Taken from Tom Reilly's How to Add Value

Eighty-two percent of salespeople fail to differentiate their solution from the competition. What are the definable and defendable differences between your company and the competition? Why should someone be willing to spend more money to do business with your company than with the competition? Until your company can successfully answer these questions on the firing line with the buyer you may be relegated to a me-too status in the buyers mind.

The value added approach has never been just about beating a competitor. Its more about better serving customers. Value added organizations dont cut the competitors price, they cut the customers costs. Value added organizations do not ask, What do we have to do to beat the competition? They ask, What is the most value we can bring to the customer?

The value added approach is not about beating your competitionthats not your primary mission. Your primary mission is to do a better job for the customer. If you do that, you will beat the competition hands-down, every time. But, you must know what the competition offers. You must study their products, understand their value added, know why their customers love them and are loyal to them, and mostly, know their weaknesses. Chances are, their weaknesses are your strengths and the answer to the question, What are the definable and defendable differences between you and the competition?

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