How do you tell global clients your competitive advantage?

Many a times, the stated need could be different from the actual one. It is your expertise in the business domain of your customers that will help you to take the customer through the right discovery process so that the customer gets maximum value for their investment. In order for you to do this earning their trust is the most foundational element which can be the outcome of a long standing relationship or referencable results or even willingness to put your skin in the game

Most of the times it is very important to customise offerings to suit Customer pain areas . Customer wants skin in the game and how it will eventually help bolstering a true partnership model. It is important to remember that at times some customers put their career at stake while selecting a true partner. Thus it is important to reassure how strategically one can bring best talent of both organisations to make a partnership successful. Apart from offerings it is the people who make engagements successful. So special focus on building a strong team may sail well

In my experience, understanding stakeholders has been a large majority of pursuit preparation. This is important because: - Not everyone understands the project objectives or has the same priorities/goals/metrics or even information - Not everyone has the same background (knowing the business buyer had XXX former relationships can be helpful for messaging_ - Not everyone understands what you have to offer, so it is imperative that you provide your experience and expertise in the light it needs to shine - Not everyone is an influence or buyer, knowing how decisions and made and by whom is imperative Pitching to a company that has a conservative culture in a niche industry versus a culture of innovation, requires vastly different delivery.

A lot of us jump right into suggesting ways of helping our customers rather than actually spending time to understand what they saying and/or asking (the traditional Problem vs Solution domain). This takes us away from the critical views and the crucial conversations that allow us to have a deeper focus on the customer needs (as against the stated wants). Our message, thereafter is where we need to bring in the much needed understanding of the specific domain mapped to those stated needs - that’s the primary one. Then once you have landed the message, we can drive some excitement regarding what else is happening in the industry, what additional value we can bring to them, how our experience has helped others .

The most effective way for me in the past is to explain our competitive advantage through articulating the convergence of what the client's business needs are, our current value proposition and our future vision.

The classic advice to a sales person is to tell the client about their problem rather than about our offering. At least in the initial stages, we convince them that we know their problem precisely and are going to offer a black box first. Then slowly start opening the black box and get their buy-in. Wherever you can, add case study, POC and Simulation to create interest in our black box.

Understanding a client need is of paramount importance in today's age. As a true consultant the need of the hour is to drive them to their desired business outcomes. Even when identifying a solution/ approach we need to address the value over a period of time, rather than talk of fancy features. Reinforcing the benefits the recommended solution can bring, backed by solid customer success stories is the way to proceed. Our 'customer's perception' should be our reality!

Very often, the statement of how to solve a problem is confused with what problem are we trying to solve and why. Focusing on the why and the what will naturally lead to a focus on the outcome. The stakeholders in the room have likely already put together a request for budget using an ROI. They have a list of outcomes they are trying to achieve. For global delivery, we must be proficient at partnering with companies to achieve their goals. How we do that can very. We may have a proprietary workflow or tool, but that won't matter if we cannot capture the benefit. Past customer case studies help with the visualization of tangible results to be achieved as well as solving other challenges, such as supplementing internal skill sets with SME.

- Explain it in one sentence everybody will understand - Use approachable language - Use proof points to substantiate your proposition

Effectively conveying competitive advantage to global clients requires a strategic approach. Begin by understanding client specific needs and pain points. Showcase our expertise through case studies, showcasing successful projects relevant to client industry or challenges. Highlight unique value propositions, such as specialised skills, cutting-edge technology, or a proven track record such as on-time delivery, cost advantage, quality of service as well as client credentials. Use clear and concise communication, emphasising how your services align with their goals. Incorporate clients testimonials and industry recognitions to add credibility. Engage in personalised discussions, demonstrating a deep understanding of their business.

I agree, but it is very important to bring out key differentiators about your offerings.While you put many references to case studies similar to what customer is looking for it should backed up with some credible references as well. You should clearly articulate your key solution tenets, Target Delivery model, and Vision of future state you envisaged as a trusted partner for your customer. You should clearly bring out in a concise manner what values you bring on table which will help customer to realise their vision. Your story line should build up confidence in customer’s minds and they should clearly see you as their partners rather then mere service providers.

Trust and confidence in you as the global delivery partner is key. References and continued focus on earning trust with current and future customers is key. This is also a competitive advantage.

New prospects or even existing clients are sometimes skeptical of the proposed business solution. One way that I used to convince them was to demonstrate, through a pilot engagement, that our solution works. The cost was on us. I did not ask for any commitment or investment from the client/prospect. The success of the pilot established credibility and trust and opened the doors to a long-term business relationship.

The end goal is trust, which requires effective story telling with concrete examples of past successes and failures/learnings - to keep the discussion open and transparent. Honesty may not get you the business, but it cannot hurt!

Your proposition needs to work at two levels: - Your reason to be: This is the soul of who your company is, it's your northern star, your vision, what brings the team together. This part of the value proposition should not change often but rather have minimal improvements. - Your response to the market: This is how you are responding to the market needs with products, approaches, competitors. It should be linked to your reason to be and adapt at least every year. It makes you relevant, it creates new news and energizes your relationships with clients.

Own the business, problem and solution along with your client, they need more strtegic partners to push them towards success hand in hand, its a collaborative approach rather than giving them services. i have seen the hunger for excellence and some clients love to be challenged with their current appraoch. take calculated risks. choose your delivery and growth metrices carefully alinged with client's OKR's and show value and ROI. help client justify the investments to other stakeholders.

Being a global delivery partner can be challenging. There will be scenarios that the collective team has not yet encountered. Being able to demonstrate that you can overcome a new scenario, having top-down leadership support, and can provide commitment to developing a process or providing high level support should be part of any transparent discussion. I've not yet heard of a company in every country, but knowing you have partner companies that can support learning the regulations or subsidiary can help provide a level of comfort and commitment in a global delivery role. Having a clear escalation path or business health cadence can be a way of demonstrating mature customer commitment.