August 17th, 2011
What do you do differently to win a sale? Or to put it another way: What’s the space you claim in the marketplace that sets you apart?
The vast majority of sales leaders differentiate themselves in one of two obvious ways:
1) By their product’s attributes
2) By their product’s price/performance value proposition
This has always been the orthodox way to position one’s offerings. It remains the standard most sellers use today—and it is not enough. (See our white paper for the full reasons why.)
As every Holden graduate knows, successful sellers don’t just put their product out there and expect it to sell itself. They position themselves and their offerings with an eye to defeating their sales competitors. But how do you decide exactly what that positioning should be? One useful way to address this question is through the Differentiation Matrix.
Use the boxes in the matrix to outline your strengths against your weaknesses. In this fiercely competitive era of parity products and services, the truth is that most offerings resemble their rivals in most of the ways that matter. After you’ve listed your strengths and weakness against those of your competitor, you will find that you are counting on just a few points to differentiate yourself and win. Reviewing your matrix will help show how to engage your customer—and how to prepare against your competitor’s claims.
Listen to founder Jim Holden explain how to study your competition. When you know which key contacts will influence the buying decision, you know who you need to please with your sales argument. That’s when your Differentiation Matrix takes on even greater value, because you know exactly what weapons are at your disposal.
To increase winning percentages, sellers must hook the Fox’s agenda with their specific benefit promise, all the while deflecting their competitor’s angles. Your points of difference are HOW you set yourself apart from your competitors. Count on the Differentiation Matrix to help you isolate the playing field on which you have to win.
