In our last Tip, we talked about the concept of “selling the outcome” as a way to differentiate ourselves in a crowded field, and to sell our value to people who can buy it. Now the question is, “How?”

First, we need to uncover the business outcomes that our specific senior-level decision maker cares about. If we miss this, then our sales effort becomes generic and uninspiring. If, on the other hand, we learn what they truly care about, our solution can speak directly to them and be seen as a path to their own success.

These outcomes often come in the form of

• Objectives – what business outcomes they are trying to achieve
• Strategies – what initiatives they are implementing to achieve their objectives
• Issues – what issues they are dealing with that could stand in their way.

Once we know these things, we can think about the impact of our solutions on their business. Here are two examples:

• If we sell supply chain solutions, possible business outcomes for the customer could be increased revenue, enhanced customer satisfaction, efficiency…
• If we sell talent management solutions, possible business outcomes could be employee morale, improved retention, enhanced performance that impacts business results, etc.

These examples can be repeated for almost anything. No matter what you sell, ask yourself these questions, 

 “If we work well with the customer and effectively implement our _______ solutions, how will the customer’s business be impacted? What business outcomes can we help create?”

 Once you understand the outcomes, map these against what you have learned about your decision maker’s desired outcomes. Pick the outcomes they care most about and put that at the center of your message. 

Doing this effectively moves you from “one of many” to “the one who can help me get where I need to be.”