiations, and that separate you from just about every salesperson in every sales call, every time.”
— Sam Richter, World’s Leading Expert on Sales Intelligence and CEO SBR Worldwide / Know More
Common trap
“Lee Salz has written a different sales book about how YOU can be a different sales professional to help you sell more. It’s a common trap that a lot of salespeople fall into, all saying the same things, trying the same strategies and selling in the same way. The problem is that doesn’t often work and it’s usually those who do it differently that win. This book is brilliantly written and talks you through how you make WHAT you sell different and the WAY you sell different to win more deals. I’ve read a lot of sales books over the years, but none have given such a great process that I know I’ll be able to use straight away.”
— Daniel Disney, Founder of The Daily Sales and Leading Social Selling Trainer
Refer my clients
“Lee Salz is the E. F. Hutton of customer acquisition. When Lee speaks, you should listen. In an over-crowded, over supplied world, Lee’s insights into differentiating yourself by how you sell ring fresh and true. I regularly refer my clients to Lee and wait for the accolades to come streaming in – which they always do. Lee Salz’s methods are practical and they work!”
— Bill Mills, CEO, Executive Group, Inc.
My son, Steven, is a senior in high school. During the early part of the school year is when he, like other kids his grade, makes his college decision. During his junior year, my wife and I were constantly asking Steven to research colleges and schedule tours. He scheduled some, but not as many as we desired.
Outside of school, Steven’s favorite thing to do is play baseball, and he’s a darn good player. He’s been playing high school baseball since his freshman year, but no one could have predicted what would have happened the summer between his junior and senior years.
Steven was selected to play on our city’s American Legion baseball team. The team played in a tournament that attracted college baseball coaches from throughout the Midwest. During that one-week tournament, he hit, not one, but four home runs (and three doubles). What better time could there be for him to be hot than when college baseball coaches were in attendance.
The whole process changed!
His entire college selection process changed after this tournament. He went from contacting colleges to them calling and emailing him. Seven colleges were in the mix, and Steven was going to face a tough selection decision a few months down the road. He was being recruited by college baseball coaches and, if you have not been through a college athlete recruiting process, it is pure salespersonship.
Each of the seven schools offers the major he wants and is in the locale where Steven desires. Their tuition fees are all in the same ballpark. How is Steven to decide which school to select?
In my bestselling book, “Sales Differentiation,” I talk about the opportunities salespeople have to differentiate both what they sell and how they sell. Some salespeople don’t have the opportunity to differentiate their products much like these college baseball coaches. They can’t add majors or classes. The can’t change the look and feel of the school. They can’t change the location. Their product is what it is, and they are competing against other “salespeople” without what you sell sales differentiation in their toolkit. However, that doesn’t mean the opportunity for sales differentiation is lost. They can leverage how you sell sales differentiation strategy which some of the coaches have embraced. Here’s how…
When you visit a college, parking is a hassle. Finding a spot where you won’t get ticketed is like finding a needle in a haystack. It adds irritation to the process immediately upon arrival. One school we visited turned the parking hassle into a sales differentiation opportunity. As we drove into the parking lot, we were greeted by a sign on a parking stall with Steven’s name on it. That quickly got our attention and put smiles on our faces. That was different!
After we parked, we were greeted by the school’s baseball coach who handed Steven an itinerary for the visit. Just like the parking spot, Steven’s name was at the top. Right in the first moments of the visit, this coach differentiated the experience. He created “WOW!” At the end of our visit, he spent an hour and a half with us explaining his program and where he envisions Steven fitting within it. At the end of the visit, he invited Steven to spend an evening with the team to get to know the players.
Following the visit, we returned to our car in awe of the experience. This coach differentiated his school by personalizing the experience and demonstrated to us that he cared. “Care” is a meaningful differentiator to buyers and so is being genuine which he was. I can’t imagine how many players he is recruiting, but he made us feel like Steven was the only one.
We visited another college on a rainy day. The coach asked Steven to text him upon our arrival. He met us in the parking lot with umbrellas. Like the other coach, his only tools to woo Steven were to be found in how you sell sales differentiation.
He didn’t start with a tour, but rather with a conversation over coffee to discuss Steven’s wants and desires in both a school and baseball program. Rather than have an admissions counselor take us on a tour, he did it himself. He spent almost four hours with us and made Steven feel like he was already part of the program. He too invited Steven to spend time with the team on campus.
A third school also differentiated its approach. The coaches invited Steven to visit a team practice. While there, the players, on their own, came up to Steven and introduced themselves. They also made Steven feel as if he was already part of the program. In addition, the coaches spent time with Steven asking him questions and also asking him to share his questions. He came away from that experience with a huge smile on his face.
None of these schools was on the radar screen when Steven was first considering his college options, but they jumped to the top of the list. They knocked down Steven’s original top choice.
Steven’s top school at the beginning of the process dropped to the bottom. He loved the campus and environment of that school, but their baseball coach didn’t do any of the things the other coaches did. That coach relied on the school’s brand to attract potential players. He was supposedly very interested in having Steven play for his team, but his actions didn’t communicate that. While these other schools made Steven feel special, this coach made him feel like nothing but a number.
College baseball coaches would never describe themselves as salespeople, but that is exactly what they are. They are trying to sell top talent on attending their institutions and playing on their teams. When selling, they are limited to sales differentiation through how you sell just like many of you.
Often, salespeople forget the opportunities they have to differentiate themselves, not just through what they sell, but how they sell. Every interaction between seller and buyer opens the door for salespeople to provide meaningful value which differentiates them from the competition. Take advantage of that opportunity!