"Why Are You Better than Your Competition?"

We have all been there…  You spent a good deal of time with a customer.

You have answered the questions and told everything you know about a product. You are confident about the sale until your prospect brings forth the most confronting of questions:

“OK, but why would I choose for you? Why are you better than your competition?"

Your jaw drops to the floor, panic locks your stomach in a tight squeeze and you mumble a standard sales reply. Only to see your prospect scared off by your insecure response.

Sound familiar?

Convincing visitors about a certain product is a tough job. Many people will not understand the product's value or certain of its features. They get angry and frustrated trying to decide.

Yet building up a case for your business specifically is an even harder challenge. For the customer the difficulty of deciding for a product stems from the complexity of product and number of suppliers in the market.

So unless you have a monopoly, and most likely, you do not, your customers are faced with a tremendously difficult choice.

Many customers do not care too much about getting the perfect product and simply roll with the first one that feels right. However, there is a big group of meticulous customers that will want to make sure they are making the best choice. These are the people that will ask you: "Of all the suppliers out there, why would I choose you?", or "What are you doing better than X?” etc.

However, the supplier that this customer finally chooses is not typically the optimal solution. No, it is the supplier that answered this question clearly.

The fault made by most people is that they answer the question by providing more information. That's wrong, you need to help customers pick you. You need to simplify their choice.

There is no greater sales opportunity than a prospect asking you about the value you provide. Their question indicates that they are seriously considering your solution. They have done a thorough research and believe your product is relevant. Now they revealed their final sales objection – fear of buying from you.

Your prospects are afraid. They wonder what is going to happen if the product disappoints. Will you support them then? Alternatively, will you leave them high and dry to deal with the trouble?

Overcoming your prospects’ fears is the fastest way to make the sale.

Here are a few steps that will help you achieve it.

Learn your value proposition

To put it simply, a value proposition (VP) tells your customers how you provide value in a way that nobody else does.

However, a value proposition is not the same as a tagline. Even though you may be using it to describe what you sell, a tagline does not convey your key difference in the marketplace.

It is neither a list of your product's features nor its key benefit.

It is a promise.

So first, define, learn and understand your company’s promise.

Compliment the user on their choice

A customer asking what makes you different from a competitor reveals not only an intention to buy; he also reveals the final choice of alternatives.

It may seem natural to jump right in and trash talk any other solutions they named. After all, you want a customer to believe that your product is better, right?

However, in doing so you will alienate him.

First, it is unprofessional and not gentlemanlike behavior, which few prospect, will appreciate.

In addition, you indirectly criticize the customer.

For most products, picking the right solution is an overwhelming task. Customers need to select a product they know very little about it. In addition, the last thing they want to hear is that they have picked poorly.

Therefore, compliment them on their choice instead. Make them feel comfortable about their selection. Put them at ease and they will have a much more positive attitude towards you. Set yourself apart as the knowledgeable person.

State your value proposition

With a prospect on your side, it is time you reveal the very thing that makes you different – your value proposition.

State what makes you different and what promise your company makes to every prospect and customer?

For less accounting for instance, that promise is to provide accounting software so easy to use that you’ll enjoy it even if you hate bookkeeping.

Shopify promises to offer every solution you would need to sell products online from anywhere. Unbounce however offers the quickest way to execute marketing ideas without anyone's help.

Match your product to their needs

The role of your value proposition was to intrigue the prospect. However, it is often not enough to convince them to buy your product. You now need to show them how it is ideal to solve their specific business needs.

Ask them questions about how they are planning to use the solution. Are there any specific features they are looking for?

Remember to lead the conversation.

If a prospect is not sure about what they are looking for, make suggestions based on typical product usage, i.e.:

“Most of our customers use feature X or Y”.

It will help you direct the conversation to highlight your product’s strongest points.

Capture the Lead

Regardless of all this work, you might not be able to convince a prospect to take action straight away.

That however does not mean you lost the sale. It may just mean that you have encountered a methodical buyer and will need to do more work to win him or her over.

Methodical buyers form the largest customer group in the society (approx. 40-45%). They are comparative by nature and need convincing to realize that a product is the best. They also thoroughly research any product they intend to buy and will compare it with competition before making a decision.

Your last step therefore is to find a way to keep them engaged with your company.

Suggest scheduling a quick walk through of your product.

Offer to send more documents to further explain the difference between your and the competitor’s offerings.

Invite a prospect to your upcoming webinar.

Suggest signing up for your newsletter.

On the other hand, simply, recommend a follow up call. Offer to contact them in a day or two to see if they have made a decision.

Your sales team can then take over and work on getting the sale.

Moreover, if they do, it will be largely due to the work you did overcoming the prospect's fear of buying.