"So there I was, sitting in front of a client trying to do my very best to convey a clear-cut value proposition and all I got was a cold blank stare - not that impressed, I was guessing...the customer had heard it all before."

Many of us have probably stumbled across a difficult sales call where the amount of work does not quite cut it and bring in the sale. An interesting article on customer value propositions in business markets was written by Anderson et al. in 2006 where the main premise of their research concluded that most often customers only look at price and do not listen to your sales pitch. Anderson suggests that there are three kinds of value propositions: all benefits, favorable points of difference, and resonating focus, of which the latter is the best practice alternative and yields the best outcome to professionals pitching their products or services. 

A resonating value proposition answers the customers' question: "What is the most worthwhile for our firm to keep in mind about your specific offering?" It also requires a profound understanding on how the offering delivers superior value to customers, compared with the next best alternative, of course. After all is said and done, the resonating approach requires an inquisitive mind and oftentimes exhaustive customer value research. Anderson et al. contend that sales people will avoid common pitfalls as they bring one or two points of difference (and a point of parity for extra umph) to the table in order to showcase the greatest value proposition for the foreseeable future. 

As sales people focus on constructing and delivering a well prepared value proposition to clients, it will make a significant contribution to business strategy and performance. The best offerings cut to the core of the client's business and really have a keen understanding of the customer's underlying real needs and fixes. 

The essentials of sales was basically covered in our last post. Whilst in the midst of sales calls and cold calling, one might ask what the most important thing is that you should be doing. 

Facebook is without any hyperbole the most successful SoMe company in the world and was able to create a whole new business. What is the most important thing I could be doing? - IS the most important question we should ask every day as far as sales is considered. Fortunately, in trying to figure this out for a company, there is an easy answer: SALES. 
Answering this very same question for sales, however, presents a little more complex reply and include elements where making sure your sales funnel is being filled with meaningful and quality tasks and serves the bottom line. 

In order to get sales, one must attack the problem from several fronts and often at the same time. The most important thing you should be doing in sales is to figure out how to serve the customer's bottom line. What is this bottom line? How to save money? How to get the best outcome? It all depends on the customer, of course, and what they value the most. Our next post will go more into this by introducing a customer value proposition model that will be a "sure fire" method for any sales person.