The global, go-to guide that started the Value Selling Revolution―now updated for today’s market
“Value” is about more than just price. Good salespeople understand that and know what differentiates their products from that of competitors. In the first edition of Value-Added Selling , industry guru Tom Reilly tackled the most common problem that salespeople overcoming customer concerns about pricing. That book went on to become the global, go-to guide for value-added selling. Since then, the industry–and the world―has changed dramatically. Developments in technology, including price comparison apps and search engines, now provide consumers with more information than ever, making it much harder to value and sell your product. Additionally, millennials, who now comprise the largest population in the workforce, prefer to do things differently than prior generations. This updated fourth edition of Reilly’s classic guide examines the latest trends and technology that have impacted the market and provides expert advice on leveraging current technology to increase sales.
Value-Added Selling, 4th Edition offers proven strategies and tactics to help you not only close more sales but improve repeat business without compromising on price. You’ll learn how to anticipate the needs, wants, and concerns of buyers from the very beginning of the sales process. The book shows how to compete more profitably by selling value, not price.
Good work on sales, sets up the process very well and includes a long list of strategies and tactics to help be successful in the enterprise sales environment.
More of a collection of tools and techniques than a methodology, but some really good nuggets and concepts in there so a recommended read.
With todays tight labor market, wage inflation and materials inflation, there is a tremendous amount of pressure intuitively to respond by discounting (cutting price). This book came to me at the right place (when I was experiencing such pressure), the right time (as I was looking at solutions and weighing them) and was the right book because it provided a useful, practical and hands-on approach to do as the title suggests: compete with value, not price.
It is divided into 3 segments. Part one is introduction to the core of value added philosophy and with supporting data to capture buy in. Part two described in strategic terms and details 11 strategies that the most statistically successful value-added sale people use. Part 3 explains the tactical side of value added selling—the how to plan, execute and evaluate the efforts. Part 4 is the heart of the book delivering tangible effective value added for sales efforts. It is theoretical, strategic and practical. It is systematized yet flexible within guardrails.
Its primary audience is salespeople and sales managers who sell physical products or services to physical products that other companies can use to enhance their bottom line profitability.
And therefore out of the 11 strategies only 6 or so translate well to B2C and one-off transactions in the service sector which I am. Nevertheless it is very very very good.
A suggestion is to add a segment that looks at
-B2C -Inside sales -Entirely prospect based -No cold calls -No repeat customers -Of non quantitative entirely qualitative services industries
I think the best learning way is from the experience, especially from the experience of the top achievers, and the author of this book sort of do that. He wrote the book based on intensive research of wide range of salesmen, and identify what do the top sales achievers do to achieve their goal. Every salesmen do hustle, but what makes the result different from one to another? It is value added selling. The author segments the book into 4 structures; philosophy, strategy, tactics, and learning case, that help to guide the reader when they take tangible action. I like the book for learning, if only the author can be deeper in giving more example.
This is a very relevant book for real world sales learning. I picked up a lot of nuggets throughout. This is a book that you probably have to read several times to continue to absorb and practice with.
"A Value-Added Organization is in the business of creating value for everyone with whom it is connected. Everyone gains: buyers, sellers, stockholders, employees, environment, partners, and the community" (7).
"Value is bigger than price. Value is an outcome, result, or return on investment" (17).
"Perceived value describes the look and feel of things. It is largely sensory: how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, and tastes" (17).
"Performance value describes the outcome of your solution. It is what the product, service, or company does for the buyer. While perceived value fuels expectations, performance value affects buyer satisfaction" (17).
"Price + Cost + Utility + Impact = Value. Price is the acquisition number--the initial, up-front payment. Cost is the total cost of ownership, usage, and disposal of something--sometimes called TCO (total cost of ownership). Utility is what the solution does. Impact is the effect of the solution on the customer's business. The combination of these four variables is the value of your solution" (18).
"To sell value added successfully and profitably, you must enlarge your definition of value. Price is what buyers pay: value is what they receive. You must educate buyers that the value of something is more than its price or cost: it includes the long-term impact value of what you sell--what it does for the buyer" (34).
"The power of discernment is knowing which business to pursue and which business to avoid. You must invest your selling time as if it were money, because it is" (108).
"The three rules for account penetration are to get in there early, deep, and high. Penetrate your accounts early to help buyers understand their needs and write specs, deep to create pull for your ideas, and high to generate funding for your solution" (119).
"Always take the high ground. Avoid negative selling--bad-mouthing the competition. It's possible, and even desirable, to discuss your unique advantages that happen to be weaknesses for the competition" (148).
"Change the package with the price. If you decide to change the price, you must change the package that you deliver for that price. Otherwise, you are telling the buyer that you were not serious about the price to begin with and were only testing the waters" (373).