I could tell something was terribly wrong the moment she walked into my office. Karen, an extraordinarily bright and talented young woman, usually exuded vitality and confidence.

But that day she dragged herself in and slouched into the chair, all the while shaking her head back and forth as if in disbelief.

"I might as well be selling wastebaskets," she said, totally discouraged. "No matter how much I try, customers just don't see any difference between our system and the others. All they want to know is how much it costs."

In today's marketplace, this scenario is repeating itself over and over again. Karen wasn't selling cheap products; she was selling systems that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. And even when companies really do have product or service superiority, customers believe it's a short- lived situation and expect the playing field to be leveled again soon.

So how can you achieve and maintain competitive differentiation when everything in the marketplace is working against this?

That's truly the $64,000 question that everyone who sells should be asking themselves every single day.

We've entered into a new sales paradigm - and most salespeople have no idea that the rules of the game have changed. In this new sales paradigm, sellers must create business value with each and every customer interaction.

That's right - value creation is what it's all about! It's the only way sellers can differentiate themselves in today' s economy. Over the next few months we'll share suggestions on how you can become a Value Creator for your customers.

If you implement these strategies, I guarantee that you'll stand out from the crowd and will sell more than you can imagine.

STRATEGY #1: CHANGE YOUR FOCUS
Think about a prospect with whom you'd really like to do business or an existing customer with whom you'd like to do more business.

Write their name down: ______________________.

Now imagine you've been granted a meeting with an all- powerful, all-knowing genie. What questions would you like this genie to answer for you?

If you're like most sellers, these are the kinds of questions that pop into your mind. They're all focused on strategies and techniques you can use to tip the scale in your favor.

While those questions are still important to ask during the sales process, in the new sales paradigm they are NOT the Defining Question.

To be successful selling your product or service in the new sales paradigm, here's what you need to be constantly asking yourself:

This singular change in focus immediately affects your thinking. It's not about your product or service anymore. It's not about any particular sales strategy or technique.

It's all about YOU providing VALUE to your customers. So turn your brain loose on this question. New options and ideas that you never considered before will begin to emerge. These new alternatives can have a dramatic impact on your relationships with existing and prospective customers.

To be a Value Creator, your must change your focus today. Now. Immediately. It's the first step -- the foundation step -- to being successful in the new sales paradigm.

********************************
Jill Konrath, President of Selling to Big Companies and Leapfrog-Strategies Inc., helps sellers create value, differentiation and demand in competitive markets. For info on speaking, training or consulting services, please call 651-429-1922 or email us at jill@sellingtobigcompanies.com

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