Here's an excerpt from one of the must have books on sales, Jeffrey Gitomer's "The Little Red Book of Sales Answers" that can help you stand out from your competition.
All salespeople are under the false belief that because they think their product is better, that each customer will perceive them as different from others. And they are wrong.
The first key differentiator is you, the salesperson. You differentiate yourself from others by the questions that you ask, the ideas that you bring into the room, and how well you communicate them.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by BEING MORE PREPARED than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by BEING MORE ENGAGING than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by HAVING A DEEPER BELIEF SYSTEM than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by PROVIDING MORE PERCEIVED VALUE than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by THE CREATIVE IDEAS YOU PRESENT THAT ARE BETTER than the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by BEING A BETTER COMMUNICATORthan the other guy.
You differentiate yourself from the others
by BEING MORE ENTHUSIASTIC than the other guy.
The reality is most products are perceived the same.
The reality is most companies are perceived the same.
The reality is most salespeople are perceived the same.
If you want to make a difference, it's the questions you ask that your competition does not ask. It's the ideas that you bring into the sales presentation that make the customer say "Wow", or at least think it.
FINAL ANSWER: The reality is there's no difference between you and the competition unless your customer of your prospect perceives a difference. And that perception is based 80% on the salesperson's performance and attitude.
The reality is -- the Key Differentiator is YOU.
