What are you going to say when the prospect asks, “Why should I buy from you?”
Oh, it is going to happen to you. You best be prepared for the question and you most definitely must be prepared with your answer.
Several years ago when I was with the Zig Ziglar Corporation the account executive, Margaret, and I were conducting a phone call with a prospect in Atlanta. Margaret had interacted with the prospect a few times and I was asked to help close the training engagement.
Margaret had masterfully moved through the sales process by building rapport, opened the discussion, and confirmed the needs. The prospect then asked, “OK, why should I buy from you?”
His question caught me off guard as I had not been asked that in a few years. I looked at Margaret and whispered, “I got this.” Well, truth be told, I really didn’t have it. I had to stall, so I said, “There are three reasons you should buy from us.” I said that to buy some time. As I did, I realized that the answers were right in front of me.
I replied, “There are three exclusives we offer. The first, the philosophy of the Zig Ziglar Corporation. It is a straightforward belief: You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people to get what they want. That is delivered on each training program we conduct. Secondly, Margaret comes with each sale. She will continue to treat you with respect and concern throughout the entire relationship. Thirdly, the training will be conducted by an ‘active sales professional.’ Not by someone who reads the book or reviews curriculum and delivers the information. Your team receives the training from someone who is actively involved in the sales process daily. Kinda like what I am doing with you right now.”
Those were three good reasons because the prospect signed a contract with us that day.
“Why should I buy from you?” If a prospect asks you that question today, how prepared are you to answer it? What reasons, what evidence would you provide to answer the question in a satisfactory manner?
You must be prepared to present your USA, that is, your “unique sales advantages.” Do you have a response to answer the prospect’s inquiry?
What differentiates you? What are your exclusives? What words will roll off your tongue?
Here are a couple of suggestions:
Ms. Prospect, we are uniquely positioned to serve your needs by matching our company’s resources to your individual culture. That requires a complete understanding of your core values, so we structure our team to align with those values.
Mr. Prospect, not only do we provide a path for your success, but we guarantee you will enjoy the journey.
If it is too soon in the process to answer with much certainty, you may want to say, “Ms. Prospect, I am not sure you should buy from me. Unless I can meet your specific needs, you shouldn’t accept my recommendations. That’s why we need to discuss your goals and obstacles to those goals. By doing so, we will both determine if our companies can benefit one another.”
Remember, preparation compensates for surprises.
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About the Author
Bryan Flanagan
Bryan Flanagan began his career as a delivery boy for the IBM Corporation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He then invested the next 14 years with IBM as a salesman, a “people” manager, and a sales instructor at IBM’s national training center.
In 1984, Bryan joined the Zig Ziglar Corporation. He served as the Director of Corporate Training for Zig for over 20 years working with a variety of sales and marketing companies. Bryan still serves as the Ziglar Corporation’s lead facilitator.
In 2005, Bryan founded Flanagan Training Group. In this capacity, he designs and delivers training programs that improve team and individual productivity and growth. To learn more or connect with Bryan, please visit: https://www.flanagantraining.com/