You would expect any great salesperson to begin any discussion with a prospective client with a few good questions. So please allow me to do the same.

• Has your industry changed in the last few years?
• Have your customers’ businesses changed in the last few years?
• Are they expecting more value for less money?
• Do they have access to more and better information?
• Have your margins faced any competitive pressures?

Your company has likely committed much of their intellectual, human and financial assets to deal with these challenges.

But is that enough? Your competition has likely made the same investments as you. And you can bet they have developed sales and marketing strategies to communicate such to your best customers.

How then can you continue to differentiate yourself …and rise above the competitive clutter?

The answer may be in a question.

How can your sales efforts not just communicate your company’s value BUT create and deliver value separate and distinct from your company’s products and services?

The first step is to earn your prospects’ attention. Earn the right to sell to your prospect. No gimmicks, no tricks. Before you even speak the first word to them ask yourself: Why should they see me? When I call, what will they want to know before they even consider a discussion with me about changing suppliers? The answer is much more than quality, service or price. Put yourself in their position. Look at the world through their eyes.

The second step is to identify how they define value. Each influence point, in each of your customers may have a different view of value, but ultimately Value = Benefit – Cost*. Remember the President, Director of Sales and Marketing, Director of Purchasing, Purchasing agent and Designer will all have different definitions of value and hence different buying motivations. Zeroing in on your customers’ definition of value is accomplished by using an effective questioning (not just technical questions that satisfy your needs) and discovery process to determine what benefits you and your organization can bring to your prospect.

The third step requires creativity, an understanding of your customer’s role in their company, their business or industry and a commitment to develop a customer… not win a quote. During the discovery process what were your contact(s) specific goals, objectives, challenges and problems? Most importantly what would it mean to them if you could help them solve their problems or meet their objectives? Armed with this knowledge, how can you and your organization create and deliver value to your prospect and their organization?

These three steps will define and shape your prospects view of you based on the value you create and deliver to them in the process. Be a leader. Discover, diagnose and prescribe!

*Neil Rackham, Re-Thinking the Sales Force