Effective selling in a competitive market

The trend of increasingly intense competition means that selling effectively has become much more difficult and demanding than ever before. You cannot assume you will remain successful simply by doing the same things that have worked for you in the past. If you want to stop losing sales to your competition then it is imperative that you sharpen your competitive selling skills.

This course covers the simple but effective ways in which you can persuade your clients that your proposition is the best solution to their needs and has greater value than the competition. It is an interactive workshop at the end of which everyone will have a usable framework for competitor analysis and value-based, competitive selling.

Outline

Competition:

• Defining competition
• Assessing the customer’s view of alternative actions
• The impact of competition on an organisation

Analysing your market:

• Who are your competitors, and how do your chances of getting the business compare with theirs?
• How and what do your clients think of possible suppliers, including you?
• The importance of differentiation and creating a strong value proposition
• Discovering and understanding the client’s buying processes

The evaluation process – how to ensure you get into pole position, and stay there:

• Evaluating and strengthening your competitive position
• Determining the actions which have the most positive impact on the client’s acceptance of your sales proposition
• Reviewing your position with your client relative to your competition
• What to do if your competitor is in pole position

Adapting your selling style to make your proposition more compelling than others’:

• Being clear on your client’s expectations
• Modern selling, and how it has evolved over the last five years
• Being aware of the sales skills which allow you to differentiate yourself from other salespeople

Other factors which have an impact on sales success:

• Understanding the effect of relative pricing and its impact on perceived value
• How to get the most out generic and specific marketing tools for each prospective sale
• The importance of service and added value