You might not always think about it this way, but sales is a competition. As a sales professional, you're competing for the client's business. Sales is a contest measured by the value the salesperson creates. There is a winner and a loser, with the victory going to the sales professional or sales organization that best solves the client's problem.

Anthony Iannarino, an international speaker, bestselling author, sales leader and entrepreneur, says it's important for sales professionals to not simply go through the motions, hoping to win. It's important to be competitive in sales. We share Iannarino's thoughts on how to compete in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Believe it is a contest. To win a contest, you have to believe you are competing, says Iannarino. It isn't enough to show up. You have to possess a strong desire to win. When a contest has consequences, you must bring your very best effort to the competition. You are not served by showing up, and there is no benefit of just doing your job. You have to play to win.

Focus on creating greater value. There is no reason to focus on your competitor. You cannot do anything about them or their approach, even if they always win by lowering their price. The way that you compete in a contest for a client's business is in large part is creating greater value than your competitor. You win by being more valuable to your client than your competitor, explains Iannarino. You tilt the playing field in your direction when your dream client perceives more value.

Create a preference to work with you. Clients decide that they want to work with someone more than they want to work with someone else. When you lose, they decided they wanted to work with your competitor. Your approach to selling is a differentiator—so is your bedside manner, what it's like to work with you. Your business acumen and situational knowledge also help position you as the right partner, as your competency creates trust.

Make every interaction count. If you believe you are just making another sales call, you are not playing the game as well as you could. When you think you are engaged in a contest, a struggle where you win or lose, you treat each interaction as if it is critical to the outcome—because it is critical.

Leverage every resource available. It is a mistake not to engage with the people on your team who might help you win a deal. If you can, bring your leadership into the contest. If there are things you can do, like visiting their site and meeting with their teams to better understand their world, you do it. If you can invite them to your location for a whiteboard meeting to share ideas, make it worth their while to join you. Use every resource available to you to win.

Think about sales as a competition. Are you playing to win?

Source: Anthony Iannarino is an international speaker, bestselling author, sales leader and entrepreneur.