Future of Sales
Mega trends likely to impact sales and strategies to navigate future challenges and opportunities
Sales is often about getting the Customer to think differently. But to do that, what worked till now may not help in future. We take a look at one more megatrend presented in the book Super Trends by Henrik Larsson Broman of Mercuri International Research co-authored with Markus Ejenäs and Peter Siljerud
Are you ready for an entirely new Customer Value orientation?
Value is no longer confined to the product alone
Customer value in the 20th Century was all about making a high-quality product at an affordable price If your company manufactured trucks, you created value by ensuring your trucks sturdier, offer more mileage and are priced better than the competition. Your salespeople did the rest. Value was totally product centred And in the pre-internet days, your salespeople also had the advantage of knowing more about trucks than the average buyer, which was also seen as a source of value Value today is no longer confined only to the product.
The New Customer Value Orientation
The value flows not only from what the product does but also from what you, as a sales professional and your company, are able to do for the Customer. An article in Harvard Business Review Sept 2016 on The Elements of Value by Eric Almquist, John Senior, and Nicolas Bloch, used celebrated psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to show that product quality, price and sustainability considerations could be compared to hygiene needs.
On the top of the ‘value pyramid’ were things like sales professional’s ability to understand Customer’s business, engage in value adding conversations and challenging the Customer to move forward with new, untried ideas.
Key Elements of the new Value Orientation
Salespeople who have the capability to “contribute to the Customer’s vision of the future, anticipate changes in the market and inspire optimism about the future” are seen by B2B buyers as operating from a whole new Customer value orientation. It is such advisory expertise that Customers perceive as value worth paying for.
Going back to that truck manufacturer story, present day truck making takes into account the driver cabin configuration and driver comfort. This gladdens the hearts of transport fleet operators who like to have their drivers fresh and fit after a long cross country drive. In his book Digital Leapfrogs, Prof Vijay Mahajan shares how “one trucking and delivery company is …. adapting both digital systems and the physical construction of its trucks to improve both efficiency and quality of life for the drivers it calls ‘pilots’”
Essence of the New Value Orientation
This kind of efforts and initiatives represent the essence of Customer Value Orientation, changing Customer minds in your favour. As Growth & Innovation Evangelist,Tiffani Bova summed it up “There’s nothing more disruptive than the Customer”
What are 3 creative ideas you can come up with to deepen your Customer Value Orientation?
“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favourable.”
– Seneca –
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The India Journal of Mercuri International - SEP 2022
