INTRODUCTION


Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to read, reflect, and engage with this special edition of Selling


Power. To put things into perspective, let’s step back in time and review where we’ve come from. In the 1970s, millions of salespeople in America were told that knowledge is power, and a good salesperson knew the product inside out. “Our high-pressure hydraulics give you 32% more digging power.” The only problem was that turning a salesperson into a walking product encyclopedia didn’t engage buyers at an emotional level. The 1980s saw benefit selling become the gold standard. Sales trainers told salespeople that


“features justify the price; benefits justify the purchase.” The salesperson would first describe the feature and then add the benefit: “This means you can remove dirt faster and lower your cost per ton.” The challenge with benefit selling was that the list of benefits had been created by the company’s marketing department and didn’t reflect the true needs of the customer. Value-based selling begins with a clear understanding of the customer and their business.


Product knowledge and benefit language have their place; high performing reps keep their product knowledge in their pocket until they confirm an understanding of what the prospect is trying to accomplish and why. Of course, product knowledge is important, and a product centric sales approach will often fall flat. Research shows that salespeople who embrace value-based selling begin with a clear understanding of the buyer’s needs, behaviors, expectations, business challenges, and the desired measurable and quantifiable outcomes. Selling without understanding these fundamentals reduces the customer relationship to a transaction and brands the salesperson as an amateur. “Currently value-based selling is more important than ever. Gaining the attention of potential


customers is increasingly difficult. With the current economic environment, justifying the purchase and building the business case to buy is required. World class sales organizations understand that equipping their revenue teams with a best practice approach, skillset, competencies, and toolset is no longer a luxury – it is an imperative,” says Julie Thomas, President and CEO of ValueSelling Associates. To create this special edition, we’ve interviewed some of America’s leading sales experts, business leaders, and industry analysts. We’ve concluded that value-based selling is not just a more effective skill set, but the reflection of a companywide, buyer-focused mindset. After reviewing all the articles in this issue, we hope you will agree that value-based selling is


more than a framework for sales success; it is a framework for any successful communication. After all, to create value for your customer, you must understand what they value.


JULIE THOMAS PRESIDENT AND CEO VALUESELLING ASSOCIATES


GERHARD GSCHWANDTNER FOUNDER AND CEO SELLING POWER INC.


SELLING POWER VALUESELLING ASSOCIATES SPECIAL EDITION 2022 | 3 © 2022 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.


SELLING POWER OSG SPECIAL EDITION 2022


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