Salespeople need to help their buyers buy and not let low price be the deciding factor.
There is a question on the minds of buyers that they want answered before salespeople should answer it. Answer it and you lose. Refuse to answer and you lose. Salespeople need another strategy and one that differentiates them from the pack.
When I bring up the subject of differentiation to executives, they immediately think marketing department, as they are the ones tasked with that strategy. But there is a second party responsible for differentiation, and that’s the sales department.
While buyers want to commoditize you with an RFP, you can still differentiate yourself from the competition.
Size may, or may not, matter to a buyer. It is up to the salesperson to position why size matters.
How you sell can differentiate you from the competition
Having the right quota-setting strategy can give your salespeople and sales managers the motivation needed to achieve the company’s revenue target.
“What makes us unique?” That’s the big question salespeople ask of their management teams and themselves, but uniqueness is not a requirement for an effective sales differentiation strategy.
Over 90 percent of buyers say they are happy with their current supplier when first contacted by a salesperson. In this situation, it’s not what salespeople say, but rather what they ask, that makes them stand out from the competition.
Sales differentiation isn’t easy to do. To succeed, you have to disrupt the customer’s buying process.
The request for references is a standard part of the buyer decision-making process. However, few salespeople use the reference stage as one final time to differentiate themselves and stand out from the competition.
It’s smart to differentiate yourself from the competition. But being defensive about your price is a sure-fire way to turn buyers off.
When is the last time you reviewed your differentiation strategy to make sure it truly positions you as unique — and aligns with your buyers’ needs?
High performance sales forces have their foundation in a well-defined sales process. Take the necessary steps to solidify the foundation of your sales team.
Many business executives aren’t ready for the changes needed for the results desired.