| |
| |
|
Sales Information |
|
|
|
Value-added Selling?
"Value-added." That word is used so much it has become a cliché in business circles. There may not be a business in the world that doesn't claim to be a "value-added" seller. The problem is that once a word or phrase becomes a cliché, it often losses it's original meaning. This is true with "value-added." What exactly does that mean? Ask six business principles what it means when they say that they are a "value-added" seller, and you'll likely hear six different explanations. One claims that they fulfill orders quickly, and that short waiting period is "of value" to their customers. Others claim that their experienced people bring value to their customers. Their customers do business with them because of the quality of their people. Others claim some unique technical expertise, others their sophisticated IT systems, some the breath of their inventory, still others reflect on the brand name products they handle. I'm always a bit skeptical of this. Almost every business I work with claims to have better people, better service, and more technical expertise than all their competitors. What is puzzling to me is that their competitors say the same thing. Someone has an inaccurate perception. The definitions grow even more obtuse when you ask salespeople what they mean by "value added." Some will claim that their customers demand a regular visit by the salesperson. Their routine presence, therefore, is valuable to the customer. Others, like their bosses, claim expertise as valuable. Many point to the long term relationship as the factor that brings the most value to the customer. On and on it goes. The truth that we often overlook is this: Value is defined by the customer, not the supplier. It doesn't matter what you think your value is, it only matters what your customer believes it to be. And customers don't always think alike, so that the operating definition of value-added varies from customer to customer. As our economy has grown more complex and competitive, the demands of the customer and their subsequent definitions of value have grown more varied. What was more or less universally valued a few years ago, is not anymore. For example, local inventory may have been universally valued in the 1990s, but today some customers would rather buy direct and absorb a longer shipping time. Experienced people may have been valuable to everyone a few years ago, but some customers today would rather gather their information off the internet and pay lower prices. Technical expertise may have been universally valuable a few years ago, but some customers today would rather reduce their purchasing costs through an integrated supply contract administered by the home office 500 miles away. It's not that some of the things you have built into your business as value-added are no longer important, it is that some of then are no longer viewed, by significant numbers of your customers, as worth paying more for. They may be necessary, but they are not sufficient. If you are going to be a true value-added seller in the 21st century marketplace, you must be flexible and capable enough to offer different things to different customers, responding to the individual customer's definition of what is valuable to him or her. That means that you must have some way of ascertaining what is valuable to each of your customers, and then some processes in place that allows you to package, present and implement those aspects of your offer that appeal to the customer's individual definition. The primary means of doing that is a highly trained sales force that is adept at the strategies and tactics that result in a deeper and broader understanding of what the customer really wants, what the customer really values, and what the customer will really pay for. Unfortunately, much of the business world of is populated with technically-oriented salespeople who view their job as providing technical solutions to technical problems. While that certainly is a significant part of the job, and an excellent foundation for value-added selling, it is not sufficient. Others see themselves as face-to-face customer service people, visiting the customers on a regular, route basis in order to pick up orders and take care of details. Still others have evolved into comfort zones: working with the same customers, on the same product lines, in the same ways. More and more, value is determined by deeper and broader issues than just those addressed by these limited perspectives. How the solution fits into the customer's business systems, the philosophy of the customer relative to its vendors, the strategic plans of the customer, the potential integration of customer/vendor IT systems, etc. - all these and more are just as likely to be the issues that the customer values. If salespeople are going to adequately uncover these deeper issues, they'll need to excel at certain sales behaviors that go above and beyond just the ability to solve a technical problem, or show up regularly. What must they excel at? Specifically, value-added salespeople will need to enhance their ability to create positive business relationships with anyone and everyone. They'll need to relate to a variety of positions and job titles, like CEO, CFO, Vice President, as well as production supervisor or engineer Additionally, they'll need to expand their abilities to deal positively with a wide variety of personality styles. The sales person who remains in the comfort zone of production supervisors, purchasing agents and maintenance supervisors will severely limit his/her value. Not only will effective salespeople need to create positive business relationships with everyone, they also will need to fine tune their skills in asking questions, listening constructively and ferreting out the deeper needs of those customers. Those salespeople who can understand what each customer considers to be valuable to them, and then can bring creative solutions to those customers, will be the valuable value-added sellers. What is encouraging about this is that each of these value-added selling skills is a learnable behavior. No one is born with the ability to ask penetrating questions, create positive relationships, listen constructively, or develop creative proposal and solutions. These behaviors of the most effective value-added salespeople can each be learned. Once a minimum level of expertise is attained, sales people can continually improve on these behaviors of the rest of their selling career. This is a great opportunity for the business who is intent on maintaining and expanding their position as a value-added seller. Those who develop systems that encourage the key sales behaviors, who train their sales people in those behaviors, and who stimulate them to continuously improve their implementation will be those who rise to the top as value-added sellers. About Dave Kahle, The Growth Coach®: You can reach Dave at:
MORE RESOURCES:
Sales - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Hands On Approach While living in the technology age where everything is computerized, digitized, and auto-responded, it is very easy to forget where we came from, and how all of this progress has almost completely wiped out the personal touch.In this article, I am going to discuss three different ways to reach out and touch your customers and get their attention in ways you could never do even with all of todays modern technology. Model Dell: The Art of the Affiliate Coupon Along with having an innovative supply chain, there's another reason Dell is the largest computer company in the world. They always offer great coupon codes to online affiliates that let the buyer "in" on deals that they otherwise wouldn't get. Peak Performance - What You See Is What You Get! Would you like an easy way to track the performance of your sales SuperStars? Will a large sales activity board really make a difference? You bet! This article will give you three easy ways to improve the performance of your sales team because what you see is what you get!Setting up your sales activity board: Start by ordering a large erasable board from your local office supply store, the bigger the better (hint, a big board = assumed big results!) and mount this board on a wall easily seen by your sales team but not visible to your current or prospective clients. Use this sales activity board to track the performance of your company, highlighting the "critical" factors for your sales success. Is Cold Calling Dead? Is cold calling dead? And if laws are being passed to put it to rest once and for all, how do we generate business from now on?Opinions on the subject vary greatly depending on the background of the individual. For example, most of the old-timers are vigilant in preaching their belief that the only possible way to succeed in the world of selling is to make no less than fifty calls each and every day. The Force That Drives Buying Decisions What do people buy? They don't buy your wonderful presentation. People buy solutions and visions. Female Mannequins: An Overview Female mannequins are very common in clothing stores. They are often found throughout the store, from the front window where they display the store's latest and greatest fashions, to all other sections that featuring women's clothing. Understanding The Corporate Buyer Selling your services to corporations is an attractive proposition. The contracts are larger than with small businesses and individuals, and often longer-term. Smooth Sailing (Selling) In The Second Half of The Year You can make a difference in the second half! You can't do it by doing the same things the same way.You can make a difference in the second half every year! You can do it by thinking differently and being different. Going the Extra Mile and Getting Referrals Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they serve into advocates. They don't directly ask for assistance, they do it by going the extra mile when providing service. Psychological Tricks in Selling ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included. ---------------------------------------------------------- Psychological Tricks in Selling By Stephen Bucaro In this article, I'm revealing six powerful secretpsychological tricks that you can use to increase theeffectiveness of your advertising and marketing. Going Back To Get Ahead Have you ever run DOWN an escalator that was going UP? Well, I did at the Tampa Airport last week. Here's what happened:Last Wednesday I was scheduled to fly from Tampa through Dallas to Phoenix on American Airlines. Sales People have an advantage as entrepreneurs Zig Ziglar use to say in seminars and on tapes that nothing happens until someone sells something. I had never really understood how absolutely true that was until I got into franchising and saw how one franchise sale could add jobs to the economy, provide great service to a community and change the quality of life for the franchisee and their family. Letting Them Use Plastic Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers are becoming creatures of convenience; when dealing with businesses-large or small-they desire ease of transaction. Whats So Special About You? Defining Your USP Your prospect is in the market for a widget, just like the one you sell. She surfs over to Google (or picks up her Yellow Pages) and looks up "widgets. Why Arent They Buying? You've polished your sales page over and over againuntil it's gleaming with benefits. You're gettingplenty of traffic. Why There Will Always Be High Paying Sales Jobs With the dot.com revolution crushing once solid business models on an almost daily basis, the question surely crosses one's mind "am I next?". Hate Follow-Up Phone Calls To Hot Prospects Who Won't Call You Back? Stop Calling! We all learned in Sales 101 we must follow up with our prospects until they buy. Unfortunately, while we're busy trying to make all these follow-ups, some very fine prospects who are ready to buy now are flying under our radar. Do You Have Enough Prospects To Make Your Numbers? Several years ago I worked with a CPA who wanted 20 new clients. We came up with a great direct marketing campaign that brought in 10 leads per 1,000 letters. Mortgage Leads, Choosing the Best Option When it comes to buying mortgage leads, there are many good companies out there for you to research, and many avenues to travel down when considering which lead type will work best for you.While working as a loan officer, I dealt with my fair share of mortgage lead companies. Sales 101: Handling The Angry Customer I am often reminded of the following true story whenever I encounter a hostile customer or prospect, witness a scene where someone is losing their cool or observe someone getting chewed out for something that they may or may not have done.No one enjoys being yelled out, cursed at, bullied or manhandled in any form, whether physically or verbally.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
