Separate Yourself From The Competition

Years ago while selling for a medical distributor, I was trying to think of a way to differentiate myself from my competitors and aside from all the features and benefits, which I've been through a hundred times with my customers, I needed something else.  I couldn't just rely on the old standards which had worked before, because to be honest, my company had failed to deliver on a few promises, and so the customer's perception was that "I" had failed to deliver on "my" promises.  I don't separate myself from the company when things go bad, that's the sign of a poor sales person.  You can't do that, otherwise not only do you lose credibility, so does the company and before you know it; you've lost the account.

So one particularly large customer had been unhappy with the service because THEY had ordered product incorrectly, picked the wrong item codes, and as a result the order was screwed up.  First of all, you can't tell your customer, "Well the order was wrong because you're an idiot and you gave us the wrong product codes."  Instead you say, "I guess there was a miscommunication on our part as to the specific products you wanted."

Or if you're in medical sales you can't say, "You and your stupid staff can't fill out the Medi-Care paperwork because you're mentally challenged, so they didn't approve the order for reimbursement".  Instead you have to say, "It was my understanding we didn't ask you for all the information correctly, and so the order wasn't approved.  That's our fault for not verifying all of the information.  I'm so sorry."

Therefore, I was back pedaling with this account because we had a few minor glitches, but I really needed something to separate myself from the other competitors.  They were knocking on my customer's door at all times, and in some cases the account was still placing orders with the competition.  I thought to myself, "How can I make this a personal relationship rather than just a business relationship?".  And I remembered that all the people in this account loved dogs.  Just loved them!  So what did I do?  I scheduled an appointment for my dog to be bathed and cleaned at a place near the hospital. 

That way I could tell the main contact, "If I come by on Friday can I bring my dog?  She gets groomed at a place right near the hospital and I need to pick her up around 3.  Is that okay with you?"

When I mentioned my dog, he was excited. "Oh that's right you have a dog too.  Sure not a problem.  I'd love to see your pup.  What kind of dog is she?"  I asked this knowing that he had the same type of dog.

"She's a Pointer."

"Well I'll be!  I have a Pointer too!  I'll bet you knew that didn't you?", he said.

" I had a general idea.  But I wasn't sure if that was your dog in all those pictures in your office."

"Yep.  Sure is.  I love that dog.  Had him for years.  Ya know those are great hunting dogs."

 "Really?  Well I don't take her hunting.  Just up on the hiking trails.  We'll just visit for a little bit.  Won't make a sound or be any trouble at all.  Be there around 3:30.  Is that okay?"

" Heck yeah! Bring her on by, I'm sure everyone in the office would like to see her too."

     Friday came, I dropped the dog off in the morning for grooming,and came by to pick her up at 3 pm.  She was soft and clean, and she smelled good.  Perfect since we were visiting a medical clinic. We went to the account which was in a large medical building, but security guard thought she was a "Special Needs" dog so it was no problem taking her on the elevator.  I suppose he took one look at me and thought I had "special needs".

Two minutes later we were in the lobby, and the staff was playing with the dog, the key contact was petting her, and I had made a big difference in how the account now viewed me.  I wasn't just a sales person anymore, I was more like a friend.  And my company wasn't just another company anymore, they were a company "with a heart". 

    In order to be successful in today's business climate, you have to be able to separate yourself from your competitors.  Sometimes the only way to do it, is to make it more personal.  So if you have a child, a wife, a dog, a cat, anything that makes you seem more humane and therefore more trustworthy to the customer, then bring it up.  Try to get them to meet your child, your pet, or even your spouse if you think it'll make a difference.  I'm not saying bring your kids to the account and say, "If you don't buy something from me, they'll starve." That is not a good idea.

But only bring them for a visit, if you think it will matter and the customer feels comfortable.  You don't want to be bring your dog or child to every account, especially since you run the risk of them peeing on the floor or even worse...biting someone.  Those baby teeth can really hurt.

Make every day memorable.


-M