How To Avoid Being Treated as a Commodity in B2B Sales
Iannarino
APRIL 7, 2024
Discover how to elevate your B2B sales strategy and turn challenges into opportunities, ensuring clients see you as an irreplaceable asset, not just another commodity.
commodities 
Why New Reps Should Sell a Commodity
Iannarino
JUNE 16, 2023
As a new sales rep, you might want to sell a product that is unique and special. You might believe it would be even better to sell something with no available alternatives. While selling a differentiated product or service might bring you easy success and commissions, it will stunt your development as a salesperson.
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What I Learned Selling a Commodity
Iannarino
MARCH 22, 2022
I learned to sell in an industry that grew more commoditized with every passing year. My first experience was a startup, and I knew nothing about business, competition, or differentiation.
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On Pursuing Strategic Outcomes in B2B Sales
Iannarino
OCTOBER 8, 2023
One way to prevent your clients from treating you as a commodity is to pursue a conversation that differs from your competitors’. When you look and sound like your rivals, you can expect your clients to believe you are no different. To differentiate yourself in your client’s eyes is to create value for them in the sales conversation.
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4 Tips for Commodity Selling in a Competitive Market
Heinz Marketing
APRIL 23, 2018
Out of all the stories that my dad began with “Back in the day”, this one had a message that is truly significant in today’s commodity selling market. Of course, we must take into account how the nature of selling a commodity has changed since those simpler times. This style of commodity selling is more inquisitive and customized.
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What is a Positioning Statement
Iannarino
DECEMBER 27, 2022
Because most industries have a glut of competitors, your contacts believe what you sell is a commodity. In a time when there are too many sales organizations chasing too few prospective clients , differentiation is difficult. One way you can differentiate your products and services is by using a positioning statement.
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The 4th Level of Value and the Connection to Being One-Up
Iannarino
JUNE 17, 2022
While it's important to offer something good, starting the conversation with your product or service makes your contact treat you like a commodity. Inside the sales conversation, there are four levels of value: The first level of value is the conversation is sharing information about your product or service.
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The Danger In Becoming A Commodity
Sales Gravy
JANUARY 17, 2018
There is this thing that you do that causes your prospective client to believe you are a commodity. In a lot of markets, there is a race to the bottom, but that isn?t t a race you want to win. When you do this, even though you believe you are ma
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Never Base a Price Increase on Changes in Commodity Prices
The Sales Hunter
MARCH 26, 2013
Yes, it can be a much easier sell to base a price increase on the increased cost of commodities that go into whatever it is your company produces. Basing it on customer’s outcomes is a harder sell, but it gets you away from the commodity based price increase.
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Dear SaaStr: Why Do Some People Loathe Sales?
SaaStr
APRIL 18, 2024
That buyer isn’t buying a commodity. The drama, the negotiation, the attempt to get you to buy an $800 CD Player and some rust protection you don’t need or want. But that’s not what a sales professional does for a Fortune 5000 buyer. That buyer is implementing a ton of business process change.
Negotiate 92
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Legacy Approach vs Modern Sales Conversation Structures
Iannarino
JULY 19, 2021
In fact, if you want your client to treat you like a value creator instead of a commodity, the first step is to stop acting like a commodity: don’t give them the same conversation that they’ve had with every salesperson who has ever darkened their office door. The best you can do is provide advice and direction.
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The Commoditization of the Discovery Call
Iannarino
JULY 12, 2021
We are using the word “ commodity ” as economists define it: it is fungible (meaning interchangeable) and the market has no concern about who produced it. Under this definition, the sales call is now a commodity. The Commoditization of the Sales Call and Its Proponents. One widget is as good as the next.
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Our People Are Not Commodities, They Are Our Differentiation!
Partners in Excellence
OCTOBER 26, 2012
Unfortunately, too often the people in organizations are treated as commodities. People are swapped out, new one’s are swapped in, they are ignored and not recognized. In reality, people are the most sustainable differentiators in any organization. See, people can’t be copied or duplicated.
The Monday Morning Breakfast For Champions Podcast – Episode 45 – Mareo McCracken – Includes Overtime
Tibor Shanto
OCTOBER 25, 2021
Prior to helping lead this Med Tech SaaS company, Mareo was the top performing salesperson at multiple companies in various industries including financial services, marketing, logistics, manufacturing, and commodities.
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Closing Sales Training – Our Course Make It Easy
The 5% Institute
AUGUST 9, 2021
Although this may be common practice, this approach will keep you at a mediocre level at best and positions you as just another commodity. A commodity is a person or product that is common place; that they can get anywhere. Related article: How To Position Yourself As A Trusted Advisor. The Aspects Of Your Closing Sales Training.
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The great SEO heist: The untold story
Search Engine Land
JANUARY 22, 2024
Information is now a commodity Education leader Tony Wagner says information is now a commodity. That will be for a court to decide, but we continue as if it were. Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Subscribe Processing. In the past, we were all rewarded for our knowledge.
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The Backbone of Commerce: Exploring the Vital Role of the Trucking Industry
Sales Pop!
MARCH 4, 2024
It is believed that the trucking business is the foundation of commerce because it ensures continuous movement of things along supply chains, shipping commodities to various places and enabling trade. These processes are vital for the smooth flow of commodities from the point they are made up to when they reach consumers.
From Legacy to Modern Sales Approaches, The Level of Value | Part 9
Iannarino
JUNE 21, 2021
Believing that the product or service creates the value your client needs identifies you as a commodity, so be prepared for your clients to treat you as such. But in B2B sales, even if you do sell a commodity, there is little benefit in limiting your value to Level Two.
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The Elevator Pitch – Why It’s Killing Your Sales
The 5% Institute
OCTOBER 15, 2020
You’re positioned as a commodity, rather than a trusted advisor. Don’t Be A Commodity. Finally, our last issue with using an elevator pitch, is that it positions you as a commodity. A commodity is something that someone can get almost anywhere. Generally, there are three reasons why. Premature presentation.
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Dear SaaStr: What Does A Salesperson Need To Do To “Earn Your Business”?
SaaStr
OCTOBER 3, 2023
The beauty to sales in SaaS is as sales professionals, for the most part, you aren’t selling a commodity or a fungible product. Dear SaaStr: What Does A Salesperson Need To Do To “Earn Your Business”? Solve my problem. Just truly solve my problem.
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New Home Sales Consultant Training – Now Online!
The 5% Institute
MAY 25, 2021
Although this may be common practice, this approach will keep you at a mediocre level at best and positions you as just another commodity. A commodity is a person or product that is common place; that they can get anywhere. Related article: How To Position Yourself As A Trusted Advisor.
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What You Leave Undone
Iannarino
JULY 27, 2021
Now more than ever, your attention is a commodity —even a monetized one, as many forces not only compete for your time (and attention) but measure their success by how much of it they manage to get. There is no more important decision you can make than what you do with your time. What Are You Willing to Leave Undone?
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“Just Give Me A Price” – How To Respond The Right Way
The 5% Institute
NOVEMBER 10, 2021
In this article, you’ll learn how to respond to the “Just give me a price” statement in a way that’s not pushy and won’t position you just as another commodity. If you are a retailer selling commodity like items, then there isn’t anything wrong with giving someone a price.
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Selling Finance Products – 5 x Effective Tips
The 5% Institute
OCTOBER 20, 2022
Most people who are selling finance products are seen as a commodity – they compete based on price. It positions you as a commodity, as it doesn’t align or speak to their desires or needs. The issue with this business model, is that if everyone is competing on price; you’re literally all in a race to the bottom of the barrel.
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5 Roles Sales Decision Makers are Looking to Fill in 2023 [New Data]
Hubspot
MARCH 8, 2023
Employment of securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents is projected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031 — faster than the average for all occupations. About 46,600 openings for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
What It Means When You Trash Your Competition
Iannarino
JULY 21, 2021
It’s Level One selling , the kind that positions you as a peddler and your product a commodity. But when you stop at that surface-level understanding of the problem, you are solving the wrong problem. To gain a decision-maker’s time and attention, you have to recognize and sell your ability to solve more serious problems.
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How To Invest In Gold
Sales Pop!
AUGUST 3, 2021
Some of the most common options for investing in the commodity are listed below in detail for you to take advantage of. Exchange Trade Commodities (ETCs). Exchange Trade Commodities (ETCs) are the commodity versions of Exchange Traded Funds (EFTs) and are traded in the same way that shares are across various trading platforms.
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De-Commoditizing Your Products
Sandler Training
APRIL 18, 2022
Does it bother you when prospects treat your specialized products and services like a commodity? . The post De-Commoditizing Your Products appeared first on Sandler Training.
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Dear SaaStr: What’s Your Top Advice For All New SaaS Founders?
SaaStr
NOVEMBER 4, 2022
That only helps with commodities. Charging 20%-50%-100% more than you’d planned will help you learn that faster, and get to a viable business faster. Don’t charge less to get the ball rolling. A related post here. Fire (kindly) anyone that isn’t 100% customer-centric. Later, not everyone has to care about customers.
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How influencers and content creators are reshaping brand strategies
Martech
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
First and foremost among these is trust — a commodity in short supply in the digital age. For brands, the message is clear: pay attention or risk being left behind. The benefits of diving into influencer collaborations are tangible and multifaceted.
Legal 116
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Discounts, Expiring Deals, and Urgency: Understanding Human Behavior in Sales
SaaStr
APRIL 5, 2024
Most SaaS products are not commodities. If the rep provides tons of value upfront, and the pricing is fair and has context, the prospect generally will then buy. But many reps get this wrong and immediately go into deal dynamics, pushing price, discounts, and expiring offers. That’s wrong.
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Driving Innovation In Selling
Partners in Excellence
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Competition can offer exactly the same commodity. It may be services offered in complement to the commodities, for example logistics, supply chain management issues or other things that make the customer use of the offerings easier. For example, consider many of the basic materials organizations.
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How to Protect Your Brand Online: Useful Tips
TrackStreet
JULY 20, 2023
But believe it or not, if your company sells online — and your products are or could become commodities competing with similar items — your brand’s value might even be more central to your business’s health than it is to these multibillion-dollar corporate giants.
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10 Unfavorable Selling Conditions That Prevent Sales Success
Understanding the Sales Force
MARCH 25, 2024
When you encounter unfavorable selling conditions, refuse to accept them. This isn’t about moving forward with a couple of favorable conditions, it’s about NOT moving forward unless the conditions become more favorable.
Sell 73
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“Why I’m So Interested In Selling,” Jack Malcolm
Partners in Excellence
MARCH 4, 2024
I had no formal sales training and no way to differentiate my product (what’s more of a commodity than money?). I had to figure out how to sell, and quickly. But, because I like to eat and have a roof over my head, I went out and gave it a go.
Sell 73
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5+ Reasons to Worry Less About the Competition
SaaStr
DECEMBER 24, 2021
Who saw that Zoom would rocket to $200m+ ARR in a crowded space that seemed to be a commodity going to free? A few meta-learnings: First, markets get redefined by new entrants that change the paradigm. Or that Slack would remake chat apps? Second, it’s often ok to just be 10x better at something that matters a lot to paying customers.
CRM 99
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When an Investor Puts Their Career On The Line For You
SaaStr
AUGUST 25, 2023
So VCs are seen by most founders these days as almost commodities. Folks with money that you get money from. And maybe that’s a good thing, in many ways. I see fewer and fewer founders care if VCs make money, and the Go Go days of 2020 and 2021 are probably part of it. No one cared if they raised at 100x ARR.
Gaming 81
81 People First, Sales Second. Customers Need Calm
Selling Power
JANUARY 14, 2021
Consider it a commodity. Small brands or large, I always ask what value I can add to a clients’ process. While skill sets vary, we all have the power to contribute one precious thing to each of our clients: calm. Though priceless, it has intrinsic value and is often exchanged for currency.
Intrinsic 75
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Invite More Investors to Your Board Meetings, Not Less
SaaStr
JUNE 13, 2022
In the crazy times of 2H’20-2H’21, founders treated investors more and more as fungible commodities. Or even longer. And actually have those board meetings, more often. Even if you don’t have to. Raise the more, for the least, as fast as possible. That’s a decent strategy even today — if things go perfectly.
Meeting 95
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Three Mega IPOs That Took A Long, Long Time To Get Big: Squarespace, Procore and UiPath
SaaStr
MAY 21, 2021
Squarespace is a personal favorite (and one we run many SaaStr sites on) because it took a category of software that was a commodity and often a free give-away and made it magical. So three of my personal favorite SaaS companies finally went public, Squarespace, Procore and UiPath.
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Sales Pipeline Radio, Episode 246: Q & A with Bobby Martin @bobbyhsp
Heinz Marketing
MAY 10, 2021
Join us, as Bobby shares about the idea of industry experience and how important having industry experience and industry perspective is, especially when selling in a commodity market. I was a banker, and I was selling a commodity. Listen in and/or read along with the transcript below. My job was to call businesses all day long.
Pipeline 103
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From Legacy to Modern Sales Approaches, Who Leads | Part 7
Iannarino
JUNE 19, 2021
When you sell in such a way that your client perceives your product or a solution as a commodity, you lack the ability to lead the conversation. But because the legacy approach was—and is—transactional in nature and the balance of power has shifted to the prospective client, these salespeople find themselves in a difficult situation.
Negotiate 203
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Marketing And Sales Is Like Football
Eliminate Your Competition
NOVEMBER 11, 2021
Figure A: Marketing message for commodity products. In Figure A, the product sold is a commodity-type product. Figure B: Marketing and sales message for non-commodity products. The easiest way to show this is via a vector diagram. It may not be enough information, and it also may not be the correct type of information.
Commission 59
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The 7 Ways Prospects Choose One Vendor Over Another
SaaStr
JUNE 11, 2021
SaaS isn’t a commodity, not really. We don’t all have time to deploy Salesforce. Pipedrive could be deployed in minutes. That led to a $1.5B Cheaper (sometimes). It’s hard to build something big just because it’s cheaper. Every vendor is different. Often for several unicorns.
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