Buyers have changed dramatically. Technology has created information about industries and companies that buyers previously haven’t had access to. With the advent of the internet, information is immediately accessible to anyone interested in buying.
These buyers are self-educated and prefer not to talk to someone until they’re ready to talk to someone. They use the information and resources that’s at their fingertips to become educated before they reach out to a company representative. Customers have radically departed from the old ways of doing business.
This shift in knowledge has caused a commoditization to take place and salespeople are now forced into a price-driven market. That’s the environment in which we sell. The only way we can truly differentiate ourselves in a commodities market is through pricing. We now have incredible pressures to lower pricing and too often companies surrender to this idea.
We’ve entered a new information age where buyers don’t need to be educated by salespeople. Transactions are becoming simpler. The internet has shifted power from seller to buyer. Across industries, buyers are gaining the upper hand.
How can salespeople get on equal footing with the customer?
1. Understand revenue strategy
Understand your company’s revenue strategy. The most successful businesses know what kind of market they’re going into and how they’re going to enter. This strategy helps equip salespeople to understand their unique selling positions.
2. Train your skills
Successful companies have a sales force with differentiating degrees of skills and a training plan to improve those skills. Sandler Training is an excellent source of training for salespeople and I encourage any sales professional to attend Sandler trainings.
3. Use tools
Salespeople have tools to help them on sales calls to better represent themselves, their company and their products and services in a way that’s simple, elegant and enhances the capabilities of the sales person.
These tips can help overcome some of the obstacles businesses encounter today when buyers have more options and access to more information today. It’s hard enough to get in the door with a buyer, but if you’re properly prepared your chance of success can skyrocket.