On the 31st of December after all the champagne was popped and drunk, the fireworks ended and everyone settled down, we heard all the resolutions for the year ahead. Many people are now getting ready for the last month of their financial year and waiting to kick off the next “New Year”. What are you going to do differently? What are your business New Year’s resolutions?
As individuals we usually look at ways of improving ourselves by stopping bad habits, drinking less, quitting smoking, going to the gym more often, cutting out bad foods, etc. What are you planning for your business’s health? How about stop selling on price and look at value-based or solution-based sales methods?
We operate in an ever-changing world, just think of the impacts of online shopping on the brick and mortar business owners, the impacts of social media and consumer feedback to the advertising industry. Can you really afford not to change the way you sell?
There are many sales methods and processes, but for example how sustainable is price selling and discounting? Value-based or solution-based selling methods increase the likelihood of a transaction happening, as well as define the price the client is willing to pay. If you are not already, you need to start selling based on the value of your offer, not on the cost.
What is value-based selling? It is a process of defining your value to a potential customer. You need a customer to see the value of you solving their problem in the first place. Rather than just promoting an existing product, the salesperson needs to focus on the customer's concerns and addresses these with their product and services they offer.
Value-based selling works because it takes into account the needs and wants of the customer, allowing a salesperson an opportunity to create an approach that best influences the customer’s purchase decision. If a salesperson can create the impression that the product being sold is necessary to fulfill the customer’s needs and show that the value of the transaction more than justifies the price, they have successfully used value-based selling. The process requires asking good questions, understanding your clients' needs, then finding ways of showing the value in your product and service offerings to match these.
When a customer buys from you based on the “value” of using your product and services, price becomes a secondary concern, so if a salesperson can keep the customer convinced that their product is a better value overall than a competitors, they are able to keep the customer’s business without having to sacrifice profits by dropping the cost of the product.
Bob Apollo states 5 very important principles of value-based selling.
#1: focus on the value of solving their problem
#2: be specific about the value you offer
# 3: create and capture mutually meaningful value in every interaction
#4: facilitate their buying process, not your sales process
#5: if you can’t contribute distinctive value, qualify out
If you want to be a best-in-class sales organisation, then you need to systematically create unique value to your customers, through the methodical use of value-based selling techniques across your entire sales and marketing organisation.
“Successful salespeople know that success is not bestowed on the loudest voice with the most to say in the room. It’s the salesperson best prepared to know his prospect and respect his control of the buying process who typically closes the deal”. –Mike Kamo
If you need advice on how to improve your sales process contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0832560378