One Totally Game-Changing (and Easy) Strategy to Beat Your Competitors

You know what your prospects are thinking -- all the time? Every time you interact with them, they're evaluating you and asking themselves: "Is this a person (company) I want to work with on a long-term basis?" 

If they feel pressure from you, the
answer is no. 

If they feel like you're trying too hard to be liked, the answer is no.

If they don't think you understand their business, the answer is no. 

If they get overwhelmed by what you're saying, the answer is no. 

So what makes them say, "Yes, I want to work with you!"

To be most effective in sales today, it's imperative to drop your "sales" mentality and start working with your prospects as if they’ve already hired you. When you do, it shifts your relationship to a whole new level from the very start.

Case in point. Several years ago a regional engineering firm contacted me about helping with an upcoming presentation. They'd been invited to make a presentation to a buying team, along with five other companies. As a regional firm, they were delighted to be included with all the industry giants. 

When I first met with the lead engineer and business developer, they truthfully didn't believe they could win the business. Their goal was simply to make the final three. They asked me to help them make a good showing. (Of course, my goal was to help them win!)

We began by reviewing the Request for Proposal (RFP) that the prospect had issued. They wanted tons of information about the company, its background, their qualifications, clients, and more. 

It was clear to me that their competitors were going to come into that meeting with a whole deck of PowerPoint slides and cover that information in excruciating detail. Borrrrring!  And just imagine their prospects having to sit through six of those presentations in one day. 

I told my client, "We're going to do something different. Your job is to go into the meeting as if they were already your customers." 

They didn't understand what I meant. I explained it more: "Let's assume they gave you the contract. What would you do next?" "

Well," they said. "We still have lots of unanswered questions based on reading their RFP. Plus, it seems like there are some contradictions. And, we're not exactly sure that what they're asking for is the best way for them to achieve their goals."

"Great!" I answered. "Then that's what your meeting will be about."

Flash forward two weeks. 

My clients flew to Chicago for the big meeting—their one and only chance to make it to the finals. They entered a room, filled with stern-faced decision makers seated grimly around the table. Clearly these people were already bored to tears.

To kick off the meeting, my client said:

"All the information you requested about our company is in this handout. We’ll gladly answer any questions you might have about it.

"But what we’d really like to do today is focus more on your challenge and what it’s going to take to resolve it. We have some questions that we believe may have an impact on achieving your desired outcome."

With that opening, he caught their undivided attention. The first slides focused on their current situation. My client asked pre-planned questions on vital topics to verify his understanding of the status quo and learn more in-depth information. These simple-to-answer questions were designed to get the prospects talking.

After that, my client brought up several key issues they’d uncovered in reviewing the RFP. This led to a discussion on root causes versus presenting symptoms.

My client then offered new ways to tackle the problem that were less disruptive. Finally, they challenged the prospects’ thinking on some "must have" criteria, suggesting options they thought might work better. This stirred up another highly engaging conversation.

In short, they started working on this $400,000 project during their presentation. 

The results? Remember, my client hoped to make it to the final three and had never even competed against the biggies before. 

But the actual outcome was even more surprising. Instead of going to a second round of more intensive presentations with the finalists, my client was awarded the contract within the week. Because everyone on the committee wanted to work with them, they canceled their final presentations. 

So many people are afraid to give away their ideas before a contract is signed. But often that’s the best way to win the business. 

What would you do for a customer that you’d never think about doing for a prospect?

 Are you holding back something because you’re afraid they’ll steal it? Are you approaching your meetings as a chance to really "strut your stuff" or are you getting to work?

For many sellers, this is a new concept. Think about how you can be more collegial -- even before you start working together. It’s worth it. 

_____________

Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and land big contracts. She's a frequent speaker at sales conferences. For more fresh sales strategies that work with crazy-busy prospects AND to get four bonus sales-accelerating tools, visit www.snapselling.com.

 

Comments

[jinan]

love your article jill. thx. jinan

[adetayo]

Wow, Jill that a whole new perspective i never thought of, it also indicates that as an organisation you are prepared to go the extra mile for the client, immediately adding 'value' to your proposal. Keep up these great insightful nuggets of sales wisdom!

[Stone Payton]

Jill, You Rock!

Marvelous Post, Excellent Counsel -- which we've shared with the readers over at Dreamland Interactive in our latest post as well.

- Stone

[Jill Konrath]

Hey Jinan, Adetayo & Stone,

Glad you're liking this post. It's a fresh approach that can yield amazing returns.

Also, here's the link to Stone's recent post which he references above:
http://dreamlandinteractive.com/2011/01/its-just-not-that-hard

In it, he shares lots of good links that got me clicking!

Jill

[Jeff Eskow]

Clever line of thought. I can see why this idea is a winner.

[Pekka Sahlsten]

That is exactly the way you can win an RFP: you take the customer a couple of steps backwards in the buying process. You go back into the diagnosing phase to uncover the real needs and propose a solution based on that. The drawback is it's sometimes very difficult to do.

Your approach is brilliant, Jill, thanks for sharing this!

[Peter Skakum]

"Start working with your prospects as if they have already hired you." More than a tip, it's wisdom.

This is one of the first blogs on selling I can finally buy into. Listen to Jill. She knows what she's talking about. There is a selling renaissance that has begun on this planet and Jill is clearly a part of that movement.

I believe one of the most valuable aspects of the old selling model (the one most of us are STILL using today, still reading on most blogs and in most books) is 'REJECTION'. In the old model we were told to suck it up and keep selling in spite of it. In the renaissance model rejection reminds us to question our values, motives, methods ... and improve.

[Greg Alexander]

Jill- You reminded me of the old saying " Do. Don't Tell". This is especially true for those selling a service vs. a product.

[Jill Konrath]

Hey all! Again, glad you like the post.

Greg, you summed it up well with "Do. Don't Tell."

Peter, I love the term "sales renaissance." I think I'll start using it.

Also, I think people have always been wrong with rejection. If we're experiencing it, we should always figure out what we're doing to create it. And, then we should figure out how to eliminate it entirely.

Pekka, you are so right that we need to take a few steps back. It helps us ensure our understanding and also shows that we want to propose the right step.