Posted on: June 3, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Category: Prospecting Problems
Much as we all like to think that there lies a vast and immediately obvious chasm that separates us from our competitors, sometimes we are forced to concede that this may not exactly be the case.
In an ideal world, every company would offer a unique product or service that meets a distinct and very real need. But, back down on earth (with a bump), we are often separated from a host of competitors by only the slightest, almost imperceptible, margin.
Our points of difference are usually by degree – and we sometimes have to do a fair bit of digging to unearth them. They typically rest in the not-so-fertile ground of ‘nice to haves’ or ‘added bonuses’ rather than the nutrient-rich topsoil that we would prefer to sow our seeds in.
So, what can we possibly say in a 150/200-word introductory mail that will make someone accept that they not only need to invest in a ‘solution’, but that they also must invest in our ‘solution’?
Creating space for our voice to be heard in a crowded market is a very real problem for many engaged in prospecting.
The good news is that it most certainly can be done – and we’ll explore some approaches that work in a moment.
The bad news is that it usually relies on you thinking differently about yourself than years of sales and marketing wisdom trains you to do. In a nutshell, you need to drop all that self-belief in being radically different from those competitors you usually define yourself against.
The prospecting mind-set must be very different from the traditional marketing mind-set.
Typical output would include:
‘Here’s a video about us in action’
‘Here’s a comparison sheet of us against A.N. Other’
‘Here’s a case study showing how others deployed us’
… And so on.
Typical output would include:
‘Here’s an infographic about X’
‘Here’s a video exploring how X affects Y’
‘Here’s a webinar with industry experts chewing the fat over X, Y and Z’
… And so on.
In very simple terms marketing-type A goes into detail about benefits to close sales…
… and marketing-type B explores the general terrain but does not really try too hard to sell (and it has the luxury of time to do this).
In the ideal-world scenario – where your offering meets a definite need and is the only thing to do this – all the prospector must do is establish this need and drop the baited hook of its solution.
But how on earth are you going to establish a need at the same time as trying to outline your differences from other solutions – especially if these may end up taking you far from the initial need in the first place?
More to the point, how are you going to do this in a couple of short, bright, and breezy paragraphs?
Here are some tactics that can help you succeed when you are prospecting in a crowded market place.
When material differences are slim, the tone in which your approach is made can make a very real difference.
Find out how competitors are prospecting and make sure you sound unique.
The possibilities here ere endless but you can easily cut through a swathe of distant, business-speak pitches with a jokey, informal approach or you can stand out from faceless, corporate pitches with a heartfelt, personal piece of outreach.
What happens here is two-fold.
Either could result in a reply to your mail and both together will see you receiving a very warm response when you put in that requested call.
Where very real differences within your market may not exist, the sense that you have experience in the sector that you prospect in can gain you a great leap out of the blocks.
Here you have implicitly suggested that your solution is radically different to others and that it has been designed to specifically meet the needs of the sector you are in contact with. Both help to subtly set you apart and elicit interest from a well-trod field.
While the cost-difference between your solution and others or its range of unique features/benefits may not offer too much to write home about, it may be that there are very real extras that exist to help you to carve a space to sell from.
Usually this space is occupied by after-sales or customer service, particularly where a poor track record typifies the market you operate in.
Here spelling out that you care and giving one or two examples of going beyond the expected levels of service can be extremely powerful, especially if your contact has been bitten before and is now twice shy.
As strong as customer service is to create a palpable difference there are other ways. For instance, you may focus on ethos if CSR is likely to be a concern or you could focus on a way of working, such as partnering rather than outsourcing. They may seem like small drums to bang, but place them in a receptive echo chamber and they can really make a lot of noise.
This approach sees you putting your hands up and admitting that there may be a lot of pitches being made from a lot of similar companies at the moment but …
Being honest is usually an endearing trait, so recognising that you are not pitching alone helps at least break down that knee-jerk response of ‘not another X pitch’.
Now, the trick is to find just one strong ‘but’ reason (see suggestions two and three above) or go for a humorous/whimsical close (see suggestion one above).
Sometimes honesty pays.
If your struggling to define yourself the tendency can be to outline every small difference that exists. The problem with this is that:
The best thing you can do is to pick one thing and hang your mail on this.
A crowded market is what most of us operate in.
It’s not unusual.
And it certainly is not insurmountable.
In our next ‘prospecting problems’ posts we’ll be looking at other ways you can handle your prospecting when things get tough.
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