Lee Salz is a Featured Columnist for The Business Journals.
Executives and salespeople are searching high and low for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Here are nine easy-to-implement ways to leverage sales differentiation through your selling approach.
1. Different level pursuit
If the competition is calling at the director-level, call on the C-suite. Why battle for the deal at the mid-level when you can develop a strategy to engage C-level executives?
2. Message customization
Whatever level you call on in a company, your message needs to be customized so it resonates with each decision influencer.
Imagine you sell a printer that prints 50 shades of gray, and it is the only printer that can do that. This morning, you have a meeting with the CFO of one prospect. This afternoon, you have a meeting with the marketing manager with another prospect. Those two conversations should be completely different given their respective roles.
3. Knowledge mastery
The Internet makes knowledge mastery easy. Buyers appreciate salespeople who are knowledgeable about the industry, the products, the competitors’ solutions and their business.
If you are meeting with CFOs and marketing managers, research those roles to find out their biggest concerns so you can customize your message for each one.
Knowledge mastery is a great way for salespeople to differentiate themselves. Take advantage of your competitors’ laziness.