Salespeople often sound the same. Many buyers find them robotic. When it comes to B2B sales, you should differentiate how you sell.

Basically you want to ensure that you are not like other salespeople who are trying to sell to the same prospects as you. Assume that your competitors are calling the same people you are. That should give you pause to think about not being like all the other salespeople.

We often overemphasize the product or service in B2B sales. Yet, the salesperson is the first thing that buyers will notice. Your ability to differentiate how you sell, or failure to do so, is instant and measurable. Unlike product differentiation claims, which are harder to prove and intangible.

Here are some concrete tips on how to differentiate how you sell;

DON’T…

·       Talk about your product, features and benefits, the competition or about your company

·       Offer to give demos of your product too soon

·       Read from a script (never do that!)

What should you do instead?

To differentiate how you sell, you need to take lots of different actions. But let’s focus on one of the most important things you can control – you.

Firstly, focus on you – the salesperson. This does not mean talk about yourself of course! But you should be able to articulate how you are different than all the other salespeople. You do this by being clear about the value of working with you.

That value pertains to helping the buyer achieve their goals. Before you start talking about the value of your product or service. You first need to articulate how you make it easier for the buyer to make an informed buying decision. Many B2B products are purchased infrequently. So, inexperienced buyers don’t know how to buy the product or service that you sell.

Differentiate how you sell by being the most helpful or the most informed. Perhaps you can be the salesperson who can get answers the fastest. Choose the dimension that fits for you and is most meaningful to your target market.

Then you want to ooze that into every single conversation you have with your prospects. Don’t just say it, live it. If you are trying to be the most helpful then be helpful to your prospects in every interaction you have with them.   

According to the Harvard Business Review customers want B2B salespeople who help remove obstacles. Those “salespeople that make buying easy are 62% likelier than other suppliers to win a high-quality sale”.

In conclusion, don’t sound robotic. Differentiate how you sell by being different than all the other salespeople. Be a valuable resource to your prospects along the complex buying process. That’s the kind of differentiation that wins more sales.