Value-added salespeople are different than traditional salespeople. They are more interested in making a difference than just making a deal. They actively seek ways to add value with their solutions. They make it a habit to do what others consider to be a hassle. Value-added salespeople define success as their ability to help their customers achieve higher levels of success. They realize that if they help customers succeed, they'll have all the success they (the salesperson) can handle.

Salespeople are at least a third of the value that customers receive — some estimates run higher than that. The same product, from the same company, from two different salespeople is two different solutions. That's why one salesperson can go into a territory and set it on fire. Everyone loves this salesperson, even his manager.

Another sales rep goes into the same territory. He has the same customers, the same product, the same support network, and maybe the same company car. The only difference is the salesperson. But instead of setting the territory on fire, he destroys it. That's the impact of a salesperson. So how do salespeople bring value to the table?

Having surveyed hundreds of salespeople to identify how they add value, here is a sampling of a list we have compiled to help guide your efforts:

• Conduct a formal needs assessment to help buyers make better decisions.
• Provide hands-on product demonstrations.
• Offer free estimates.
• Help buyers coordinate and direct their resources toward the right solution.
• Confirm order status and follow the supply chain from seller to buyer.
• Provide transitional training for customer employees.
• Give financing assistance.
• Be a liaison between supplier teams and customer teams.
• Provide guaranteed access 24 hours per day.
• Conduct follow-up value audits to ensure the customer gets all the value added the salesperson promised.
• Offer product performance evaluations.
• Provide re-sale assistance for used goods.
• Give product pull-through assistance.
• Locate hard-to-find items.
• Arrange for loaner equipment.
• Be an information conduit for the customer and their company for industry trends.

This list is the tip of the value-added iceberg. Salespeople bring the most value with their knowledge. Seventy-six percent of the value added that customers receive comes from knowledge-based activities. For salespeople to add value, they must view their role as changing throughout the sales process.

They go from diagnostician to promoter to supporter to customer satisfaction specialist. And they wear many hats: logistics, sales, service, value creation, value reinforcement and growth specialist.

The question that I like to challenge salespeople with is: "If you were to leave your company tomorrow and go to work for a very good quality competitor, how much business would you take with you?" If the answer is "not much," then you're not bringing much to the table. If the answer is "most of it," you're bringing significant value to the table.