Many of us have experienced trying to be sold something we simply don’t want. The salesperson tries with all his or her might to convince us of every reason we should buy. In most instances we just want this interaction to end as soon as possible and shut the salesperson out completely. Why do many selling experiences end this way? I would argue that while there may be many reasons, the overlying one is lack of a differentiating product.
If a prospective buyer is trying to be sold a product that is undifferentiating from other products that already serve that need, why should he or she buy? Better service and a superior product are often used and come off as pleading which turns the customer off to the sale. These two value propositions may be effective in some instances, but nothing holds the power that a differentiating product does.
A product or service that has clear differences that set it apart from competition make selling that much easier. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes, why should they choose to buy your product over the competitor’s? If you can’t come up with one compelling reason to choose your product, chances are your prospective client won’t either, and the sale will be an uphill battle from the start. While most of us won’t be in control of the products/services we sell, be aware of this phenomenon. We must strive to find differences that enhance the value of what we are trying to sell and communicate these during the sales process. Be aware of what your competition is doing to satisfy the given need and find a value-added difference in your product or service that you are selling.
BoweryJE22
Spencer-
This was an awesome post. I agree completely that a huge factor for salespeople is finding the differentiating factor that sets one product a part from the other. But what happens where there is almost nothing different about the product. To me, I believe that customer service is huge. If I find a product that I really like and it is the same exact thing as something else on the market, I will most likely go to the place that has better policies as a company and great customer service.
Thanks Erin! I agree with you. A differentiating product is the strongest drawing card a sales person can have, but if they don’t have that, service, quality, price etc. all become benefits that can be utilized. As you said, many products simply aren’t differentiating, so product differentiation is not always possible.