Why Should I Buy From You?

Here's a challenge from sales and business coach Tessa Stowe: Tell me in 30 seconds why I should buy from you over your competition. Don't read any farther until you do this.

How did you do? Did you include any of the following in your response?

-We have been in business for x years.
-We have great support and care about our customers.
-Our products are proven, best of breed, flexible, etc.
-We are industry leaders.
-We have lots of clients.

Look back at what you said. Does your competition say any of these things as well? Be totally honest. Put a line through each item you listed that your competition would also say (whether it is true or not), because your prospect will ignore it when he or she compares you to your competition.

I'm not saying that having great support, experience, products, clients, and so on is not important and absolutely essential. I'm saying that, if your competition also says they have those things, your prospect will probably not take them into consideration when comparing you.

So, after putting a line through each "me too" item, what are you left with? What you are left with is what your prospects will see as the differences between you and your competition.

Now ask yourself:

--Do your prospects care enough about these remaining differences to choose you over your competition?
--Do these remaining differences make you the obvious choice over your competition?
--Would you choose you over your competition if these were the only differences?
--Have you been conveying these differences in all your interactions with your prospects?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your prospects will have to struggle to work out why they should buy from you, and you will have to struggle to make sales.

To eliminate this struggle for both you and your prospect, work out a crystal-clear answer to the question, "Why should I buy from you?"

Then, when you have your crystal-clear answer, make sure you convey all or parts of it in every interaction with your prospects - in meetings, in demonstrations, in presentations, in marketing materials, in proposals...everywhere you come into contact with prospects. Your objective is that, when you win the sale and someone asks your prospects why they chose you, their answer will be identical to your crystal-clear answer!

When you have a crystal-clear answer as to why prospects should buy from you, your enthusiasm and confidence will soar. You will be enthusiastic about helping your prospects because you will be confident in why you are absolutely the best solution for them. Enthusiasm and confidence are contagious: Your prospects will pick them up, and they will become enthusiastic and confident about working with you and becoming your client.

To work out the answer, try brainstorming first. Then ask your current clients why they bought from you. Then brainstorm a bit more. If you want to try some "out of the box" thinking, take what you perceive as your biggest weakness and reframe it so it is your biggest strength in the eyes of your prospects. For example, if you are small, how could that be a strength?

Make it a top priority to work out the answer to "Why should I buy from you?" If you do, you will make more sales faster and at higher prices.

Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. Her free monthly Sales Conversation newsletter is full of tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself. Sign up now at www.salesconversation.com.