The playing fields of the sales world have been flattened. Powerful economic forces—from outsourcing and offshoring, to workflow software and the Internet—have reduced the costs of entry to where almost anybody can play. The consequences? This easier entry has resulted in the commoditization of all goods and services. We hear from our clients that it’s becoming tougher and tougher to differentiate themselves not just from their serious rivals, but from everybody else in the game. The reason: Customers and prospects no longer see an individual company’s value. Companies worldwide are finding they must differentiate themselves with some kind of perceived recognizable value (other than price justification). This requires that the salesperson permanently retire the old one-size-fits-all approach and instead focus squarely on each customer’s immediate and long-term goals, needs, and challenges. In other words, they need to engage in buyer-centric selling—beginning with understanding how your customer buys.
*Except from MHI Global Sales Performance Journal