One of the most challenging situations in selling is trying to unseat an entrenched, incumbent supplier. This is especially true if the competitor is well thought of by the customer. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do this, or that it's impossible to do it. It just means that we need to be really good.

Think about this from the customer's perspective. Why should they switch? That's the key question we would ask if the table was turned. After all, processes are in place, switching costs could be significant and their people may be comfortable with the current state.

No doubt you have done your homework about their business and their needs, and you may have uncovered a number of reasons why they should change. Perhaps your product, solution or service is superior. Maybe your competitor has gaps in their product line that you can fill. Whatever the case, you are battling two foes - the competitor and the status quo. In this situation you have to be more than a little better. You have to be a lot better.

As you prepare to sell this customer, imagine a situation where you run into the senior level decision maker who asks you, "Why should I switch?" This person is less likely to care about small, subtle differences in specs, terms or formulations, and your answer needs to be impactful. You can't hem and haw and drone on, so your answer needs to be crisp and compelling. Think through your answer and relate it to the customer's business and the impact this switch could have on their business results. Net it out to the most compelling points and paint a vision of what the change could bring.

Now that you have your message, practice delivering it so that when you get your shot to answer the question it will be both powerful and powerfully delivered!