For the past few weeks on The Smarter Sales Show, our conversations have been on the topic of Sales Differentiation. What makes you different, not just what you offer, but how you conduct yourself through the entire sales process and what prospect’s experience that stands out about doing business with you.

 

It is a timely topic because so much of what we do and how we go about it has been different in the past year. It’s time to take a new look.

 

One year ago today it was business as usual. You complained about being crazy busy running from one prospect meeting to the next, hopping on flights, hoping for no delays because one little slip up in the schedule could wreck the entire week. You had coffee meetings, lunches, dinners and entertained clients in the evening. You shook hands. You hugged. (I know, seems so crazy now right?!)

 

And then on March 12, 2020 the NBA cancelled the season and suddenly you realize things were different. 

 

Every meeting on your calendar was cancelled. Every trip was cancelled. Every conference cancelled.

 

Now, one year later, not only is everything around you different, you are different. You can’t unknow what you now know about the possibility of the economy and the world shutting down overnight. You’ll never not do business virtually. You’ll never not wonder if that person who just coughed in your direction just gave you covid. You’ll never not throw an extra food bar into your travel bag just in case everything shuts down. (Ok that last one might just be me)

 

So as you consider how to differentiate your sales process, remember you are different now too. You see things differently now and that’s the perfect foundation upon which to be open to new ways you can differentiate as it relates to sales. 

 

  1. Take a new look at what you believe about sales, money, decision makers.
    What could be possible if you looked at those beliefs through a different lens?

 

Last year, you believed you had to be face to face with prospects to close big deals. Is that still true today or is it different now?

 

 

  • Take a new look at the sales skills you learned long ago. 

 

What could be possible if you looked at those skills and asked yourself if they are still relevant in today’s world where everything is different?

 

Years ago were you taught to tell prospects “I’ll be in your area… is Tuesday or Thursday better?”

At one time that was different, until it became common. What other phrases or sales strategies are you using today that once worked, but are now common?

 

 

  • Take a new look at your action plan to get to your sales goals.

 

What could be possible if you looked for places where you could automate, delegate or eliminate tasks that keep you playing a smaller sales game?

 

Does your action plan today get you to the goals that are appropriate for today’s business environment or are you working toward goals that no longer match what you really want to build?

 

There are so many things that are different today as a result of forces completely out of our control. What is possible if you focus on how you could be different, and better, by putting deliberate effort into forces that are within your control?

 

Take a new look. A lot is different. And that’s a good thing.


To learn more tech and technique tips and tricks to stand out and sell more in a virtual sales world, tune in to The Smarter Sales Show on The Sales Experts Channel every Tuesday at 12pm CT.

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