What makes you valuable as a sales professional?
People won’t ever engage in a business conversation nor buy from you if they don’t even understand why they should pay attention to you.
In Why Should I Talk To You? Does Your Value Proposition Open Sales Doors? I asked you to think about what sets you apart from your competitors? It is up to you to prove it. The sad state is most sales reps just don’t flat do it. Instead, they try to impress prospects with general promises, corporate jibber-jabber and overused sales jargon.
Your value proposition is your promise. It is the value you will deliver, communicate and be held accountable for fulfilling.
No one cares how long you been in the industry, how long your company has been in business nor how they provide the best customer service. I will defer this one to Toby Keith, as all your prospect is saying is... "I wanna talk about me"
WHAT MAKES YOUR CLIENTS BUY YOUR SERVICES?
This simple question is the driving force behind every aspect of your sales conversation from acquiring new customers through referral programs, to retaining your existing clients by consistently meeting and exceeding their expectations. It is all about the customer experience.
How are you opening up conversations?
Think of your personal value proposition as the face to face and digital sales door opener.
Your value proposition is a conversation starter, a chance to engage with new clients as well as reengage with current clients. It is the ultimate litmus test resulting in a response of "how do you do that?" or "tell me more."
My good friend Mike Garrison would agree your value proposition clearly articulated is the key message you want your referral partners to understand, so they can help you attract more customers through their network.
THINK ABOUT YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION
Given customer expectations and the competitive business landscape, it's important to review your value proposition regularly as part of your personal business strategy. Spend time with your current clients to see if you are actually meeting and fulfilling the aspects within your value proposition with them.
The following may help guide you:
- Does your value proposition resonate with your clients?
- Is it clear, simple and concise?
- Does it really set you apart from your competitors?
- Does it sound professional when you say it out loud?
- Could it trigger a next step conversation?
- Is it true, authentic, genuine and can you own it?
WHY SHOULD I TALK TO YOU? DON'T BE AN EMPTY SUIT!
Sales professionals, to be effective in opening up business conversations you must speak the language of leadership. This language clearly conveys your ideas to your audience. Use language which precisely explains your thinking to the hearts and minds of those whom you wish to move to action, your clients and prospects. Don't become an empty suit in the eyes of your clients and prospects!
Creating and delivering your value proposition is extremely critical in capturing mindshare with business executives. Inside the book, "Creating and Delivering Your Value Proposition" by David Pinder. The first paragraph inside the introduction nails it, "The term value proposition is used ubiquitously in business today and its original meaning has been dissipated into vague sales and marketing notions that are a million miles from its intended meaning and use."
This book addresses the misconceptions and clarifies what a value proposition is and what it isn't. It's crucial to sales professionals today, how you build your value proposition and how you use it is critical to your success.
I am a firm believer not until you know the value you bring to your current clients then how do you know the value you can bring to your potential clients? This book addresses the "why" behind your value proposition and how this can be used as an alignment tool within the client experience.
"What seems missing to date is how to use customer experience in a repeatable way and harness it for profit"
David Pinder
The reason why your prospects and yes sometimes your clients pay lip service to you is how well have you personally bought into your value proposition. Do your clients even know your value proposition? It is about serving and delivering a measurable amount of value at all times as a sales professional. Live it, walk it, talk it and broadcast it for everyone to hear.
WHAT IS AN EMPTY SUIT?
According to the Urban Dictionary, an empty suit is, someone puffed up with their own importance but really having little effect on the lives of others. A true empty suit, conjures up the image of a business suit of clothing without a person in it who really doesn’t know what he or she is doing.
How well are you demonstrating competence as a sales rep? An executive appearance, presence and attitude may open some business doors of opportunity, however; without competence those prospects can quickly dissipate.
Think about this equation...
An executive presence - competence = an empty suit
Nothing worse than a sales rep who creates a brilliant value proposition but then can't back it up and clearly articulate it
What happens in your first meeting with a potential customer, when the customer describes their problems and all you can contribute to the conversation is a stream of buzzwords, canned pitches and sales jargon? In a split second it becomes painfully obvious you have no clue about what the customer does, what problems the customer has or how you can even solve those problems. This my friends is an empty suit. You are dead in the water!
BRINGING THIS HOME - REMOVE THE BUSINESS MASK
Pretending to be something you're not can be exhausting, it can also cost you when it comes to trust building with your clients and prospects.
Remove the business mask and become your true self. Ditch the facade and fakeness.
There is a negative impact in the donning of your business mask as others can sense something is not quite right. They get a gut feeling of uncertainty as to whether the person in front of them YOU is being genuine and authentic.
As you build upon your value proposition, I urge all sales reps to consider this is the pathway to your business story. How you set the opening act will make or break your audience coming back for more.
I understand where you all are coming from. I have walked a day in a life of your shoes and still do on a daily basis.
I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow net-new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way.
In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image
You can find more blog posts inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy
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