Kim Bastian

As we've discussed in the first three parts of this series, Seller Deficit Disorder is caused by prospects believing that you don't understand their needs. It's the disadvantage that can keep you from making sales.

So far, we've talked about the importance of asking your prospects two-sided discovery questions, truly listening to their answers, gaining access to top decision-makers and defining value in the eyes of the buyer. This time, we'll talk about the fourth symptom of Seller Deficit Disorder – your prospect’s inability to distinguish between you and your competitors.

Symptom No. 4: Your Prospect Can't Differentiate Between Competitive Offerings

Differentiation – what makes you different than the competition? Actually your prospect doesn’t just want to know what’s different about your product or service, but what makes you better.

When the buyer can’t differentiate your solution from your competitors’, they often assume that all of the...

As we discussed in part 1 of this series, Seller Deficit Disorder is caused by a prospect’s opinion that you don't understand their needs and you’re not planning on listening to them. It's a disadvantage you have that can keep you from making more sales.

In the first part of this five-part series, we talked about the importance of really listening to your prospects and asking the right questions to uncover their pain points, so that you can tie their pain points to the solution you offer. This time we'll talk about another symptom of Seller Deficit Disorder that can put you at a disadvantage -- limited access to high-level decision makers.

Symptom No. 2: You Have Limited Access Within the Buyer’s Organization

Great job! You got your foot in the door and met with a buyer, and the buyer seems interested in your product. But unless he has wide-ranging decision-...