Category: Sales Coaching

Sales Coaching, Sales Management, Sales Techniques

5 tips to help you sell against your competitors

Posted on by Tom Lavery

B2B sales is highly competitive. In all the sales I’ve experienced, the competition has been involved in the process at some point. This could be at the very beginning, half way through or the end.  Whether you like it or not, there is always a competitor or an alternative option just lurking around the corner.  So how do you know when to sell over your competitors? Which ones are in involved? When is the ideal time to discuss them?  How do you weave them into the conversation? What do you say about them?

These are skills I developed over the years and used to my advantage to get the very best results. Here are some tips that I hope help you.

Never talk trash about your competitors

The best ways to act, whether you are selling to SMB or Enterprise, is to act humble. Have humility, show that you really care and have empathy with your sales prospect. If you talk trash about your competitors at any point in the sales process you are showing none of these qualities. You also risk losing the credibility you have already earned. It is always best to show respect to everyone in your marketplace.

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Sales Coaching, Sales Productivity, Sales Techniques

The difference between missing and crushing your quota

Posted on by Tom Lavery

Over my years in sales, I can attribute my success to my diligence and level of activity. I knew I was always outperforming our competitors because my level of activity and contact points were 5 times higher than everyone else’s.

People are busy and as a sales professional, you are very rarely at the top of anyone’s list. So to be really successful you need to engineer a position where you keep connected to your prospect so that you stay at the front of their mind.  This applies when you are hunting an inbound or outbound lead, or connecting with an existing account or opportunity.

The problem

I have seen this in all countries I have worked in and across multiple sales and account management teams. It goes something like this…

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Sales Coaching, Sales Techniques, Sales Training

How to sell over your competitors

Posted on by Tom Lavery

There are many important attributes to being a top sales professional that come naturally. As Daniel Pink explains in his book, “To Sell is Human”, the modern salesperson needs Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity to be successful. There are other sales skills you learn over time, and in your business, like understanding and selling your product, how to frame your sales call and how to sell the success stories of your clients. One of the biggest things that is frequently missed is to how to correctly sell against your competition. Here are some ways to help with this.

Never bad mouth your competition 

Start with this very simple rule..It may seem obvious. But you’d be surprised how many time people do this. You can always tell by the questions the buyer asks , especially if you are not the first to present. Always make sure you approach talking about your competition in a professional manor. Make sure you carefully select the language you use to explain how you are better so you aren’t damning in any way.

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