If You're Invited to the Competitive Party Too Late, the Table Has Already Been Set
- John Duvenage
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
For most of my sales career, I've believed that one of the biggest mistakes in complex B2B sales is entering an opportunity too late.
I used to say:
If you're first invited to the competitive party when the buyer is ready to compare vendors, you're already late. Your strongest competitor may have helped set the table.
I've seen this play out repeatedly.
A company issues an RFP or begins evaluating three or four vendors.
On the surface, it looks like an open competition.
But is it?
Who helped the buyer define the problem?
Who influenced the requirements?
Who helped establish the decision criteria?
Who already understands the economic buyer's priorities?
Who has relationships with the other members of the buying group?
And perhaps most importantly:
Who helped the buyer decide what a winning solution should look like?
If the answer is one of your competitors, you're not entering a level playing field.
You're competing on a field they may have helped design.
The Best Time to Differentiate Is Before the Comparison
Too many sales teams think competitive selling begins when another vendor appears in the opportunity.
I think it begins much earlier.
The strongest position is created when you're helping the customer understand:
Why should we change?
Why should we change now?
What business outcomes should we expect?
What risks do we need to avoid?
What should we consider when evaluating possible solutions?
Who needs to be involved in making the decision?
That's very different from waiting for a list of requirements and then explaining why your product checks more boxes.
By then, you're responding to someone else's definition of the problem.
Help Shape the Decision
'm not suggesting manipulating a buyer into creating requirements only your company can meet.
I'm talking about something more valuable.
Help the customer make a better decision.
Ask questions they haven't considered.
Expose consequences they may have underestimated.
Help quantify the business impact of the problem.
Identify stakeholders who need to be involved.
Challenge assumptions about the status quo.
Help them understand what a successful outcome actually requires.
If you do that well, something important happens.
You're no longer simply another vendor being compared.
You've helped shape how the buyer thinks about the decision itself.
Features Aren't Enough
When the formal competition begins, every vendor will have features.
Every vendor will have presentations.
Every vendor will have references, demonstrations and claims about why they're different.
The more important question is:
Have you established why your differences matter to this particular buyer?
A capability isn't valuable because it's different.
It's valuable because of what that difference allows the customer to accomplish.
Tie your differentiation to business impact.
Reduced risk.
Faster time to value.
Greater revenue.
Lower cost.
Better productivity.
Fewer failures.
Whatever matters to that particular customer.
Your Champion Has to Sell When You're Not There
T
here's another reason early influence matters.
In a complex B2B sale, you're rarely in the room for every conversation.
Your champion may have to explain your case to the CFO.
Procurement may challenge the price.
IT may raise concerns.
Another executive may favor the incumbent.
Someone may argue that doing nothing for another year is safer.
Your sales story therefore has to be strong enough to survive when you're not in the room.
Can your champion clearly explain:
Why Change?
Why Now?
Why You?
If they can't, your competitor—or the status quo—has an opening.
Don't Wait for the Invitation
Winning complex B2B sales isn't simply about outperforming competitors during the final evaluation.
It's about being involved early enough to help the customer understand what a good decision should look like.
Because once the requirements have been written, the criteria established and the buying group aligned around someone else's view of the problem, changing the game becomes considerably harder.
So when a prospect invites you into a competitive opportunity, ask yourself:
Am I helping set the table—or have I simply been invited to someone else's party?
About the Author
John Duvenage | B2B Sales Growth Partner | SMB Growth Strategies
John Duvenage brings 40+ years of B2B sales experience and has generated $19.4M in first-year net-new revenue across 28 B2B companies. He works with B2B CEOs and sales leaders to create qualified sales opportunities and win more high-value new customers.
Comments