As sales professionals, we hear a lot about selling value. How many times have you heard the following?
- “Every time you go to a client, show them the value.”
- “With each sales call, offer the prospect value. Don’t just call to check in, touch base, or follow up.”
- “Give your client value-creating content like a whitepaper or relevant article.”
- “Send your prospect a value-creating email.”
- “In the body of your email, offer something of value.”
This is because when the client can see the value, when the value is CLEAR, then and only then will they buy.
Selling a Kindle-formatted e-book to someone who doesn’t have a Kindle isn’t value-based selling. Trying to sell a state-of-the-art automobile to someone who bikes everywhere, no matter how amazing the car is, wastes everyone’s time. The cyclist sees no value in the car, no matter what a good deal it is or how well it handles the road.
Let’s say you were a financial adviser sending stock tips to promote your services. When they go to people who only invest in real estate, antiques, or silver coins, you’re not showing any value. These people are not interested in equity investing.
Seems obvious, right? Then here’s the part that isn’t: value is in the eye of the beholder, not the creator of value.
As Bill Lisowski and John Mengelson put it in their book Positioning Success: Do You Know What You Don’t Know:
“Value is always defined by the recipient, not the provider. Value is rooted in the recipient’s need system.”
How Does This Apply to the Job Search?
Unless you’re in entry-level sales, what you did in your sales past will contribute to your sales future.
If you sell to SMB, other companies that sell to SMB will be more likely to hire you. Why? So glad you asked. They find value in the experience. They know you’ve come across SMB-type clients and know how to handle them.
Sell to retail? Employers who sell to large retailers will find value in your experience and be more apt to hire you than employers selling solutions to the IT department.
When you demonstrate your value, meaning you put yourself in the path of those who find your skill set valuable, you’ll be paid more and given a shot at better opportunities and sales leadership. Your buyer-specific experience is your career capital, and like any capital, it earns the most where it’s valued.
Make More and Get Promoted Faster: Go Where You Are Valued
When you make your next move, think about putting yourself smack dab in the middle of companies doing similar things, selling to similar prospects, with similar sales cycles.
This will cut your job search time in half and put you on the radar of organizations that see the value you bring to the table. And it works best when you’ve done the thinking about what you’re good at first, so you’re selling the right value to the right buyer.
