How can a business-to-business salesperson avoid being treated as a commodity vendor, having trouble standing out from the crowd and competing on price?
After all, the ability to research on the web has made selling value still more difficult.
For the most obvious example, a car-buying prospect today walks into a dealership with extensive data about which cars are best reviewed and what the true pricing is, based on internet research.
I recently read a book that gives a structured, intuitive plan for differentiating oneself from your competition. "Sales Differentiation: 19 Powerful Strategies to Win More Deals at the Prices You Want," by Lee Salz, a Twin Cities-based consultant and author, starts with the question: "Who owns sales differentiation?" — in other words, who is responsible for making clear to the prospect why your product deserves their attention and the higher margins you desire?
The obvious answer is the marketing function, but Salz maintains it is critical that salespeople take control of differentiation if they wish to avoid being treated as a commodity vendor who will be forced to compete on price.
What are some of the key elements of a sales differentiation strategy? Here are several key examples from Salz:
1. Salespeople will often claim their product or service is unique. In point of fact, it almost never is.
Any established market will have numerous quality vendors in it. Much more powerful is to analyze your offerings and show how you are different from the competition — a more substantive, though subtle claim.
