The three best ways to talk about competitors - Dr. Martin Auer MBA (102)

The three best ways to talk about competitors Our life as salespersons would certainly be much easier without our dear fellow competitors , this is for sure. But in our as well as in all other industries competition today is the standard situation. And thus is also an integral part of everything we as salespersons have to do in our daily work. As salespersons we are in the very focal point and in the centre of competition. Therefore , we should not be surprised but rather well-prepared when our customers focus the conversation directly at our competitors. Because we should simply assume that this may happen any time. And then it will good when we are prepared. But how do we as a salespersons react best to direct and targeted questions about our fiercest competitors? Thanks to the internet , the information asymmetry between our customers and us as salespersons is practically no longer existent. Therefore we as salespeople in many cases happen to meet enlightened and highly informed customers already in the first contact. For the modern customer , it is very easy to constantly compare competitors , their products and services as well as their prices. We salespeople should therefore assume that our customers do exactly that: Our customers will see and judge our arguments and actions against this pre-informed background. And for sure they will ask questions about our competitors. If we as salespersons then show uncertainty or even fear of our competition , the customer will recognize this quickly. And as a result will become attentive and alert. Which is definitely not what we want. Because the competitor company , which makes the salesperson nervous could be viewed by the customer with increased interest. It is therefore worthwhile for us salespeople to pay attention to this issue beforehand and prepare us accordingly for such situations. But not only in a first contact situation may a customer come up with the idea to ask the salesperson questions about the competitors.