What is your differentiator?

This is a question that brings me back to Sales 101 but is often overlooked. As a sales representative (if you own a small business you ARE a sales rep) we tend to get caught up on the pushing of product. The concern is getting sales over becoming an asset. In many sales jobs a relationship needs to be born before a sale can ever occur. So how do we start a relationship?

After the first few months at my first sales job i realized that trying to start a relationship with a potential client is no different than trying to start a romantic relationship. Follow me down the rabbit hole and you’ll see that the two mirror. You show up at a potential clients office, he knows what you are there for the same way a person knows what you are trying to sell when you approach them at a bar. The uncomfortableness, the awkward silence as your grasping to relate to them, all so that they will trust you enough to do business; or is it go out with you…

What if we could find a way to push past this. What if we could find a way to set ourselves apart from every other suitor walking in the door? This is where the scary and sometimes confusing ‘differentiator’ comes in to play. What do you bring to the table that no one else does and is it a fixed value?
Finding your differentiator is a tough thing to do and can appear without warning or search. Is it joining organizations that your potential clients are members, is it joining a golf club, is it using your iPad? The answer to this you will have to find yourself but make sure you figure out what exactly makes anyone want to date you!

For me I realized that my knowledge of the iPad was mine and it wasn’t till my significant other (iGirl) slapped me across the face with it that i did. My clientele by day are all surgeons. By nature they do not embrace change or trust new people to be on their playing field (the OR) so my attempt to start a relationship is quickly squashed. I wasn’t offering them anything new. I was the same guy, different haircut, as everyone of my competitors. The surgeon just picked the one he hated to be around the least.

This all changed when I bought my first iPad. I spent some time setting the device up or as we say at i-FFICIENCY say, getting “Dialed-in” and gave my first presentation with it to surprising results. He actually payed attention! the majority of my meetings last 20-30 minutes and have had less that fantastic results. This meeting was over an hour, we talked about my work, how I got set up, he told me about his practice, how he could implement the device; you name it we talked about it. We even started getting into his family life and how he could use it to better communicate. It truly was amazing. I offered to come back when he had some time and work with him on getting his newly bought iPad (he left the office to go buy one after our meeting) to which he responded an overwhelming yes.

Had I found it?? Had I found my differentiator? Does my knowledge of how to use these magical devices in the most efficient and productive way possible make me an asset to my clients? Yes it does! I went back and worked with him and a few other doctors. The mood lighter,  guard down and watched as they became amazed at all the things I was doing to help them and their practice. Strangely enough without prompting the Dr.’s started asking me about my product. They wanted to know how it performs and what other products I have available. I had begun a sales process that I never actually initiated all by making myself an asset, by finding my differentiator!

What is your differentiator?
Hint: its not your good looks or sex appeal, save that for trying to get a date.

-Chris

@ifficiency