Sell What Makes You Different…Not Just Better
One of the “rules” we teach in our core entrepreneurship course at Chicago Booth is; “Be different, not just better.” Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of settling for “better” and then finding out that it is exceedingly difficult to describe what that means. ”Better” tends to mean a better team, smarter people, faster service, less hassle, more taste, ….even fewer calories. But we’ve heard all of that.
The most successful entrepreneurs focus. They get crystal clear on what they do, and what they don’t do and why that’s different. Then they communicate that relentlessly.
Here’s an example. Have you flown Delta lately? How would you describe Delta? What about Delta is special? I’m assuming you’re having difficulty coming up with an answer. Why? Because, like everyone else, they strive to be “better.” Now, have you flown Southwest lately (better yet, Virgin)? How would you describe Southwest? Fun, irreverent, jokers. That’s different. They don’t want to just be better, they made a conscious decision to be different.
Sales people need to steal this approach from successful entrepreneurs. Often, we sell so many benefits of our solutions that the message gets lost in the mix. The more benefits you sell, the more clouded it gets. Decide on what makes your solution (AND you!) truly different and sell only that. You’ll get faster yes’s and no’s. (Both are a good thing!) And the engine will turn faster.
Prospects are often surprised when a salesperson doesn’t “act like a salesperson” and acts like a genuine human being. Forget about this feature or that benefit of your product or service and instead, think about what is different about your style or your company. We hear about features all day long, that it’s refreshing to get a clear message from a salesperson.
