How to Win Over Value Buyers + Key Mistakes to Avoid
Studies highlighted by our microlearning experts show that more than half of all sales prospects are value buyers who focus on achieving measurable business outcomes. Sales leaders understand that these potentially high-value ideal target customers are looking for more than descriptions of product and service benefits. To win their business and win over value buyers, sales reps must behave differently.
3 Ways to Win Over Value Buyers
Value buyers want sellers who have solutions to help them achieve key goals, not just products. Top solution sellers know that to win over value buyers, they must authentically and consistently focus on three customer-centric behaviors to meaningfully advance key business outcomes that matter most to their buyers:
- Make a Mindset Shift
First, sales reps must shift their mindset from “they’re buying my product” to “they’re buying the business value I help them realize.” That means moving away from emphasizing product features and attributes to prioritizing how their full and comprehensive offering can directly address a customer’s key pain points and needs.
- Be a Trusted Advisor
Second, sales reps must think and behave as a trusted advisor who puts their clients’ best interest first. They must stop acting like a seller obsessed with reaching their own quota. Buyers do not like being “sold to;” they want someone to help them “make the best decision” for their unique situation.
- Focus on Relevant Business Outcomes
Lastly, top B2B sellers solve important business problems. They ask insightful and high-impact sales questions to uncover the most important and measurable business outcomes their buyers hope to achieve. They dig deeper to learn why achieving them is personally and professionally important right now.
Top 5 Mistakes Sellers Make with Value Buyers
We know from solution selling training participants that sellers often make the same mistakes when they have buyers who want to solve key business problems.
- Having a Product Focus
Overemphasizing demos, product features, and benefits instead of focusing on advancing critical business outcomes does not work with outcome-oriented buyers. When a salesperson primarily highlights product features and specifications to value buyers, they fail to clearly link how they can directly solve what matters most to their buyer. Value buyers want sellers to uncover, understand, and address their unique needs and pain points.
- Saying “We Can Do It All”
We know from sales leadership simulation assessment data that promising to meet every buyer’s needs comes across as overpromising and a lack of focus. This decreases seller credibility and trust. Value buyers are looking for how you truly specialize in their exact situation and expect you to have some reasonable limitations. Effective sellers know their unique value proposition and have buyers prioritize their needs and provide an honest assessment of their ability to help.
- Neglecting Measurable Outcomes
We know from business sales training research that transactional sales techniques do not work value buyers want to advance key business outcomes. In the sales discovery process, invest the time to uncover the leading and lagging success metrics tied directly to customers, employees, financials, and strategic initiatives that matter most to your buyer. Then articulate how your solution advances those metrics in a way that makes sense.
- Providing No New Insights
While building trust and rapport with potential customers during the sales process increases the likelihood of long-term sales success, value buyers expect to receive value during every sales interaction. Asking provocative questions and sharing new insights is a powerful way to make buyers aware of previously unconsidered needs. Whenever possible, share relevant and compelling data, industry trends, and client case studies related to their specific situation.
- Failing To Connect The Seller’s Experience with The Buyer’s Situation
For value buyers, product knowledge is just a ticket to play the game — it is a given. When buyer and seller are out of sync, it causes major barriers that impede the buying progress. If a buyer does not feel like you “get” their specific situation and have hard-earned experience “solving for it,” you will not earn their trust.
The Bottom Line
Value buyers think not only about the value of offerings, but the value the salesperson brings to the table to help accelerate important business outcomes. If sellers pivot too quickly to product features and benefits with value buyers, they will lose their interest, and likely, the sale. Does your sales team know how to sell to business outcomes to value-based buyers?
To learn more about how to win over value buyers, download The Top Sales Skills to Challenge Customers
0
