If you don’t fully understand
how your corporate clients evaluate what you have to offer, it is virtually
impossible to position your value effectively.
In recent years I have found
in my sales negotiation seminars that my participants don’t have a clear
understanding of how their clients apply the Total Cost of Ownership or Total
Cost of Use models when evaluating products, services or solutions.
Not only do they often
not know what criteria are included in their clients’ TCO or TCU model, they
also don’t know how the individual criteria are weighted.
Interestingly, the risk
and opportunity cost elements are probably the most overlooked and least
understood items in this evaluation process.
I have found that if sales
specialists gain a better understanding of these assessment techniques, they
can engage in a much deeper, much more meaningful dialogue with their corporate
buyers.
This approach has helped many of my sales-coaching clients to close better deals faster.
The following article
may provide some interesting insights: