Best Example of Value-Added vs. Commodity Selling

I wrote an article for the March 2013 issue of Top Sales World Magazine that debriefs an actual sales call.  I’ve written more than 1,000 articles and I believe this one is the best yet!  The article effectively details an actual value-added consultative sales call which, because of a single incorrect question, quickly became a transactional, commodity-based, price-driven call.  The example is really striking because it so clearly shows that you can do everything correctly but asking even one question the wrong way can cause a salesperson to lose the opportunity to be a trusted advisor, and fall into the abyss of commodity sellers.

You’ll have to get this month’s issue (existing subscriber link) or sign up to read it.  It’s on page 7.  The bonus is that there are 12 additional articles you can read after you download the issue.  The magazine will open in a separate tab or window so that you can return here and contribute your comments.  There should be a lot to share!

[Update – For the sales management side to this story, I wrote a coaching piece for EcSELL Institute and that article is available here.  In this article you’ll discover the proper way to debrief this call and make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.]

I’m hosting a fast-paced, 45-minute webinar and will share some of the findings and statistics that make Objective Management Group’s Sales Candidate Assessments so magically predictive.  Please join me:

Tuesday, March 12, 2013
10 AM Eastern Time
Register

I’ll also be hosting our annual fall Sales Leadership Intensive in Boston.  It is simply the finest two days of sales leadership training for CEO’s, Presidents, GM’s, Sales Directors, Sales VP’s and Sales Managers.  What makes it so special?  Click here for two videoclips (scroll to the bottom of the page) featuring some of the attendees from the fall 2012 Sales Leadership Intensive and hear what they have to say.   Please join me:

November 14-15, 2013
Westin Copley Hotel, Boston
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