At one time or another anyone involved within the layers of the sales process has been faced with two challenging questions presented to our prospects:

“What makes you different from everyone else?” And, “Why should I choose to do business with your agency?”

Of course you’ll be thinking to yourself, “Even vanilla ice cream can be distinguished among other vanilla ice creams out there: plain vanilla, french vanilla, vanilla bean, low fat vanilla, vanilla yogurt, half the fat vanilla. So if ice cream can do it, how can I distinguish myself from other agencies alike?”

Quite honestly, those two questions alone can stop even the most seasoned salesperson dead in their tracks. Why? Because the focus shifts from the prepared presentation filled with factual information you have delivered to subjective acceptance of information from the prospect receiving it.

How do you begin to paint the visual to take the subjectivity out of the equation and replace it with the comforts of what the prospect would like to know and see?

It’s really about how you position not only yourself, but how you market your agency’s strengths. There are several key elements to consider when developing your marketing strategies. Among them are building your market, branding your agency, and relationship development.

1. Building Your Market:
When developing a marketing plan you first must decide upon your target market. Typically, it’s any industry that you feel most comfortable in selling or have some knowledge or interest in researching it. Finding your natural market is easy because you will be selling to those industries you already represent: medical, government, utilities, banks, etc. Second, think global. Stick with what you know, but begin to branch out within the industry as well. For example, if your agency currently represents credit card debt, it would make sense to seek business from other divisions within the bank; direct deposit accounts, loans, etc. Third, develop niches within the market you represent. Decide whether your agency can support pre-collect, primary, secondary, or tertiary paper as well as balance size parameters, small or large balances.

Finally, once you’ve done your homework, how and where do you begin to communicate your message?

2. Branding Your Agency:
Positioning. It’s powerful. It supports the foundation for the answer to the question, “what makes you different?” Here is where you want to begin to paint the visuals in describing in detail distinguishable marks that separate your agency from others. Remember, the prospect is buying you, then the agency and services thereafter. Articulate your knowledge within the prospect’s industry by telling a story. With any good story, include not only a beginning, middle and end but make sure there is the villain (identify the problem the prospect is struggling with), the hero (how your agency has helped other prospects solve the very same problem), and the happy ending (how choosing your agency will “save the day”).

Relate all relevant experiences, knowledge, and trade association involvement that the prospect can begin to identify with. This is the time to boast about any industry awards or recognitions that would be meaningful information for the prospect to know. Prospects like familiarity, which in turn will generate interest.

Other focal points can include the pillars that support the operational structure such as: multi state licensing, multi lingual collectors, agency and collector certifications, audited financials, SAS 70, and near or offshore sites.

3. Relationship Development:
I call it “The Blind Date Theory.” How do you know if the relationship between you and the prospect will ultimately be “the right match”?

Relationships that you establish with your prospect are no different than those relationships you build within your personal life with family and friends. Critical components must include trust, credibility and reliability throughout the courtship of your prospect. Without them, there are no building blocks towards future opportunities for a prospect to become a client. In order to demonstrate those components, three areas of discovery must unfold:

1. Understanding the Industry
As a salesperson, you must be fluent both in their industry issues and challenges. Do some behind-the-scenes investigation and read their website, trade magazines, and attend association events. You also must be able to speak their language…phrases, jargons, etc., that is commonly used within their industry and market share alike. You can find this by reading the prospect’s website. After all, it’s someone within their organization who either wrote or furnished the information to be published.

2 The Organization
Understand the prospects strategy and focus. Look for the opportunity to ask questions in order to gather enough facts and information. The answers may be provided by someone other than the decision maker themselves…look around and seek to speak with those willing to help and assist you in your fact finding mission. Also know who’s who within the organizational chart; identify key roles and responsibilities that fall within them.

3. The Prospect
Remember, just like the prospect is buying you, the agency, and its services, you are not closing “the brick and mortar” of the prospects four walls. You are closing the decision maker. Get to know the individual’s character traits; his/her strengths, weaknesses, and motivation behind the ultimate decision—agreeing to do business with you. In order to satisfy the prospect, you must understand and satisfy the person.

Likes and dislikes will vary based on the prospect. The relationship begins with YOU–the salesperson the prospect is ultimately buying. The agency and services provided come after. So what makes YOU different from others and why would a prospect choose to do business with YOU? Because YOU are Vanilla….with a twist!