Adding Value
Posted on March 04, 2017 by David Kelly, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
Sales, value, benefits, tactics,
Every day we hear people discussing “value”, adding value, value adds, and how their product or service adds value to customers. But what is “value”? Value is the benefit your client or prospect receives from using your product or service. Value is also the benefit your client or prospect receives from knowing you. However you add value, or think you do, I can assure you that it is not through a feature of your product/service.
If you want to be able to sell often, and at a premium, what you do to add value should be on your mind often. If your client interactions are about you, your company, or your product/service, then you’re most likely not giving anything of value. You must always deliver value in their terms. What you think is value doesn’t matter at all. How your clients and prospects define value is the ONLY measure or definition.
You need to know what they value; or what will benefit them. If you don’t know; ask. If you don’t get a concrete answer; ask again. If you still don’t know try different questions. Clients and customers are so infrequently asked what they value that they often struggle to answer your inquiries. One note: questions about benefits/value are not “gotcha” opportunities to insert your product or service. Beware making efforts to trap the person into your product or service as their answer. I can assure you: Your product or service is NOT what anyone values. Period. Dot.
So ask, gain understanding, and deliver value. Here are 12 strategies we employ to deliver value. You’ll still need to ask your clients/prospects to lend specificity to what they, personally, find valuable.
Refer a prospect
Connect them with a possible COI/Referral partner
Invite them to a networking event
Promote their event/talk/seminar
Interact with/share their social media posts
Send thank you notes
Use their product/service
Listen to them. Really listen. Better understand them, their offering, what they want
Ask how, specifically, you can help – then do what they ask when possible
Invite them to a trade show or association meeting
Endorse them and/or recommend them in person and on social media
Help them connect to experts they need
When you consistently deliver what someone wants, your shorten the cycle to trust, build the relationship more rapidly, and you’ll be in the best position to keep their business, win more business, or earn their business for the first time. What they value is King. Learn the difference between what you think people should value, and what they really want. The sooner you deliver real value and benefits, the shorter your path to success.
