What Do Buyers Value Most in Sellers?

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According to HR Chally Research, which of the following categories do you think was the most important in the buyer’s selection process?

  1. Price
  2. Service
  3. Product
  4. Competency of the Salesperson

Most often, buyers cite the competency of the salesperson as the most important factor in their selection process. That means that above all, the salesperson him or herself is what determines whether a prospect chooses to buy from you. So,how can you make sure that you have positioned yourself as the most viable candidate?

The Unattainable Triangle

Do you remember the old idea of the unattainable triangle? The idea was that it’s impossible to outdo the competition in each of the three most important areas—product, service, and price—so we must focus on one or two.

When buyers were asked which criterion was most important, however, they overwhelmingly voted that the salesperson’s competency was the most important. The buyer realizes that the three original sides of the triangle are also important, but among overall options, those three criteria just weren’t all that different.

Creating the Competitive Advantage

Which of the following selling styles best categorizes you?

  1. The Hard Worker always goes the extra mile, doesn’t give up easily, is self-motivated, and interested in feedback and development.
  2. The Challenger always has a different view of the world, understands the customer’s business, loves to debate, and will push the customer.
  3. The Relationship Builder builds strong customer advocates, gives time to others generously, and gets along with anyone.
  4. The Lone Wolf follows own instincts and is self-assured and independent.
  5. The Problem-Solver reliably responds, insures that problems are solved, and is oriented around details.

One dominant characteristic of most salespeople is competitiveness—which means that we tend to compare ourselves to others—so you have probably already self-assessed and categorized yourself into your dominant selling style.

 The Winner

According to the buyers, among the dominant selling styles, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. The buyer is actively looking for a think-partner during his/her journey. Early in the process, they research, and Challenger’s style of selling provides new insight on their business. Because of their wisdom resources, the Challenger is the type of seller that buyers most often reward with their business.

 Conclusion

The buyer values the competency of the salesperson more than any other criteria, and the selling style they value most is the one that brings valuable market intelligence. Early in the selling process, this has little to do with the seller’s company, their product, and their service. Valuable market intelligence instead deals with market knowledge of the buyer and the confidence to challenge the buyers’ preconceived notions.

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