The battle has begun…
Microsoft is launching their new search engine called Bing. It is said they have allocated $100 Million as an advertising budget to shout to the market and persuade people to switch from Google to Bing, not forgetting yahoo to Bing as well. Will they succeed?
I’ve done many pieces of training salespeople how to steal their competitor’s customers. Some call it switching current vendors or make them become the preferred vendor. Is it easy to take away your competitor’s business where your competitor already has a 5, 10, 15 years business relationship with their customers?
In my sales and management training, I divide customers/prospects into 3 simplified groups.
A | B | C
A: They are totally satisfied with their current vendors.
Makes up about 10% of the market.
B: They are slightly dissatisfied with their current vendors.
Makes up about 80% of the market.
C: They are totally dissatisfied with their current vendors.
Makes up about 10% of the market.
C groups are the easiest to make them your customers. Why? Because… people will only change if they perceive or experience a problem with their current vendors. That means, putting your effort in trying to take A away from your competitors is going to be a super battle. So the secret is…
Enable the potential customer to see a potential problem they are having or may have with their current vendors. That’s your best chance of taking your competitor’s customers and converting them to yours. You can go in with all the features and benefit you want but if the prospect doesn’t see it as a big problem, they won’t switch.
A problem can also be a gap. Something that they are not getting from their current vendors which they can get from you. It can be tangible benefits like faster delivery or something intangible like status.
So do I have a problem with google? So far no.
Do I have a problem with yahoo?
Yes, the main page has too much stuff for me. That’s why I use google.
That’s why Bing looks clean and simple – like google. Yahoo started off as a directory, that’s why they look as they are.
I think the attack on Google is going to be like: are you really getting what you search for? approach. Else why else would someone switch search engines?
As for you, start listing down and brainstorming with the entire force, what perceive problems your competitor’s customers are having with their current vendor? Then position and strategize from there.
A lot of companies have slashed their customer service department in view of cash control. This means a lot of customers are going to have a pissed off time when they require service. Bang! Problem. Use that as your weapon. There isn’t any chance where you can use this perfect timing of problems to your advantage.
Hajime! (A Japanese word for begin.)
Unconventionally,
HANZO NG
Sales Ninja Grandmaster
Hanzo Ng is Sales Ninja Grandmaster, lingo for Chief Trainer of Sales Ninja Training, Asia’s #1 Unconventional Sales Training. Sales Ninja Training specializes in helping small-medium, listed and global companies transform their salespeople into the ultimate sales professional known as Sales Ninja. For more information on our sales, motivation, and leadership training, visit our website.
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