In sales, even when you have a market-leading service, and the challenges you are solving are timely, it is still a tough job.
In the old days, when telemarketers would send sales people up and down the country, people would meet you to know more. You used to be the font of knowledge. As people now can do their own research, ask for recommendations from a wider audience, sales people are redundant, or at the very least called in much further down the funnel when there is a deal to be done.
Of course, all sales people want to be in front of our buyers a lot earlier than that, as it is during the information gathering, that you can add value, show you have integrity and position yourself as the person and company that can be trusted the most.
When you are in early, you frame their thinking, warn them about things to watch out for… you are in essence helping write their requirements. Your buyers become convinced of the type of solution they need (yours) and so is the benchmark they then use to go out to other suppliers.
Networking is so effective if you don’t mind the long game. At Pitch121 we help you to online network much more than you would have time for, and to be more effective at this, we recommend our clients use value ladders to add value and bring more of the right fit clients through your funnel.
Value ladders,
- Educate – why your product or service is needed
- Realise – that they, themselves may need your product or service
- Prove – that you are the best person as you’ve helped others like them
- Commit – before you’ve spent lots of time with this future client you, and they are committing a little time and/or money to have a taste of what you do.
They are good for your future customers as they can gather information, learn about the subject and your services in their own time, and at their own rate. It means they don’t have to be directly sold to, until they are ready.
They are good for your business as the most interested companies move up the ladder before you spend time with them. Your prospective clients already have the same thinking before they get to sales meeting stage, so pipelines are shorter and cost per sale go down.
See our partner Michael Humblet explaining some examples of a value ladder
If you would like us to create a (free) plan for what you could offer as a Value Ladder, please get in touch, h[email protected]
