The Best Value Propositions Add Value Instantly

I've never been super fond of sales roles. I've been moderately successful in selling software solutions over the years, but I can't say that sales has ever been a fulfilling experience. Sure If I can get behind a product, I can sell it (usually), but we all know that in modern sales, a good product is only half the battle. If you don't believe me, consider the last time you bought something that didn't do everything you thought it would. Whoever you bought that from, was probably a pretty decent salesperson. I got to thinking the other day, is it possible to have a sales career that's actually fulfilling. And I believe with the right mindset, it's absolutely possible.

18 years ago, I took a "Solution Selling" course, which is basically selling based on Value instead of Price. There are a lot of solutions, specific practices, and methodologies around this concept, so I won't get into that whole thing. Instead, it's my aim to propose a mindset of Adding Value to the Prospect in a way that increases your influence to a point that they want to be your customer.

Stop Using Features to Alleviate Frustrations

Uncovering pain points is essential for a solid consultative sales approach, but if all we have to combat these frustrations is a list of features, we've missed the point of solution selling all together.

Instead, try to connect the dots with understanding and empathy first. If I tell you that I'm frustrated that my routing software doesn't support Geo-Fencing and I'm on the phone with you, its because I already know your software does. I've looked at your website remember? That's how we got connected. How about instead of the typical "Oh, well we do Geo-Fencing better than anyone" we try something like,

"Wow, I can't imagine how much work it is to coordinate schedules without that. What impact does not having Geo-fencing make on your drivers? Have you found anything at all to reduce that frustration?"

Then, heaven forbid we say something like, "you know, I know you need a solution, but one thing I've seen other customers do is use google maps to plot addresses the day before. It's certainly not where you want to be, but it could help a little while your evaluating your options. I'll send you a youtube link about it.

When our goal is to Add Value to our prospective clients and customers, we open up doors of opportunity that lay the ground work for a long and profitable relationship.

Connecting is All About Others

In John Maxwell's book, Everyone Communicates Few Connect he defines connected communication as "communicating with others in such a way that increases your influence with them". One of the primary principles he puts forward as a way to connect vs just communicate is to remember that your relationship with your prospects is about them, not you or what you're selling.

When we make our conversations about our prospects they know it. I've purchased a lot of software over the years and the thing I hate the most is when a sales person jumps right into a demo or list of features. This person has shared something with you, its critical to make sure they know that you understand their needs and frustrations.

A great way to ensure they share that information, which also conveys this very thing, is asking open-ended questions. I'm sure you have boxes to check, but most of the time, they will provide those answers just as easily while giving you much more insight than just how many employees they have or whether or not they use a competitor's product.

Another great way to demonstrate your focus is on them and not your product is to do what you can to learn some key points about the business. When you get someone on the phone, or when you know you have an appointment coming up, Take a look at their LinkedIn profile and their company's LinkedIn page. There's so much great information that is shared in pretty concise summaries. Even if this is an inbound call, performa a quick LinkedIn search and gain as much as you can on the company. If you're taking an inbound call, its okay to let the prospect know that you want to take a quick look at the site and ensure you have a good understanding of what they do.

I usually look for the person, scroll down to their top Job Position and read their "duties section. Then I click on the associated company and check out the "About" section. I can usually get enough information to ask clarifying questions.

Authentic Connections Require Transparency & Vulnerability

If you're lucky, you've got 30 minutes to connect with your prospects and convince them that their time is worth using on you. There's no room for slick and dodgy answers. even if a customer wants the price right at the front of the call, be ready to give them an idea of the price. It's likely you will need to ask a few questions to give them an acceptable answer, so make sure those questions are good. I suggest something like, "I can get you an Idea of our typical pricing, but to do that can you tell me what are you looking to accomplish through this evaluation process?". This automatically makes the conversation about them and not the product/service or the price. As I said, you need to have some kind of pricing available, but there's also a reason they called.

Once you've identified that reason, don't be afraid to be transparent about pricing and open (vulnerable) about what you can't do. Don't sugar coat it and for the love of everything holy, DON'T SELL THINGS THAT AREN'T READY TO BE SOLD. It really doesn't matter if it's coming soon or "on your roadmap", if the customer can't have it when they buy, then be very clear on that and don't write checks your company can't cash. You, not just your company, but you will lose credibility and damage your ability to be effective in the future.

In some cases, you might be a part of an organization that doesn't want you to discuss pricing on the first call and doesn't put it on the website. I would encourage you to make a case to change that. You may be trying to sell based on value, but most prospects buy based on price and they're willing to take a hit on certain features to maintain their budgetary constraints. You might even find that most of your prospects are just checking boxes themselves and the biggest checkbox for them is often price.

At the end of the day, most people want to find fulfillment in the work that they do. There are definitely natural sales personalities in the world, but sales is also something everyone has to become adept at. You always selling something, be it products, services, ideas, or even yourself. I've found the best way to do that in every situation is to be a person who desires to add value in every situation. I really haven't found anything more fulfilling in this life than the feeling you get when you know you've added value to another person.

Anyway, that's my two cents and the story I'm sticking to.

If you found this article insightful or helpful, please share it. If you think I'm off my rocker, please feel free to let me know that too. Thanks for reading!