How to really differentiate yourself in buyers’ minds

Unless you’re fortunate enough to be selling something radically unique, you’ve probably got competitors providing similar products or services. So then your challenge is clear: How can you differentiate yourself from the pack?

A study by the Sales Executive Council provides answers. The researchers looked at more than 6,000 salespeople in almost 100 companies, isolated best practices, and came up with recommendations. Here are four steps the study says you can take to set yourself apart from the competition.

1. Identify your differentiators

Start with what makes you unique. It’s not necessarily a product or feature. It could be your company’s reputation or its capabilities, for example.

You probably know your differentiators – they’re part of every standard sales presentation. But be sure yours matter. Generalities like “exceptional customer service” or “100 years in business” don’t set you apart. Lots of vendors say the same thing, and customers don’t always care.

Here are examples of differentiators that do matter:

• A distributor offers the broadest product line in the industry
• A specialty fabricator can produce complex prototypes more quickly than anyone else
• A salesperson has extensive experience in supplying HVAC equipment for high-rise buildings

2. Connect your differentiators to customer problems

Brainstorm with your sales manager, marketing team, colleagues and customers to identify the problems you’re best positioned to solve.

For example, if your unique strength is a broad product line, what problems does that solve? Does it help buyers save time and paperwork? Lead to less negotiation among multiple vendors?  Save on shipping costs?

3. Explore and challenge

The problem your customer presents may not be the one you want to solve. For example, the prospect might say, “We don’t care about your complete product line. We just need the best price.”

That’s when you need to be willing to challenge the customer and redirect their thinking. Unless you’re the low-cost vendor, price isn’t a problem you can solve. So reframe the customer’s problem in a way that relates to your unique strengths.

You might say:

• “I understand that you want a good price, but how long does it take to get quotes from multiple suppliers?”
• “Have you ever run into a situation where different vendors blame each other for problems?”
• “How much are you spending on shipping for small, one-time orders?”

4. Show your unique ability to solve the problem

Once the buyer says, “Gee, I hadn’t considered that,” or “I had no idea this was such a big problem,” then you can start presenting solutions:

“When XYZ company consolidated their business with us, they spent a lot less time getting quotes, because we show them competitors’ pricing. Also, we reduced their shipping costs, for a total saving of 23%. And because we’re their sole supplier, they no longer have a finger-pointing problem. We’re responsible for making everything work seamlessly.”

Now you have a better shot at the sale – because the buyer has a set of problems that you, and only you, can solve.

This blog entry is adapted from the BTS Total Access micro video “Critical insights: Become a ‘Challenger’ to win buyers’ trust.”  If you’re a Total Access customer, you can watch the video here. If you’re not, but would like to see this video (or any of our other programs), request a demo and we’ll get you access.

The blog post and BTS Total Access micro video are based on research presented in the book “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation,” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, Portfolio/Penguin, Nov. 2011.