Sellers often wrongly offer value propositions to buyers as a way to articulate what they are selling and why the buyer should purchase their product and / or service. The problem? Too many of those value propositions lack any actual value. They solely push a “proposition” communicating more about the offering and very little (if any) about what unique outcomes the product and / or service delivers to the buyer as a means of addressing a current challenge(s) the buyer is facing. A value proposition without value is simply a proposition, and often a failed one at that.
WHEN YOUR SALESPEOPLE RESIST THE ITCH TO PITCH — THEY EARN THE RIGHT TO SERVE
Why does this matter to the buyer? In a recent study, Forrester asked B2B buyers about their view of sellers. The results were not flattering. B2B buyers believe only 8% of sellers are focused on driving a “valuable” end result for the buyer. And that is what buyers desire from their engagement with sellers — value. Unfortunately, buyers view 92% of sellers as not looking out for them. Instead, sellers keep their own best interests in mind. Buyers want the essence of the conversation to be about them — what they are struggling with, what they want to accomplish and the path to get there.
Why does this matter to you, the seller? A DemandGen report found 56% of all buyers rate their experience as “less than satisfied.” Happy buyers take actions and often purchase more over time. Sellers who excel are primarily motivated by serving buyers, which starts with a deep understanding of their problems, the impact on their business and desires, and then offering a vision for a better outcome or desired state (the “value” of your solution). Sales Mastery asked buyers about the top “deal-makers” and “deal-breakers.” Each of the top 10 deal-makers is grounded in the buyer (for example, “my needs,” “return on investment (ROI) for me,” “listened to me”), while the top deal-breakers accentuate sellers who are selfish (versus selfless).
How does it improve your chance of winning? Sellers who rank themselves No. 1 — ahead of buyers — have a short lifespan. LinkedIn surveyed over 7,500 B2B buyers worldwide, highlighting an alarming disconnect. Almost two-thirds (65%) of sellers said they “always” put the buyer first. But when LinkedIn asked buyers, less than a quarter (23%) agreed — quite a contrast.
Great sellers put the buyer first, act as trusted advisors, and perform discovery until they have a deep and complete understanding of the unique problems and impact of those in the prospect’s current state. Only then do they propose a tailored solution to take the prospect to the desired state where their problems are uniquely solved, and they can reach their business objectives. This is the value you bring.
RESIST JUMPING TO THE SALES PITCH — AND SEEK TO SERVE™
Empower your teams to earn the right to pitch after thorough discovery and by mastering the opportunity. Get our revenue performance accelerator how-to cheat-sheet for resisting the itch to pitch today for the key principles and techniques your sales force needs to succeed.
DOWNLOAD THE REVENUE ACCELERATOR
The sales pitch is just one part of the greater whole. Your sales force needs the right skills and behaviors for the 10 critical steps in the sales process to work.
EARLY STAGE
- Prospecting power moves
- Resisting the itch to pitch
- Leading their meetings
- Performing the quest of discovery
MID-STAGE
- Becoming a trusted advisor
- Maintaining control of the buying journey
- Avoiding being single-threaded with buyers
LATE STAGE
- Reframing objections
- Managing radio silence
- Going beyond budget constraints
Reach out to our experts to learn how we can help boost your sales team’s skills and accelerate your revenue performance.