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December 15, 2008

Give Business to Your Competitor

From time-to-time you may encounter a situation when your product, service or solution does not fit a prospects specific situation. Some people try to force a solution in order to get a sale but this does not generate positive long-term relationships.

Sometimes it makes good business sense to suggest a competitor because their product or service is more appropriate for that particular customer. You may shudder at the thought of ‘giving’ revenue to your competition but if you can’t provide the best solution there’s no point trying to keep the sale. It does not make good business sense.

Here’s an example of how this works. I have alliances with several other sales trainers, and indirectly, we all compete against each other. But, at the same time, we each specialize in different areas. So, if an engineering company contacts me about sales training, even though I can probably deliver a good program, I know someone who is more qualified so I put the prospect in touch with that person.

As Zig Ziglar once said, “You can get anything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.” Sometimes, it makes sense to give business to your competition. Competitive alliances can work in your favour.

Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or by email.

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