Commodity Sales Prospecting - How to Stand Out From Your Competitors

I have received a number of requests for advice from salespeople and sales managers that sell "commodity" products and services. When I refer to commodities, I don't just mean pork bellies or frozen concentrated orange juice. A commodity is any product or service where the target prospect is likely to be thinking:

"I get contacted by (X) salespeople a day that sell (whatever they perceive your product or service to be). Why should I spend any of my time with you?"

How can salespeople prospect successfully if their target prospects see them as just one of many possible (and nearly identical) sources for a product or service?

The key challenge when prospecting in a crowded field is finding some way to capture enough of a prospect's attention to convince them to meet with you. This all-important first meeting is the starting point for building a relationship, which in turn is a crucial element of success in "commodity" sales. Here are four strategies that will help you win more of these elusive first meetings:

1. Write and distribute Special Reports.

What special report could you write that would be useful to your target prospects? Conduct the necessary research, write the report, make sure your name is highlighted on the cover page, and get the report into your prospect's hands.

What is the value of a special report that you have authored? Think about it -- How many of your competitors have authored a special report? Do you think authoring a special report might create the impression of significant or unusual expertise? Do you think it might increase your credibility with your target prospects?

2. Deliver Business Interest Seminars.

Seminars are another great way to build credibility and initiate relationships. To be effective, they need to address subjects (ideally, problems or frustrations that your company solves) that your target prospects really care about. You and your company can offer these seminars on your own or in partnership with suppliers or other (non-competing) companies that wish to pursue the same target prospects.

3. Build relationships with other salespeople that sell to your target prospects.

What other products and services do your target prospects buy? Which companies provide those products and services? Who are the salespeople for those companies?

Look to establish mutually beneficial relationships with salespeople from non-competing companies where you can refer prospects to each other. Your success rate for booking appointments from referrals should be much higher than your success rate with cold calls.

4. Learn from successful salespeople in your company that have "cracked the code".

You don't have to re-invent the wheel. Invite the successful salespeople in your company to lunch or dinner. Use your time together to pick their brains by asking them the following questions:

• How did they achieve success?
• What are their favorite prospecting techniques?
• If they are at a stage where they are focusing solely on servicing existing accounts, how did they originally initiate their relationships with these accounts?

After the meeting, think about what they said and decide which of the suggested prospecting approaches might fit well with your own talents and interests.

Conclusion

The key challenge when prospecting for "commodity" product or service sales opportunities is capturing enough of your prospect's attention to convince them to meet with you. This article suggested four strategies to help you win more of these elusive first meetings.

Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. To learn more about his book and sign up for more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020performance.com.

---

Speed-up Your Sales Cycle

This week's article is my response to a question by... Read More

Building Trust For Lifetime Success

Trust.One word.One very powerful word that can increase both first... Read More

Management by Osmosis

Sales managers are an interesting breed, effective sales managers are... Read More

3 Steps To Getting A Sales Meeting

The best way to get a new customer is to... Read More

Retail Operations - Effective Branch Manager Support and Guidance

Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult... Read More

The Boss from Hell: Quick to Criticize, Slow to Praise

So you have a boss who dumps all over you... Read More

How Do I Manage Workplace Conflict?

Workplace ConflictConflict is an inevitable part of business life and... Read More

Sales Forecasting For New Businesses

Sales forecasting is the process of organizing and analysing information... Read More

Do You Really Want Local County Contracts?

If you really want to secure government contacts at the... Read More

8 Procedures to Take Control of Sales and Marketing

The Cash to Cash Cycle Part Three of SeriesWe're sprinting... Read More

Determining Sales Fit; the Key Growth Process for Your Business

Help your organization grow by assessing the right indicators in... Read More

6 Common Mistakes in the Sales Hiring Process

Is lack of sales results, more sales training costs, months... Read More

Increase Retail Sales With Meetups

I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in... Read More

Snuff Out the Competition Without Leaving a Mark!

Does the competition drive you crazy? Are they relentless about... Read More

Sales Plan? Whats a Sales Plan?

In the past, if you said the word "plan" to... Read More

Getting Off The Advertising And Sales Rollercoaster

Seeing the results of advertising your business can be like... Read More

Stop Drowning: Nine Strategies For Managing Your Priorities

I just got off the phone with Susan. She is... Read More

Sales Coaching... Fact or Fiction?

The old adage in selling has always been, "Find out... Read More

Book of Lists Marketing for Pressure Washing Companies

The American Business Journals produces a Book of Lists each... Read More

Free to Succeed: Effective Sales Leadership Using A Coach Approach

About 2 years ago, I participated in a training program... Read More

The Differences Between A Commercial Collections Agency & Lawyer

If your letter writing and phone calls have all failed... Read More

Offer Package Deals To Increase Profits And Sales

An effective way to increase your profits and sales is... Read More

How You Can Raise Your Business Earnings By 50% With An Age-Old Magic Truth

Imagine increasing your business earnings by 30, 40, or 50%.... Read More

Drop Discounts and Earn Top Dollar

Every dollar you discount is a dollar of pure profit... Read More

It?s Time For A Sales Management Revolution

Are you dog tired because of the way you manage... Read More

How to Win Over the Man in the Chair Salesmanship, Repetition, and Direct Mail

In a classic business-to-business print ad from the late 50's... Read More

How To Become A Better Sales Manager

YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired,"... Read More

The Four ?D?s of Sales Management

Recently I stumbled across some notes that I had kept... Read More

Raise Concern About Sales Competition, Not About Yourself

As you are reading this sales article, read very carefully.... Read More

How We Build a 90% Failure Rate into the Sales Process

I recently began doing training in the banking industry. Across... Read More

How to Organize a Seminar or an Event

Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic... Read More

Shorten Sales Cycles in Complex Sales Environments

Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and... Read More

What Is A Proposal? And Why Do You Need One?

Do you know anyone who regularly wins bids? Or can... Read More