Attract Clients Online with Value-based Selling

ABC's of Sales

When you think of sales, value-based selling probably doesn't come to mind. Most people might think of the famous ABC's of sales method.

Always Be Closing!

While the Glengarry Glen Ross method might inspire you, it is a few steps short of a coherent sales plan.

The point of any sales plan, no matter how simple or complex, is to close, right?

Not quite.

That might be good enough if you are an entry-level salesman working for a company you don’t care about. Remember, this isn’t just your day job. This is your company, your dream! When you are ready to share that dream, instead of just making a sale, you’re ready to get into the entrepreneurial mindset.

In the world of online sales, you aren’t Farmer Jack trying to peddle a cow. You are a reputable small business owner looking to forge a long term relationship with a client. The goal isn’t simply to make a sale but to attract a client online by demonstrating value and mutual benefit. 

How do you move past the ABC's of sales method? Value-based selling!

What is Value-based Selling?

In value-based selling, it's all about demonstrating the value of your services to potential clients. Rather than the cut-and-run sales approach of the 1950’s car salesmen, your goal should always be to educate and assist your potential clients. 

By taking care of their needs and understanding their unique problems, you can confidently sell, knowing you are forging a mutually beneficial relationship. In the wide world of the web, your potential clients know they have lots of options, and know what a sales pitch looks like. By starting off aiming to inform and assist rather than sell, you can rise above the noise of online sales culture and become the standout solution to your client’s needs.

Take the advice of the illustrious sales expert Patricia Fripp.

"To build a long-term, successful enterprise, when you don't close a sale, open a relationship."

Once you get into the entrepreneurial mindset, value-based selling makes total sense! In order to make the transition from salesman to educator and partner to your customer, you will need to learn a bit about their needs. To attract clients online and retain those clients through value-based selling, you will need to gather some info via lead magnets.

Know Your Customers (KYC)

In order to offer value-based selling you need to know your customers (KYC) or clients. Specifically, you need to know some essential information about them. What problems are they facing? What are their values? How did they find out about you? 

To answer these questions, you need a strong landing page with a landing page lead magnet. Your website traffic isn’t likely to hand you this vital sales data for free. By offering content upgrades, E-mail exclusive offers or one-on-one consultations, you can exchange these freebies for the information you need to build your segmented customer avatars. 

Let's look at some examples.

Discover...	By offering...	So you can...
Contact information	E-mail exclusives	Soft pitch via E-mail
Client budget	One-on-one consult	Make an offer
Client interests	Content upgrades with sign-up	Selectively market

These are just examples. The important thing is to offer your potential clients tools and advice to meet their goals, rather than selling directly. When you look past the sale and get into the entrepreneurial mindset, you’re using value-based selling.

Next Steps

Brainstorm time! What info do you need to sell to your potential clients, and what are your strategies to get that info? Let me know in the comments!