Beyond Selling Value

1. Beyond Selling Value Chapter 1 “It’s A Jungle Out There”

2. Don’t be just a “vendor” • 1)Vendors focus on closing sales today not building long-term relationships • 2) Resolve specific client issues and sell solutions to operational problems (Problem solver) • 3) Identify critical business issues and devise targeted solutions to solve core concerns • 4) Form partnerships for mutual benefit – not a vendor, a business resource or strategic resource for your customer

3. Four “steps” in selling • Few salespeople fit into one of the categories all the time (vendor, problem solver, business resource, strategic resource). • At your best, you sell business solutions to individuals empowered to make long-term strategic buying decisions.

4. Avoiding the vendor trap means revolutionizing the way you sell: • Selling products and technical features is a low-level selling practice (Selling Value video) • Selling strategic business solutions to VPs and CEOs is a better opportunity to sell value and achieve long-term partnerships. • Top level buyers are concerned with their company’s performance and operational needs

5. Today’s marketplace challenges: • Aggressive competition • Difficult to establish differentiation • Customers with a low price focus • Longer and more complex sales cycles • Gatekeepers becoming more common • Customers perceive you as a vendor, not a business resource • More knowledgeable and demanding customers

6. The Value Selling Challenge • Selling value today is tougher than ever • Fewer people can buy value – focus on cost cutting at lower levels • People can buy value higher and higher in an organization • To sell value to senior-level decision makers, you have to understand what makes them tick

7. Conclusions • Moving beyond gatekeepers and reaching higher level decision makers is the key to success in an environment with an emphasis on price • This book follows a process of research, strategy and preparation, presentation, and relationship building.