28 August 2009 | Miller Heiman

Sales organizations today have plenty of competition to consider. When customers can’t differentiate their service from the excess of choices, prospects will determine their own criteria for making choice– and price often tops the list.

Before you risk turning your valued service into a commodity, put some serious thought into what your customers are looking for. Then add a compelling value proposition to differentiate your company’s solution from the many options that are out there.

To add power to that proposition, determine what your organization’s unique strength is. What is significantly different about your organization, your product, or your service?

To jump start the brainstorming (in case it’s been a slow week), here are a few areas of possible unique strengths:

• Collaboration: Does your organization let customers drive the innovation? Many companies integrate strategic customers into the process by allowing them to contribute ideas and feedback to existing services.
• Service: Do you go above and beyond the typical expected standards when working for customers – more importantly, do you have current clients that might be willing to substantiate that?
• Experience: Many organizations won’t even consider a potential solution if they know the company has no experience in their industry or market. Were you an integral part of a campaign or launch? Did you just so happen to help a reputable healthcare company increase production because you were a nurse or doctor at one point?
• Personality: Are you the type of person that doesn’t beat around the bush? That may resonate very well with your customers. When there’s little time to dawdle with, bringing reality to your contacts’ front door may be highly valuable as they look to eliminate wasted time.

Ask yourself: “What does this mean to my prospect and how is my company uniquely positioned to meet his business and individual needs?”

If you understand your client’s business issues and have matched your solution to what the client needs to fix, accomplish, or avoid – and more importantly, if you are clear about how your company is uniquely positioned to deliver the solution – then articulating a compelling value proposition is easy.

photo credit: back garage