The more a sales representative can place him or herself in the shoes of the customer, the more effectively he or she can anticipate what value really means to them.

Working with the customer to simply define the answers to three basic questions, from the point of view of the customer, sets the tone for a trust-based, mutually beneficial relationship:

• Why buy anything?
• Why buy this product?
• Why buy it now?
  

Tom refers to these questions as “The Three Whys.” As a customer relationship develops, a seller can refine and more accurately answer “why” for each of these questions. Understanding “why” allows sales representatives to translate the challenge into the customer’s language and understanding in order to add value and not simply chase for next steps.

Effectively articulating value depends on a whole-of-business view of the customer, referred to in value-based selling as The Value Pyramid. A customer’s corporate objectives sit at the top of the pyramid, and your product provides the foundation at the bottom, delivering paths to value.

The pyramid is, again, based on empathy — the more a seller can understand the customer’s objectives, the clearer the paths to value will be. When it is, you should be able to clearly articulate, from top to bottom alignment of the Companies corporate-objectives, associated business strategies and initiatives, associated risks and critical capabilities required to mitigate these risks.

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