There are a few questions that every salesman needs to ask himself about the competition:
If you perceive that you have competition and you're afraid of that competitor, you'd better be the one to raise the subject, because that way you can do so at a point that serves your presentation well. There's nothing wrong with talking about the competition, as long as you discuss it on your terms.
Stand Apart When prospects would tell one of my local competitors they were going to be talking with Phil Rea, the salesperson would respond: “You don't want to talk with him. He's expensive. He drives a Mercedes.”
This actually made them want to talk with me more. They figured there had to be something special going on because most contractors arrive in an SUV or a pickup truck. They figured: not only is he successful, but it won't cost us a dime to talk to him.
It's good to let your prospects know what separates your company from the rest. Do that by going into some detail about certain employees and the skills they have. Discuss the warranties and service your company offers that are unique to the industry. Talk about lifetime warranties, annual inspections, 24-hour service, and the fact that all phone calls are returned the same day. Show pictures of your company replacing or re-doing work done by others. Share written testimonies from your clients.
Take Control Do you believe that the prospects would be getting an inferior job if they went with another company? If so, the competition is not another company, the competition is the prospect. Sell as if you are the only company in your market that can deliver the job.
Professional salespeople sell offensively, not defensively. That means anything that might come up in the conversation should be brought up by you. That way it comes up when you want and how you want. —Phil Rea has conducted more than 13,200 in-home sales calls and trained more than 1,750 salespeople. He shares his sales strategies each month with salespeople across the country through his MasterMind Program. For more information, call 866.441.7445.
