Three Value Conversations for Making Sales

For years now, sales trainers have been telling their trainees they need to sell value over price if they are to make money for their organizations when selling products or services.  Unfortunately, those same companies marketing folks are translating value to mean highlighting all the bells and whistles the product has to offer or the latest buzzwords associated with services.  So what does value really mean to the prospect or client that the sales person is trying to sell their products or services to?

In The Three Value Conversations (on Amazon #ad) book, the four authors help the sales force to understand and grow selling skill that focus on the customer.  Focusing on the customer’s needs not only may land the initial sale to a prospect, it can help upsell existing clients.  It is all a matter of becoming known as a helpful consultant and change manager rather than a pushy salesperson.  Below are a few key points from the book.

 3 Value Conversations sales representatives should hold with prospects and existing customers:

•      Differentiation = Create value by helping the customer articulate their real problems and work together to find the best solution.
•      Justification = Elevate value by helping the decision makers see and justify the financial impact of investing in the new solution to their problems.
•      Maximization = Capture value by focusing on pivotal agreements with seller and rather than old-style negotiations over price pressures from buyers.

3 Important Things to remember when having a conversation with prospects and existing customers:

1.       Send the right message – concentrate on what is important to the customer.  What are their current and future business challenges?
2.       Use the right tools to deliver the message – look for new ways to tell your story and match it to theirs instead of just using brochures and PowerPoints.  How can you stand out from the competition?
3.       Apply the right skills to your message by practicing communication and building your confidence levels.  What do you need to learn to deliver more powerful messages?

Why did I say sales people have to be change managers above?  Because according to the book “at least 60% of those buyers won’t change after hearing from you and your competitors.”  Resistance to change is why so many sales fail.  After all, changing is uncomfortable – maintaining the status quo is safe.  Not only do you have to share how you can solve their problems, you have to show how not solving an existing problem can be more harmful than changing to a new solution.