Straight Talk About Small Business Success

Unlocking Business Success through Differentiation

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Straight Talk About Small Business Success Podcast, Salim Omar interviews Patrick Kagan, a business coach and author of the book Sell The Difference, the Ultimate Guide to Increase Sales Profits and Customer Satisfaction. With over 30 years of experience in Fortune 500 and small organizations, Patrick is the author of Sell The Difference, an ultimate guide to increase sales, profits and customer satisfaction. He explains the four disciplines of differentiation that can help differentiate your business from competitors - hating the current situation, inspecting what you expect, doing this daily and practicing patience. He also shares tips on how to use benefits such as being locally owned and confident there may be bigger problems than initially described in order to stand out in the market. Finally, Patrick explains the importance of understanding one's customer's problem and looking for the bigger issue to address. Tune in for actionable advice on how you can differentiate your business for maximum success!

Episode Notes

[00:01 - 06:23] Opening Segment

• Welcoming Patrick Kagan to the show
• Differentiation occurs in the customer's mind long before it occurs in the salesperson or business owner's world in reality
• The Jiminy Cricket Effect changes that where your customer, when they stay awake at night, they're thinking about you
• Differentiation will create top line growth, bottom line growth and customer satisfaction
• Business owners should understand the concept of differentiation and attempt to differentiate themselves when they are in front of their clients or perspective clients

[06:24 - 12:58] Unlocking the Power of Differentiation: 4 Disciplines to Help Small Business Owners Stand Out

• Locally owned business with 25 years of experience and nationwide distribution
• Utilizing recycled products to differentiate from competitors
• Need to identify distinguishable factors that make the business unique
• 4 disciplines of differentiation: hate current situation, inspect what is expected, practice on a daily basis, and practice patience
• Differentiation includes benefit selling but is not the same as benefit selling
• Mindset is key to differentiation - focus on identifying the customer's problem and looking for bigger problems than what they describe

[12:59 - 19:16] Uncovering the Secrets to Growing Your Business 

• Open dialogue with customers/prospects to understand their ideal salesperson
• Know your business and what makes it work, measure the right thing
• Sales numbers may not be indicative of actual success
• Tactics can help achieve strategy, but must be used correctly
• Take better care of yourself than your smartphone for business success
• Book provides roadmap to build abundance in business and life

[19:17 - 21:52] Closing Segment

• Reach out to Patrick Kagan!

Ready to transform the sales experience and close more deals? Connect with Patrick and join their program at pksolutionsgroup.com.

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Tweetable Quotes

 “So think of sales like getting a college.” - Patrick Kagan

“Fix the greater problem.” - Patrick Kagan