Eric Mulford | 20 Dec, 2010
From a consumer stand point the term "value added" means nothing. It does not give great value to the product itself. The baseline value of the product will have to stand on its own. This definition of what adds value is really a consumer driven thing.
Doing what is best for the consumer is really either what you do or it isn't. All things being equal, baseline value of the product, consumers will purchase from a sales rep who really cares about their needs and not just throwing in some "extra" things to make the sale.
I have tried for years to get sales reps to understand that the value they "add" comes from them. It isn't something that the company provides to help them make up for their lack of understanding of the consumer and his/her needs. Claiming that you have a value added service sounds to your potential buyer like saying "buy this car from me because it has air in the tires."
Giving Value first demands that you see things from your potential buyer's perspective. Understand that the potential buyer is always seeking to satisfy his/her own wants and needs - never yours. You are not in the consideration! It is never about you - it is always about them. There are four levels of buyer satisfaction
1. You must meet the potential buyers expectations. Ask yourself how you can do this with your product or service? Understand that it is the product or service that meets a potential buyers needs not some added value. Nothing that you add to the product or service is going to help you meet expectations. The potential buyers expectations are on the product - not on your added value. I'm not saying that the extra things aren't important - they are the subject of the next point. What I am saying is that the product itself comes with certain expectations and those expectations must be met by the product or the potential buyer will look somewhere else.
Can you list twenty possible expectations a potential buyer might have before you have your first conversation? Can you show how your product is capable of meeting those expectations without the use of superlatives? Make a list of twenty things that will meet the buyers expectations. Then tomorrow add twenty more to the list...
2. Once the potential buyer understands your ability to meet his expectations you must prove your ability to exceeding the expectations. Here is where you provide the additional value. You must be constantly asking how you might be able to exceed the potential buyers expectations - by adding what... to the initial purchase product. Think of twenty ways in which you can exceed your potential buyers expectations. Now think about those things from your new customers perspective and see if you're on target. If not, go back and think of twenty more. Then tomorrow add twenty more to the list...
3. Next you must delight the buyer beyond the initial point of purchase. Sometimes referred to as"satisfaction after the sale". You must understands the difference between satisfaction and delight. Constantly be asking yourself, "how can I delight my customer?" He then develops ways to accomplish delight in his customers. Can you think of twenty ways to delight your customers? Will you think of twenty more tomorrow? How do you plan to implement those things today? What's your plan for tomorrow?
4. Finally you must understand the power of amazement. You know that amazing the potential buyer at every step in the sales process is essential to being the best. Stop right now and think of twenty ways you can amaze your potential buyer from the first contact all the way through the buyer referring you to his friends. Then tomorrow think of twenty more. Schedule how you plan to implement those things.
Value demands that you understand your potential buyer! The buyer determines value by one standard - satisfaction. Value is your product and that product is you. Without you...your product is simply a commodity. Sales professionals take the commodity, add themselves to the mix and create great value, customer satisfying value, for the potential buyers.
(Source: Articlesbase) * Eric Mulford is freelance writer. * The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of SME Times.
