Increased competition and instant access to competitive pricing have put today’s prospects in a position to expect more.

Management has responded by focusing more on prospect-related training and less on product-focused training, according to a recent survey by Sandler Training (Orange Mills, MI).

Here are three key areas the survey pinpointed that you may want to share with your salespeople.

• Price vs. return. Proactive salespeople naturally assume prospects have done their homework and already know what the competition has to offer. So they discuss price up-front in terms of why they can offer a more substantial return on investment and how their service will help prospects generate additional revenue or save costs.
• Prospect vs. partner. Value-added salespeople make prospects active participants in the selling process by creating a time-line for the sale based on how the prospect’s decision-making process works and when they’d like to make a final buying position.
• Rapport vs. relationship. Many of today’s prospects are looking for  long-term relationships. Salespeople can capitalize on that by focusing on how they can help buyers achieve their big-picture goals.  How do prospects plan to grow their business in the months to come? What new markets do they want to tap into? How can salespeople become trusted partners in their success?