Competitive Strategies

"If the salesperson chooses to stay in the familiar circle of contacts, there's a much higher likelihood of missing key information and opening the door to a competitor."

— Competitive Strategy: Influencing the Decision to Win

How does a done deal come undone? After looking at thousands of win-loss reviews and talking to salespeople and sales managers, our experience has found that in most cases these last-minute surprises are caused by one of two problems:

1. The salesperson did not have the full picture of how the decision was being made, who was influencing the final decision, and what the decision maker(s) thought of the salesperson.
2. The salesperson was unaware of actions competitors were taking behind the scenes to undermine his or her competitive position.

To build a foundation of knowledge for an effective competitive strategy, salespeople need to understand and anticipate the decision process, how the customer defines value, and the actions competitors are taking.

Programs: