You Can't Appreciate What You Don't Understand
This month we present the first of the formal training reminders that you asked for in our recent survey. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues who may benefit from The Wedge Sales Process and invite them to learn more.
In order to win new clients and wedge out the competition, you have to make sure that the prospects UNDERSTAND the differences you provide and that you make them APPRECIATE those differences. Here is a story that helps illustrate what can happen (and the embarrassing results) when the differences aren't understood.
Recently I was having dinner with a client in a nice restaurant. He asked what kind of wine I like, and I told him my wife and I enjoy a nice Merlot and which brand we usually get, which runs about $20 a bottle. So he ordered a Merlot, the wine steward poured it, and we drank. Then he asked me how it compared to what I normally drank, and I said something like, "It's pretty good. I like it ... tastes kind of like what we drink at home."
My client went on to tell me all about the winery, how they aged their wines, and why it made such a difference in the end product. Later on when he left the table, I just had to look. Care to guess how much that bottle of Merlot was that we were drinking? $95. And here I told him it tasted like the $20 Merlot. Man was I embarrassed!
You see, I couldn't taste the difference between the $95 Merlot and the $20 Merlot. I'm sure if the two were side by side and I tasted them one right after the other, I would notice a
difference. But since I had nothing to compare to the $95 Merlot, it just tasted like good Merlot.
To me, Merlot is Merlot. And because I don't understand the differences, I can't appreciate the differences. And since I don't appreciate the differences, I probably wouldn't pay for the differences.
This story shows you how you must be able to articulate your differences in order for your prospect to appreciate and understand them. Coach them through the differences. If you can't articulate it, they can't grasp it, and YOU don't have a sale.
We appreciate your time and support of The Wedge Group and look forward to helping you generate the sales results you deserve. Now, Go out, stop selling and start winning!
Randy Schwantz
President & CEO
The Wedge Group
We hope this month's The Wedge Report was helpful in reinforcing The Wedge. If you have any comments, questions, or reminder ideas, please don't hesitate to Let Us Know! Also, if you know anyone who would like to receive a copy of The Wedge Report, please forward them this copy and suggest they subscribe online.
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