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09/03/2025
Differentiation
Source: Bill Farquharson, September 1, 2025
A sales vault workshop just ended. We talked as a group about differentiation and my first question was, “How would you answer the question, ‘Why should I buy from you?’” There were some excellent answers including the usual: our great customer service. The problem I have with that one—other than the fact that everybody says it—is that it's impossible to verify until you become a customer. It's like saying, “trust me” to a stranger.
People tend to overthink the answer when they're talking about what makes them different. Oftentimes it's not equipment or capabilities in general. One great answer a workshop attendee gave was, “availability.” I just love that answer. In fact, I love it more than one of my other favorites, “responsiveness.” The simple act of making it easy for someone to connect with you. That's an important differentiator.
Another top answer was, “curiosity.” If you look beyond and the specs of a job and learn how the piece is used; if you are curious about the usage, you might be able to come up with a better solution than the one they've thought of. Quote the specs, but learn the story as well.
But my favorite answer was something I heard when I first started in sales. It's the ideas I bring to the situation. Someone can always have a better price than what you have to offer, but if you are selling ideas, selling solutions, you have a much better chance of standing out from the crowd and a much better chance of landing the order.
Trust me on this. <>
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