There are millions of salespeople around the world… and every one of them is impacted by the simple law of supply and demand. When supplies are low and demand is high, prices are forced upward. When the supply of a product or service is plentiful, buyers on the demand side start chiseling you on price, which has the effect of turning your offering into little more than a commodity.
So how can you adjust your sales strategy when the supply of almost everything is limitless?
Try focusing on something that most people agree is in very short supply: Service.
In almost every sales category, there are a wide variety of extras that add tremendous value to the product or service being sold. These extras might include the cumulative experience of your organization in working within your category, or the special expertise an individual brings to the conversation. It could be your personal creativity and problem-solving ability, or the fact that you can provide research, technical knowledge, or other important resources. Any one of these things—and countless more—could be considered important services that distinguish you from your competitors. And that's important, because sometimes, that kind of service is hard to find (scarce).
Have you built your personal service into the sales conversation you have with clients and prospects? Your approach to service is not only scarce… it might even be considered one-of-a-kind. But that unique advantage won't matter if you don't effectively package and present it to the people you're selling to. Failing to sell your professional distinctions places you at risk of being cast in the role as any other seller, simply pushing whatever you sell with a cheapest-cost-per-pound mentality.
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