melvincaine

Enterprise Account Executive

Product is a Commodity

There are some awesome products on the market out there however some like mine have little to no product differentiation. Any advice you'd give to a fellow seller trying to sell a product in a competitive market with hardly any differentiators?

🧠 Advice

☁️ Software Tech

19 comments

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coletrain

Politicker

Account Executive

When the product isn't the differentiator, you are.

It's about building up the rapport and ease of working with your firm, bringing in stakeholders from your side to show that "this isn't just a 'pass off the opportunity' type of company. This is a 'we support you, focus on you' type of company"

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

Account Executive

Completely agree here, sales positioning is much more critical (and difficult) as the product differentiation decreases

coletrain

Politicker

Account Executive

100% agree with you on that. I tend to think of Tommy Boy and guarantees in this type of situation

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Great service is definitely a differentiation.

RandyLahey

Politicker

Account Executive

this is a great take. Let your excellent work and service be the differentiator.

ZVRK

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Agree with what others have said about you being a differentiator and resources and post-sales care.

What I`d like to add, is that strategic partnerships and alliances will also be a huge differentiator if your company can afford to work on them.

For example, if you manage to get your product integrated within one of the global vendors in your space, and work out a rev share model where their sales field force will also promote your product - then you`re already doing better than your competition by the simple way of a better distribution network and technology alignment.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Pepsi and Coke are caramel colored sugar. One is slightly sweeter than the other, but both are going to rot my insides out. I choose Coke for the brand...build a better brand.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

I love a Coke red 🔥

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Be cheaper

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Competing on price is a losing game.

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

True, but it's one way to do it

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Differentiator is not always products but sometimes also the resources :)

Many customers also care about the experience they will have after the sale is done.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Some other things that can help differentiate not mentioned yet.

Lead time on products that require it

Freight costs

Time it takes to implement or install

Does the product require a lot of time to be trained or is it relatively easy to pick up and run with

Operational, maintenance, or other monthly or yearly costs typically not captured when prices up

How hard is the product to integrate into others they exist

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

Being first to respond with inbounds and building the relationship is key

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Maybe too entry level for this but it's never not important. Do what you say you'll do when you say you'll do it. And be 5 minutes early, always. Use "you" more than "I." You've got to be hyper-inquisitive too. The more you know, the more indispensable you become. Do all that and your in front of the rest.

detectivegibbles

Politicker

Sales Director

Why would someone pick your product over another?

Give us an example of why someone went with you over another vendor.

Then, take that answer and keep making it better.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Don’t sell the product. Sell yourself and your team.

Maximas

Tycoon

Senior Sales Executive

Try yo have a look to check the most sold one(s) out of em in order to try to get to a conclusion about the reason behind why they have that demand or what's special about em.
After that, offer the same product with the same exact features but with a competitive price at least for a while to get your product well known first,once the consumers get to know your product enough it's time to get the fair price on it that you deserve!

RelationshipMaker

Opinionated

Head of Sales

I got told in Uni that head to head competition almost always fails. There is normally something that differentiates, there has to be.
If there isn’t, create it or be the difference.
Look at after the sale, it’s often where the competition fail, they’re so focused in the sale itself, they’re not not looking past it.

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melvincaine

Product is a Commodity

19 comments

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