The Sweet Spot

There’s a place on a golf club, a tennis racket, and a baseball bat where the ball you’re hitting just jumps off. It’s called the “sweet spot”. When you hit it there, the game seems so much easier. And the probability of success is much greater.

So too in selling.

Let’s talk about your selling sweet spot against your number one competitor.

It goes beyond regular qualification. It’s ultra or super-qualification.

Think of your sweet spot like a Venn diagram. It’s where your competitor’s biggest weakness overlaps with your biggest strength overlaps with the prospect’s current conditions, needs or wants.

It’s the ideal client profile against your top competitor. If you only had one deal to work on, you’d pick one in your sweet spot.

The sweet spot gives you the best chance to replace your number one competitor.

Now that we’ve exhausted the explanation, let’s look at an example. I’m going to use one from a long time ago, back to my first job out of college, selling mainframe computers and software for Burroughs. Because it’s still relevant.

Back then IBM dominated the market. They had 70% market share. (We had less than 10%). Computers were much less reliable back then so IBM sold their service umbrella. If there was a problem, IBM would “unload the bus” of technicians to fix it. That was the image they painted and they were really good at it. Their clients were extremely loyal. The old line in the industry (probably started and perpetuated by IBM) was that “Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM.”

Yes, they were very tough to beat.

But they did have a couple of weaknesses.

Weakness #1: Back then they had two main product lines – the 3X series (System/34, System/36, System/38) and the 43XX series (4331, 4341, etc.).

The lines were totally different. The 3X series was much easier to use & required less staff to operate. But the 3X series also topped out horsepower-wise just a bit beyond where the 4331 started. Meaning, if you grew beyond the biggest System/38, you had to CONVERT all of your programs to move into the 43XX class. And you had to add staff to run it.

Weakness #2: The systems were so different they, were sold by separate sales forces. Meaning if a client’s needs could be met by the higher end of the 3X series or the 43XX series, the client would be called on by two IBM reps. Two IBM reps would COMPETE for the same piece of business.

The sweet spot for us was between the two system lines and the best prospects were those whose needs were partially satisfied by both but total needs satisfied by neither.

Here’s what I mean: Unlike IBM, Burroughs’ system software ran across the entire mainframe product line. And it required less staff to run (just like IBM’s 3X series). If you grew and required a bigger mainframe, with us it was plug in the new one and go. With IBM you’d have to go through a big, ugly conversion.

That was IBM’s Achilles heel.

A company used to using their relatively simple 3X series would get “penalized” by IBM for their growth by having to upend their data processing operation to convert all their programs and add staff to run the new system.

Some DP managers with smaller IBM systems liked the idea of building an empire, but many didn’t. And most CEOs & CFOs did not like that idea one bit. Our value proposition looked much better. And IBM’s typical advantages shrank greatly.

Our sweet spot was that magic area in capacity at the high end of the 3X series and the low end of the 43XX series. We didn’t do well with smaller IBM customers who didn’t worry about growing beyond the 3X. Nor with larger ones already in the 43XX category who were used to the bigger staff. But with those in the magic middle, you had a fighting chance getting DP and CEOs/CFOs on your side.

How does this relate to you?

Here’s how you can use this to beat your biggest competitor:

(1.) Find the one big weakness or Achilles heel in your #1 competitor’s offering.

(2.) Connect their weakness with a major strength of yours. Is there a big contrast? Play that up in multiple ways.

(3.) Look for prospects where the conditions, or their needs and wants match up with #1 and #2 above.

And keep hitting that sweet spot.

Have a great week!

Bob