Business magazines, books, and articles use the word ‘disruptive’ quite a bit to describe an ultimate goal – the domination of an industry or the building of a virtually competition-proof customer base. It’s an admirable goal and we all want that, don’t we?
The problem is that being ‘disruptive’ in this sense requires the Big Idea. You have to invent the next iPhone, the next Uber, the next Facebook, etc. It’s a great goal and a great ambition – but I often wonder how much time and energy gets squandered attempting to be “Disruptive” (capital-D), when you could have a lot of success being “disruptive” (lower case-d) by changing the way you sell what you already have. Yes, you can be disruptive in selling, and let’s talk about how.
In selling, disruption happens when customer paradigms are changed. What this means is that, for disruption to happen, customers must not only evaluate YOU, but your COMPETITORS, through a different framework than before.
To change paradigms, change the conversation. In every industry, there is an ‘industry standard sales call.’ It goes something like this, from the salesperson’s perspective:
“So, how are you using my competitor’s products?”
“What do you like about them?”
“What do you dislike about them?”
(By the way, there’s nothing wrong with these three questions – I teach them too – but most salespeople are done at this point; if you learn my program, you’re just getting started.)
“In a perfect world, what would you like to change?”
“The price question.” I refer to it this way because it’s phrased as everything from “What are you paying now?” to “What’s your budget?”
By now, the customer’s mind is set that there’s really no difference between the person in front of him and the person that sold him whatever he’s buying; hence, there’s only one variable.
If you have the same conversation your competitor has, the only way to differentiate yourself is price. When salespeople say to me, “But Troy, in my industry, everything boils down to price!” they’re probably right – but they’re also not changing the conversation. They’re asking the same old questions that their competitors ask, getting the same old answers, and leaving themselves only one place to differentiate. Price.
So, how do you disrupt?
Ask questions that your competitors don’t ask. Be inquisitive to the point of OCD. Know everything you can know about your customer – or THEIR customers. Use lots of questions that begin with “why.” Make your prospect dig deep in his or her head for answers that your competitors don’t hear.
Research things that your competitors don’t research – and your customers might not, either. If you’re going into a business that deals with the public, you should know their Yelp ratings (as well as other review sites) to the decimal point. You should be able to quote from some notable reviews, or have them printed out and with you. Are you selling recruiting services? Be prepared to discuss your customer’s comments on GlassDoor, and how that affects their hiring picture. Be Brave. Some salespeople are scared spineless to confront a customer with a low Yelp rating or a bad review. Don’t be that salesperson. It’s reality and we sell in the real world. Maybe there’s a ‘hook’ there that can get you in the door.
Tell Stories. Stories, as I’ve said before, are one of the most powerful means of communicating customer success – and precious few salespeople know how to do it. Learn, and get good at it, then use that skill constantly.
Tell them “No.” Few things are more disruptive than a salesperson who tells a customer “no,” particularly if the customer is asking about price. “Can I get a lower price?” is usually followed by weasel words like, “Well, I’ll have to check with my boss….” Or “If I could, would you?” This nonsense plugs you into the exact same size hole as your competitors. Tell them “no,” and mean it. You have different and better value than your customers; be proud of your price.
Try things. This sales mindset virtually mandates that you try new techniques and discard the ones that don’t work. Don’t worry – unless you do something truly offensive, no failure is permanent. Try new presentations, new benefits, new questions, etc. Your customers will let you know what works.
I’ve said before that FEAR is the obstacle of all good things in selling. I mean it. The reason this approach isn’t tried more often is that it’s safe to go with what’s ‘proven.’ Taking this approach means stepping out of your comfort zone as well as your customer’s, trying new techniques and skills, and making note of what works and what doesn’t. In essence, you’re letting your customer be your sales coach – and with this comes risk of failure.
The reward, however, is being much, much more than the average salesperson. The reward is being one of those people that dominates their industry, that is attractive to customers, and that builds bullet-proof customer relationships. Do you want to be that person?
