The New Power Base Selling: Master The Politics, Create Unexpected Value and Higher Margins, and Outsmart the Competition

Testing Value Statements

It is helpful to first test a Value Statement’s integrity before going live with the customer. To accomplish this, we ask three questions:

1. Is the Value Statement relevant to the target audience?

2. Is the solution aligned with the right critical business issue?

3. Is the value provided distinctive from that of the competition?

Applying this test to our theater example yields the following results:

• Is the Value Statement relevant to the target audience? Yes, it is targeted to the CEO and addresses the IPO.
• Have you aligned your solution with the right critical business issue? Yes, the POS solution will increase individual movie theater profits, which is crucial to the success of the IPO. You also demonstrated a clear understanding of the business by the way you explained the solution, which is equally important.
• Do you provide value that is distinctive from that of the competition? Yes, for two reasons. First, your solution carries a lower TCO than that of the competition. Second, and perhaps more important, you established yourself as a Stage IV Customer Advisor in the customer’s eyes by showing thought leadership. This is a nontraditional source of relative superiority.

Remember that in most cases, a Value Statement is designed to help you gain access to key people and find your way into the Situational Power Base. Don’t be surprised if you find that you need to modify your solution, target a different critical business issue, or even refocus ...