The Conversation About Competitors
The conversations resulting from the Q2C Selling method allow you to build a framework throughout your sales process. Q2C Selling is a method to better prepare for your meetings, control your sales cycle, and sell more and faster. The competitor conversation is the fourth and final stage of the value proposition.
In this article, find the definition and the interest of the conversation on competitors and discover how to structure it effectively. At the end of the article, discover the cards associated with this conversation and use them to set up your deck in Salesdeck. Choose the cards that suit you and personalize them according to your offer and prospects.
To learn more about conversations and successfully implement them, we invite you to download an extract from our book Q2C Selling, written by Gabriel Dabi Schwebel and Nicolas Delignières.
The conversation about competitors, what is it?
The question needs to be asked. It depends on many factors, and you should not be afraid of it. You must be able to talk about your competitors and demonstrate your superiority in the context of your prospect without ruining their reputation. It will never be of any use to you.
You have competitors, and that’s somewhat reassuring
That you are not alone in the race has at least one merit: it proves that there is significant pain and that your prospect is trying to solve it. Be comfortable talking to your prospect about your competitors in the sales process; it will come across as shady if you’re defensive.
Addressing this issue early can also prove to your prospect that you are perfectly confident about it. It will probably be useless to wave these same competitors under your nose to get a better rate.
The case of SaaS software
Although talking about competitors is not always necessary, there is one sector where it is difficult to ignore this topic: SaaS software. There’s no way your prospect won’t have some of your competition in mind when you’re trading.
Knowing who is in front of you is essential to highlight the right elements of differentiation and the right arguments vis-à-vis the problem of your prospect. You must discuss this subject as soon as possible, ideally before scripting your demo or presenting your features.
What insights do you get from the competitor conversation?
What are the forces involved?
This information is crucial because it will allow you to eliminate specific arguments that could be ineffective and understand what your prospect is looking for.
What differentiators to use?
If you know your competitors well, what I hope for you, to know who is present, is also to see the nature of their arguments. It will be that much easier to beat them.
Why is the prospect putting you in competition?
The prospect can sometimes justify the call for competition. It’s always instructive to know if he’s presenting it to get the best price or accompaniment.
What will make the difference?
This is an excellent conversation to address the question of the elements that will tip the scales towards this or that provider.
What do they offer more than you?
Your prospect will be able to tell you a particular aspect he likes about one or other of your competitors. It will allow you to counter-argue or flesh out your future offer.
The cards associated with the conversation about competitors
You have understood the principle and the interest of the conversation on competitors, but you do not know how to apply it concretely? Here are the cards that will be very useful for you to structure your conversation and set up your Deck in Sales Deck. You are free to keep the cards that suit you and change the order you use them.
Exchange on competitors
Talk to your prospect about your competitors, don’t get defensive. Be able to talk about your competitors and demonstrate your superiority without being dismissive or defamatory.
Consulting other providers
The prospect can sometimes justify the call for competition. Whether your prospect’s goal is to get the best price or the best support is always instructive.
Competitor’s offer
Ask your customers what they like about your competitors and identify points of differentiation with your offering. Your prospect will be able to tell you a particular aspect he likes about one or other of your competitors. It will allow you to counter-argue or flesh out your future offer.
Collaborative documents
At this stage, two types of collaborative documents are particularly relevant. The comparative grid is handy for discussing with your prospect the differences he has perceived between the offers and is very valuable for counteracting your competitors. Retro planning is a reasonably standard document. Offer your prospect to fill it out from a document that you will have pre-constructed.
The customer case
You have two choices. You can state a customer case but tell it as a story. It would help if you also narrated the success story of a client as close as possible to your prospect (sector of activity, problem, size of the company, etc.). The other solution is to do the same thing but rely on documents that attest to this legitimacy.
The customer case is straightforward content to achieve because it is simply a question of telling a loved story. This simplicity is accompanied by significant efficiency; it is concrete content that plays on the social proof that “someone like you has reached their goals thanks to us.”
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