In a competitive market, your sales team needs to stand out from the crowd and show why your product or service is the best choice for your prospects. But how do you teach your sales team to do that effectively? Here are some tips to help you coach your sales team to differentiate themselves from the competition and win more deals.
The first step to standing out from competitors is to know your value proposition. Your value proposition is the unique benefit that your product or service offers to your target market, and how it solves their pain points or needs. You need to teach your sales team to articulate your value proposition clearly and confidently, and to tailor it to each prospect's situation and goals. A good value proposition should answer the question: why should your prospect choose you over the alternatives?
I’ve been teaching these for many years. Integrity above all. Do what you say you will do. After initial meet, set structured and dated follow ups with yourself and possibly with the client/consumer, sale or no sale. Many give up after 2-3 times. Give before you get - find something valuable to them; information, expert insight or a client referral. Make that your initial contact and your way in. Build durable relationships - these are relationships that can take ups and downs. Meaning, service breaks and dropped balls without destroying the relationship. How? Do all of the above, build trust and a relationship that’s one on one. Too many sales folks are the company in their sales, and need to be personal as well. A Connect!
Your value proposition should be a concise and clear statement that highlights the unique benefits of your product or service, addressing your target market's pain points. It should also evolve and adapt based on customer feedback and changing market dynamics to remain competitive.
Solve problems. Don’t sell products. Train your sales people to listen and help the client identify what their pain points are - people don’t like it when you tell them what their issues are, but their readily tell you what they are if you ask. Once the pain points are identified tell a story… how does your product/service alleviate that pain? What does the future look like with your solution in place?
1. UVP (Unique Value Proposition) 2. Customer Understanding 3. Product Knowledge 4. Effective Communication 5. Relationship Building 6. Competitor Analysis 7. Success Stories 8. Technology Use (CRM) 9. Exceptional Service 10. Continuous Learning 11. Feedback Culture 12. Innovation 13. Branding Integration 14. Value Reinforcement 15. Competitive Insight 16. Customer-Centric Approach 17. Ethical Sales 18. Goal-Oriented 19. Adaptability 20. Role Play 21. Celebrate Success
Know your product, know your customer and most importantly, know yourself. Selling is much more than selling a product or a service. It's building a trustful relationship which earns you never-ending customer loyalty.
The second step to standing out from competitors is to do your research. You need to teach your sales team to research the market, the industry, and the specific prospects they are targeting. By doing so, they can identify the gaps, opportunities, and challenges that your product or service can address, and how it compares to the competitors' offerings. They can also use this information to customize their pitch, demonstrate their expertise, and anticipate objections or questions.
Every month I tell my salespeople to call competitors anonymously and talk to them as customers. Each seller has competitors related to his own product. Then we prepare the price, suggested value, type of presentation and their advantages and disadvantages in a table and present it to everyone.
A imp role for sales is the reversible relationship between market info and the researcher/ tech/ product managers backing them up, feeding and backing sales force.
Encourage your sales team to conduct thorough research on both the market and competitors. This knowledge will enable them to identify customer pain points and position your offering as the ideal solution. By staying informed about industry trends and competitor offerings, your team can provide tailored recommendations and show expertise during customer interactions.
Competitive research helps you understand why customers choose to buy from you or your competitors and how your competition is marketing their products. Over time, this can help you improve your own marketing programs. Identifying market gaps.
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care... doing your research is important, and good salespeople already know this. To 'step up', try doing your research while asking one question 'how does our offer truly help the prospect'. We are all taught to think about value, however if you can bring it forward to be front of mind and a key driver of your activity, you are big steps ahead of your 'good' competitors.
The third step to standing out from competitors is to focus on benefits, not features. You need to teach your sales team to sell the value and the outcome of your product or service, not just the features and the specifications. Features are what your product or service does, but benefits are what it does for your prospect. Benefits are more emotional, compelling, and relevant to your prospect's pain points and goals. You need to teach your sales team to use stories, testimonials, and case studies to illustrate the benefits of your product or service, and how it has helped other customers achieve their desired results.
Teach your sales team to emphasize the benefits and outcomes that customers can expect from using your product or service, rather than just listing its features. Help them understand how your offering addresses specific customer needs or challenges. For instance, if you offer a project management tool, highlight how it improves team collaboration and enhances productivity.
In the retail sector, prioritizing benefits above features is an essential differentiating tactic. Instead of only providing technical details, your sales staff should be educated to market the value and results that your product or service offers. Prospects find emotional resonance in benefits because they directly target their goals and pain areas. Narratives, testimonies, and case studies become an effective means of demonstrating how your product has improved the lives of other clients. Your sales staff may develop a more engaging story that builds trust and persuades prospects of the benefits your product or service can offer in the real world by demonstrating measurable outcomes and relevant success stories.
Understand your customer pain points and targets. Present your compelling story on how your solution or service will solve those pain points. If you have a similar reference case it would very useful to explain the process and outcomes. It’s also important to show how you’re planning to mitigate risks when implementing your solution and services.
when focusing on benefits, it's crucial to listen actively to your prospect's needs and tailor your pitch to demonstrate how your product or service directly addresses their unique pain points, making it a solution they can't resist.
Entrepreneur | Business Development | Fire Engineering | Eager to learn | Growth
I v never understood storytelling till i tried it. Involve the customer interests and benefits with your story, more than the feature of the product. Make them interact , maybe they ll write the ending for you. Never lie or spice it. Be genuine
The fourth step to standing out from competitors is to build rapport and trust with your prospects. You need to teach your sales team to communicate effectively, listen actively, and empathize with your prospects. You need to teach them to ask open-ended questions, show genuine interest, and provide valuable insights. You need to teach them to follow up promptly, deliver on their promises, and handle objections professionally. By doing so, they can create a positive and lasting impression, and establish themselves as a trusted advisor and partner.
Too many look at sales as transactional, which is technically true. However, with most of us facing multiple competitors in our industries, it is of utmost importance to build rapport and trust first. A soft-sell, long-term approach runs counter to the concept of sales, but sustainable, repeat business amongst clients that are also friends is a better business model versus constantly chasing new prospects. Friends generate referrals and we know referrals are the best kind of advertising.
Building rapport and being customer-centric are absolutely key to any sales cycle. The phrase 'people buy from people' has never been more true, and the only way to create a true champion within your deal is to understand them, and their drivers. Sales is very conversational and the best sellers I've ever known are the ones who promote active listening. The more you listen, the more you contextualise how your prospect feels relative to the problems they have - Therefore allowing you to map your solution to what they need. The give-get mechanism here on the rapport journey is you are giving your time, effort and attention (with a solution), to get in return the detail you need, a champion to drive you upwards, and ultimately, a commitment.
you can include the importance of maintaining consistency and reliability in all interactions with prospects, as this helps solidify trust and credibility over time.
5 Benefits of Conducting a Competitive Analysis Fine-tune and Develop your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Why your brand? ... Improve Owned Products and Services. As your brand expands so will your customers' needs and expectations. ... Establish a Brand Benchmark. ... Identify Gaps in R&D and Hiring. ... Discover Potential Threats.
Good Communication: Teach to talk clearly and listen well. They should avoid using too much sales talk or technical terms. Active Listening: Encourage to really listen to what the customer is saying. This means not just waiting for their turn to talk, but understanding the customer's needs and concerns. Ask Questions: Show how to ask questions that get the customer talking about their needs. For example, “What challenges are you facing with your current product?” Be Genuine: Encourage to be themselves and show real interest in the customer, not just the sale Keep Promises: Teach the importance of doing what they say they will do, like calling back when promised
The fifth step to standing out from competitors is to add value at every stage of the sales process. You need to teach your sales team to provide value-added content, resources, and solutions that can educate, inform, and persuade your prospects. You need to teach them to offer free trials, demos, or consultations that can showcase your product or service in action, and address any concerns or questions. You need to teach them to leverage referrals, testimonials, and social proof that can validate your credibility and reputation. By doing so, they can move your prospects along the sales funnel, and increase their likelihood of closing the deal.
An example for adding value is self learning from the sales call, creating a project/deal card. In case of success or failure of a certain project. The rep shall not inly write the database of the customer, and info; more to it, add the experience, challenges, lesson learnt, competition approach,client mentality, new / old ways used. And to be shared among the team, and external to the marketing and tech teams.
It is revolutionary to constantly offer value during the sales process. Your sales force should be prepared to provide prospects with useful information, tools, and solutions that enlighten, educate, and convince them. Offering free samples, demos, or consultations allays worries, addresses inquiries, and illustrates the benefits of your product. Using recommendations, testimonies, and social evidence builds reputation and trust. Your team moves prospects through the sales funnel and improves the likelihood of completing transactions by providing value at every turn in the sales process. This strategy not only makes you stand out in the retail industry, but it also positions you as a reliable source for clients.
Absolutely! Adding value at every stage of the sales process is crucial for differentiating yourself from competitors and building strong relationships with prospects. Here are some key strategies to teach your sales team: 1. Value-Added Content 2. Personalized Solutions 3. Free Trials, Demos, or Consultations 4. Referrals and Testimonials 5. Thought Leadership and Expertise 6. Ongoing Support and Training 7. Continuous Improvement By consistently adding value at every stage of the sales process, your sales team can build trust, demonstrate the effectiveness of your offering, and increase the likelihood of closing deals.
Instruct your sales team to continually add value throughout the sales process. This could involve sharing relevant industry insights, providing educational resources, or offering personalized recommendations. By positioning themselves as trusted advisors, your team can differentiate themselves and demonstrate their commitment to the customer's success.
Adding value at every stage of the sales process is not merely a tactic but a strategic imperative. It aligns with the company's core values and objectives, differentiates us in the marketplace, and fosters strong, enduring customer relationships. This approach, led by the sales team, is integral to overall business success.
The sixth step to standing out from competitors is to ask for feedback and improve. You need to teach your sales team to solicit feedback from your prospects, customers, and peers, and use it to improve their sales skills, strategies, and performance. You need to teach them to measure and track their results, and identify their strengths and weaknesses. You need to teach them to learn from their successes and failures, and seek opportunities for growth and development. By doing so, they can continuously enhance their sales effectiveness, and stay ahead of the competition.
Train your sales team to excel: product knowledge, market research, tailored messaging, build relationships, storytelling, problem-solving, offer insights, prioritize service, embrace learning, analyze competition, leverage tech, foster collaboration, seek feedback, set KPIs, role-play, customer-centricity, adaptability, ethics, celebrate success, and provide ongoing feedback.
Both common sense and research make it clear – feedback and opportunities to use that feedback helps to improve and enhance, whether an individual, group, business, business unit, company, or organization – and that information can be used to make better informed decisions.
Their opinions and suggestions and even criticisms can always help the sales and marketing team of the organization. So that we can know exactly what makes the customer sad and what makes him happy. This is where the value proposition is born
Foster a culture of continuous improvement within your sales team. Encourage them to ask for feedback from both customers and colleagues. This feedback can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement, whether it's in their sales techniques, product knowledge, or customer interactions. By actively seeking feedback and implementing necessary changes, your team can consistently enhance their performance.
In my journey to improve my team's product sales, I decided to implement a feedback system. I wanted to understand how feedback could impact our sales, and the results were remarkable. As customers started sharing their experiences and suggestions, we uncovered hidden pain points and needs we were unaware of. This valuable insight led to product improvements that directly addressed these concerns. Moreover, our commitment to listening to our customers not only boosted their loyalty but also turned them into advocates. Satisfied customers returned, often bringing new buyers with them. In the end, it wasn't just about selling products; it was about leveraging feedback to make improvements, strengthen relationships, and drive sales growth.
One thing I’ve found helpful is to reposition competitors as alternatives based on customer type. When meeting with prospects, I lay out the benefits of the competitors and the type of customer (i.e. size, industry, geography, user base) that would get the most value from them, then talk about our benefits and type of customers that will get the most value from us. This positions us as trusted advisor seeking what’s best for their business (vs our bank account), and the relationship built on this becomes the most important competitive advantage.
There are many ways to differentiate your sales team from your competitors. The first way is to start by training your team to be sold on themselves before they are sold on the product or service they sell. Often people buy into people before they buy into the business. True sales success comes from within. People make the difference. They make their buyers feel safe, seen, heard and understood. Develop, train, mentor and coach you team to have bulletproof belief in themselves and the product or service they sell. Combine those two and they become unstoppable. And the more self-aware your sales team is, the more they will sell.
Focus on value required by customer, not the sale, not your product. When your value conversation excites the customer, you have created differentiation by default. The competition does not exist in such conversations, and they will try to follow by copying the visible outcome afterwards, missing the real reason why the outcome was generated in the first place, falling shorter than you in meeting customers’ expectation. You sell, they don’t. By default.
The content in this article is sound but to do any of the tasks it suggests, your salespeople will do them better if you help them develop their creativity. In order to differentiate, in order to stand out, in order to tell stories, to ask great questions, to find opportunities other than the low hanging fruit etc etc - they've got to be creative.
A sales job is along term process. It includes training, roles, assignment of project, prospects, learning through, and gaining experience and knowledge. It all start with the right recruitment. From the beginning we have to choose tbe right candidates, who are willing to go through sales challenges( which should be shown to begin with). A sales person should be ready to be intrepreneur for the company.