The Difference in Differentiation

Different people call it by different names. We prefer “competitive differentiation.” Others prefer “unique selling proposition” or “unique value proposition.” Whatever the name, it is perhaps the single most important factor determining success in any business, especially in an industry where products and services are perceived as commodities.

One can argue that truly successful organizations have always credibly and meaningfully differentiated themselves. However, the operative definition of competitive differentiation has changed in recent years. To many, it’s an all-purpose concept. I’ve attended many clients’ annual planning meetings where the objective is to define the company’s differentiated strategy and to craft a mission statement that reflects the strategy. It’s an arduous, if not mentally painful, exercise. The reason: It’s nearly impossible to arrive at a unique strategy that applies equally to a company’s entire account portfolio.

Buyers are engaged in the same challenge. Generalizations about the needs of different companies in the same vertical market are dangerous. These companies are attempting to differentiate themselves from competitors. This phenomenon is a symptom of commoditization in virtually every industry.

“There are no all-purpose secrets to sales success other than recognition of the fact that there are no secrets.”

A fundamental, often unappreciated change in the marketplace has important consequences in selection and training of sales reps. Books and courses based on the belief that product knowledge is the defining characteristic of all successful salespeople do a disservice to those competing in the current business environment.

Certainly, it’s better than not knowing details of the products and services one is selling, but the life of a salesperson is no longer that simple.

At seminars my firm conducts, questions from attendees often can be answered by two words: “It depends.” Product knowledge must be supplemented with information about each customer, and every buying organization has unique needs, challenges, objectives and culture.

Selling is not posturing or trickery. Many sales training programs are based on the assumption that the person authorized to sign a purchase order has the sole authority to make the buying decision. This leads to programs and books about buying signals, “the stall,” and “the preemptive close.” One nationally-recognized sales trainer wrote that learning to identify chin-rubbing and pupil dilation by the buyer is an important element of sales success.

The ability to meaningfully differentiate a print company is directly related to a salesperson’s understanding of the business needs and printing needs of a customer or prospect. That understanding is the product of curiosity. Some sales trainers believe that curiosity can be taught, but I believe it’s a time-consuming process in which few print companies have the patience, time and money to invest.

It’s also my experience that curiosity cannot be replaced by checklists. No checklist anticipates every pertinent fact or nuance. In addition, buyers do not react well to being read a list of canned questions.

If bottled water can be differentiated to the point at which its per gallon price exceeds that of gasoline, print can be successfully differentiated. However, salespeople need to understand that their products and services will not be valued by every organization or individual.

The irony is that some organizations buying the most printing may be the least desirable customers. These tend to be large companies to which few, if any, print companies will ever be perceived as important. Price will be the overwhelming buying motive.

Commoditization and the resulting need for credible, meaningful differentiation may be abstract ideas, but they are real. Their reality has altered the sales landscape. Sales reps need a different set of attributes to meet these challenges. There are no all-purpose secrets to sales success other than recognition of the fact that there are no secrets.