The Perfect Sales Storm

We’re in the midst of the ‘perfect sales storm’.

Buyers have more power, more information, and more control over the sales process than ever. And the rapid acceleration of technological is leading more and more disruptive change. Technology has also lowered the barrier to entry to copycat companies and increased competition.

This perfect storm has left our buyers feeling overwhelmed with information and choices, scared to act, and fearful of making a mistake in their selection. So they choose the safest thing they know… the status quo.

How Do We Differentiate?

Many companies and salespeople delude themselves into believing their product or service is unique or different. A lot of Product teams think that their product should ‘sell itself’. And maybe your company’s product is way better than your competition’s. But with so many copycats in the marketplace, our prospects often view us all as being the same.

So how do you differentiate? To differentiate, you must be different.

You must step into your prospect’s shoes. You must be curious about them, their business, and their problems. You must do deep and meaningful discovery. You must speak their language, not yours. You have to make an intentional effort to be empathetic to your prospect’s motivations, concerns, interests, aspirations, and experiences.

Not many salespeople do this. This is how you differentiate. Memorable equals differentiation.

You can then use The Three-Step Bridging Framework to tie your recommendations and value statements back to the emotional hot buttons that you learned during discovery. Your prospect will feel valued, important, and that you get them.

The Three-Step Bridging Framework

What is bridging? It’s the process and art of building the case for doing business with you, by connecting your solutions to your prospect’s problems, in the context of what is most to important to them. Bridging is where message meets emotion.

Step #1: The Problem

The problem (challenge, need, pain, opportunity) defines the current state in your prospect’s language. You are telling their story back to them and reminding them of their pain or missed opportunities.

The most effective problem statements are specific, emotional, and offer data-driven proof.

Step #2: The Personalized Recommendation

Your recommendation connects with, and appeals to, the prospect’s rational and objective side while leveraging the Authority Principle (see: Influence by Robert Cialdini).

Each point you make must pass the “So What?” test. Every point must be relevant and framed in the prospect’s unique problem.

When there is uncertainty and risk, prospects look to you, the expert, to make recommendations so that decisions are easier and safer for them to make. The best salespeople are confident subject matter experts and leverage that authority to influence buying decisions. Their recommendations deliver the future state their prospect is seeking.

Step #3: Planned Result

The planned result connects the emotional and the rational. The planned result is aspirational. It should be painted with a vivid brush that describes a better future.

Don’t differentiation with features and benefits. Differentiate by being different.

Additional Resources

• Readings:

  • Sales EQ- Chapter #2 : “A Perfect Sales Storm”

  • Sales EQ- Chapter #25 : “Do You Get Me and My Problems?”