Sales Skill: Creating An Unfair Advantage

OK, Crawford, what are you doing here? I thought great salespeople were always honorable. Yep, but there are advantages you have over your competitor they don’t have. So those I consider an unfair advantage because others can’t have them. And they give you a leg up when competing for business. Let’s look at how you create an unfair advantage.

First Unfair Advantage Is You!

Only the business you work for has you. So what, you may ask. The competitors have salespeople too. Yes, but they are not you. The knowledge, skill and experience you bring to the prospect is unique. How well you know the benefits of your product or service to the prospect is an advantage. Do you have the selling skills to convince your prospect your solution is perfect? Can you demonstrate experience where you have solved the same or very similar problem for a customer? Great salespeople have the skills to be a personal advantage to the prospect.

Relationship

Great salespeople are incredible relationship builders. They have provided value to their customer and the customer’s company. The strong bond between salesperson and buyer is an unfair advantage to a competitor. A relationship built on mutual trust and valuable service to a customer is a strong barrier to a competitor. Great salespeople who are skilled at building rapport with a prospect gain an unfair advantage when competing for new business. Their ability to present themselves as a valuable asset to the buyer sets them apart from less skilled sellers. You are an unfair advantage when you build a strong buyer-salesperson relationship.

Knowledge

Yep, great salesperson, what and who you know is an unfair advantage. Maybe your brother owns a company buying product from you. I think it would be difficult for a competitor to take the business from you. Assuming of course you are providing outstanding quality and service. Great salespeople have the unfair advantage of a good network. Relationships with colleagues, customers, influencers and even competitors are an unfair advantage. Your superior knowledge of the industry, the prospect’s company and your competitors is an unfair advantage. Are you up to date on the trends in your prospect’s industry? Do you have insight into the challenges facing your prospect’s company? Are you competent in understanding how your product or service solves problems? When you know more than your competitor that’s an unfair advantage.

Humility

Great salespeople work harder than their competitors. They put in the time to be the best in their profession. Find a great salesperson and you’ll see an overall great person. Being humble they understand most people “don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Their success comes from putting the customer first. Great salespeople know it’s a team effort and share the credit for their success. They are quick to praise and thank colleagues for their help. Great salespeople are humble enough to use these four statements from Armand Gamache, a detective character in novels by Louise Penny: “I don’t know. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I need help.” Appropriately humble salespeople are an unfair advantage.

What You Can Do Right Now To Have An Unfair Advantage

• Work tirelessly to be the best in your profession
• Take the time to learn all you can about your product and customers
• Be generous in your help to and praise of others

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Three, Being A Great Salesperson, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales encouragement, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford