Do You Sales Reps Know How to Differentiate Your Sales Solution from the Competition?

While most proven business sales training programs do a good job on teaching the sales knowledge, behaviors, skills and attitudes required to succeed, too many skip the all-important step of ensuring that sales reps know how to differentiate your sales solution in a way that resonates with your ideal target clients.  To be effective, your unique value proposition must convincingly meets their most pressing  needs in a way that makes sense compared to all of the other alternative solutions at their disposal.

Gertrude Stein may have claimed that “a rose is a rose is a rose” but most sales leaders would disagree.  There is always a way to distinguish one rose from another just as there is always a way to differentiate your sales solution from your competition. And a clear differentiation is what will give you the edge that puts you out front.

3 Keys to Differentiate Your Sales Solution from the Competition

Just think how your sales could surge ahead if you could put together highly differentiated solutions that

1. Resonated with what mattered most to your target clients
2. Were uniquely different from other available alternatives
3. Were supported by recent client success stories, research, and testimonials

How to Differentiate Your Sales Solution from the Competition During the Sales Cycle

Often sales differentiation requires taking a close look at the different phases of the sales and buying cycles to find meaningful opportunities to add value to target customers.  For example, when a customer first begins to shop, find helpful ways to consult with them and help educate them about relevant alternatives and solutions that fit their unique situation.  Then, when the customer is getting ready to make a buying decision, ensure you offer clear, easy, affordable, and valuable options.  And lastly, when the customer is actually using your product or service, define the additional value or insight you could provide that would make your solution set even more attractive to your target clients.

At each stage of the sales cycle, you need to look at differentiation from the customer’s point of view. To achieve and maintain a position ahead of your competition, your added value should be as unique, valuable, and as difficult to replicate as possible.

Questions to Differentiate Your Sales Solution from the Competition

In our experience, the best differentiated solutions are created by cross functional teams that include internal leaders from sales, marketing, operations, and finance.  Ideally they also include representatives of your target buyers. There are questions to be asked and answered to make sure that the differentiation you propose:

• Aligns with your company’s strategy
• Does not erode profitability or increase costs
• Does not require a massive overhaul of operations or negatively impact customer service
• Is supported at high levels throughout the company
• Sets you apart from the competition
• Matters to your target buyers compared to other available alternatives
• Can be substantiated through client case studies, research and testimonials

The Bottom Line

When you can be truly customer-centric in a way that aligns with your go-to-market sales strategy, you can design a full solution that trumps the competition and drives profitable revenue growth.  Make sure your solution selling training takes differentiation into account.

To learn more about how to differentiate your sales solution in a way that resonates with your ideal target clients, download 7 Ways to Stress Test Your Sales Strategy