Adding value as a salesperson
Buyers are irritated by salespeople who spend their time discussing obvious details like basic product features.
One of the greatest challenges for salespeople today is to remain relevant and bring value to the sales conversation.
There was an article in Harvard Business Review several years ago that spoke to this very topic. While there are any number of reasons the sales job has become more difficult, this particular article was focused on one specifically: the access buyers now have to information.
Related: Sales lies that are holding you back
It used to be that salespeople brought value to the sales conversation because buyers depended on them to provide information on products and services. Of course, at this point, buyers are self-educating on this topic online and have been for years.
The good news is this gives salespeople the opportunity to focus on more strategic topics and to bring more value than ever before. The bad news is they have to work very intentionally in order to be able to participate in these more impactful exchanges.
Levels of increasing value
Borrowing some ideas from the HBR article, here are some shifts in value salespeople should be working towards.
Vendor: The role of a vendor (as I’m going to use it here) is one who is focused on the most commoditized sales. They compete purely on price and product. In today’s online world, this role has become all but obsolete. Buyers don’t want to bother with a salesperson when they can find the price and product information on their own. Remaining at this level is beyond dangerous.
Preferred seller: A preferred seller is a salesperson who studies and understands their product(s) so well that they can help buyers get more value if they buy from them than if they buy the same product(s) from someone else. This is the absolute minimum shift you must make as a salesperson.
How to make this shift: Emphasize to your buyers how to most effectively install your products/services and train them on how to extract the maximum value from anything they purchase from you.
Consultant: A consultant is a salesperson who takes the time to understand the specific circumstances of the buyer before offering any solutions. In other words, they take time to be sure they and the buyer understand the specific needs the buyer may have and to then be more strategic in suggesting solutions.
How to make this shift: Move beyond understanding the features and benefits of your offerings and study the problems you can solve by using them. Lead prospect discussions by delivering a sales process that centers around determining what, if any, problems they have that are holding them back. This becomes even more impactful when you can quantify the cost (financial and operational) of the problem to their business.
Contributor: A contributor salesperson is one who studies and understands a specific industry or, sometimes, the market in general. They are able to help buyers see needs, challenges, and opportunities they face simply because of the market in which they compete.
How to make this shift: Specialize in a market by studying the trends, current events and nuanced characteristics that present threats to be addressed and opportunities to be pursued.
Partner: A partner salesperson is one who studies and understands internal business operations. Because of this level of understanding, they are able to help buyers see needs, challenges, and opportunities that radiate from within their organization.
How to make this shift: Enroll in classes to study business operations or spend time with C-suite individuals who are willing to mentor you and share their insights.
Invest in yourself
I would never suggest these shifts are easy to make, but I will tell you the ROI you’ll receive makes the hard work more than worthwhile.
For every new level you reach, there will be fewer competitors, the buyer is less price-sensitive, and you will shorten the sales cycle.
At the same time, each new level increases your amount of repeat business, results in a healthier profit margin, makes access to decision-makers easier, and the amount of credibility you bring to the conversation grows exponentially.
As the professional I know you are, you will make this shift, not just because it will benefit you, but because it will benefit every client with whom you work.
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