Sales Prospecting: Do you have an unique solution?
When it comes to prospecting, we know that merely making calls and talking to whoever answers the phone or is at the front desk isn't likely going to get us very far.
We then actually have to have something to corner our buyer's interest, something that will shake up their status quo. We do this in the form of insights. These are pieces of information, possibly statistics, which point to a need that our buyer has and may interest them that they haven't considered yet. Once we have their attention, the next key is to properly articulate our differentiators as an organization and show how we can solve their problems.
“Properly articulate our differentiators as an organization and show how we can solve their problems. ”
If we can't do this part well, our prospecting is useless.
Think of it this way. You prepare a beautiful dinner. You get your buyer to agree that they're hungry and agree to come to dinner. The problem is that they're vegan, and you are a steakhouse. Your solution must fit their needs. You have to be able to articulate it fluently. Most salespeople feel that they can adequately communicate their company's values and differentiators. The problem is that buyers disagree.
According to Forrester Research, 89% of B2B buyers don't think salespeople bring any commercial value to their appointments.
This tells us that we need to be much better at sharing how we are uniquely qualified to solve the problem. The better that we can do this on the prospecting side, the more effective our face-to-face conversations will be. Articulating our unique solution requires real effort and preparation. We have to understand what a differentiator is. What differentiates you from your competition and answers the needs of the customer? Would you say customer service is your differentiator? Your competitors probably provide customer service and likely can point to clients who think theirs is superior to yours. We hear companies say our people are the differentiators. Does your competitor have people, too? I would imagine so. Differentiators need to be specific and not just be cliche.
“Differentiators need to be specific and not just be cliche. ”
If your product is the only one on the environmentally friendly market, made of recycled parts and lasts longer than the competition by 30%, well, that's a differentiator. The key is to have the insights you provide point toward something that allows your prospect to do something different than they're currently doing or can do with your competitor. I'm not saying that you're going to necessarily get into a detailed discussion about what your unique solutions are on a prospecting call. There isn't a reasonable time to get into that when they aren't even expecting your call or visit. However, having these unique insights and solutions in mind when you make that call arms you to have a meaningful conversation to the prospect and differentiates you from all the other prospecting calls they receive that week.
“The key is to have the unique insights and solutions in mind when you make the call...”
So how do we identify these differentiators?
This takes both some research into both your company and, of course, that of your competition. Understand that your competitors likely have an excellent product; otherwise, they wouldn't still be in business. Even so, there are specific things about your product or services that set you apart. These have to be precise, and they have to be unique. As a word of caution on this, keep an eye on your competition when sharing these differentiators.
In the world of technology that we live in today, differentiators can be changed overnight. And all of a sudden, your competition offers the same thing or possibly even a better version of what you thought was unique before. Understanding and articulating your differentiators is a dynamic part of your prospecting and sales process.
So for your homework, make a list of the top features and benefits of your solution. Next, map those directly to how it uniquely helps the customer solve a problem. Finally, describe how solving that problem with your solutions brings a direct, measurable impact on your prospect and business.
“Describe how solving that problem with your solutions brings a direct, measurable impact on your prospect and business. ”
If you can follow this differentiator roadmap, you'll be well on your way to creating further interest in your prospect, setting a face-to-face meeting.
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