Know where to focus. Not everyone evaluates product solutions with the same decision criteria.

When sitting toe-to-toe with a prospective client, how well do you answer the question, “What sets you apart from your competitor?”

Tom Snyder, vice president of Huthwaite – the creators of SPIN Selling – says in the audio book, “Sound Advice on Sales Strategies,” that professional sales people often have trouble articulating what makes their offerings unique.

“In this day and age,” he says, “it’s all about creating customer value, and that means more than just explaining what your product can do that no one else’s can.“

Snyder says the answer should change from customer to customer, depending on their specific needs. “Price may be paramount in one client’s mind while quick delivery or installation could be the deal clincher for another.”

When asked about differentiators, Snyder recommends sales people first ask themselves what differences will matter to this specific client. “Successful sales professionals know this, and more importantly, they know how to make the sharing of these differentiators a value-creating opportunity, not just a value-communicating event.”

Tom Snyder offers advice on planning and executing sales strategies each week in the free audio-newsletter from What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What’s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, a publisher of business audiobooks and online audio programs on marketing, sales, and small business strategies.