How to Sell When Your Product Isn’t Unique

Good Morning! Are you thinking about adding a new certification to your resume? Might want to hold off. A new study analyzed over 23K certifications and found that only 1 in 8 led to a noticeable pay bump (and most were in the medical field). Meanwhile, the number of certificates available in the U.S. has ballooned to over 700K. Proof there’s a lot more money in selling pieces of paper than in earning them. Now let’s get into today’s Follow Up. 😁 

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How to Sell When Your Product Is "The Same" as Everyone Else's

Buyers love to tell salespeople that all vendors are identical.

"Your software does the same thing as theirs."
"A bolt is a bolt."
"All email platforms are basically the same."

They use this as leverage to squeeze you on price. And honestly, sometimes they have a point. In some industries, products have become genuinely commoditized.

But even when products are identical, sales outcomes don't have to be. 

There’s a reason why some real estate agents make $1M+/year, and others can’t make enough to survive. The best reps find ways to differentiate even when selling the same thing.

So today, I’m breaking down how to win deals even when your product isn't unique.

Stop Playing by Commodity Rules

The biggest mistake commodity sellers make is accepting the buyer's framing.

When a prospect says "your solution is the same," most reps either argue (bad move) or compete on price (worse move). Instead, you need to change the conversation entirely.

You need to sell what the product does for them.

A logistics company doesn't sell "shipping services." They sell "getting your customers their orders faster so they buy from you again."

A software vendor doesn't sell "email marketing tools." They sell "turning subscribers into revenue."

The moment you start talking about outcomes instead of features, you're no longer in a commodity conversation.

Your Service Is Your Secret Weapon

Products might be identical, but service never is.

The best reps build moats around the customer experience. They add more value through how they deliver, and not just what they deliver.

Europe’s largest sugar supplier won a major client not by offering better sugar (impossible) or even cheaper sugar (yuck), but by having the customer service rep personally travel to the first delivery. The rep let the client know that she doesn’t usually come to the deliveries, but wanted to introduce herself and let them know who would be on the other end of the phone whenever they needed something.

That client never forgot the gesture.

The lesson: people remember great service long after they forget the price.

These services cost very little in comparison to the massive value they provide.

Sell the Partnership

When you offer suggestions and show your expertise, you position yourself as a consultant rather than a salesperson.

This means doing homework, learning their industry, and understanding their challenges so you can offer real advice.

I recently experienced this myself… with a home project hanging over my head, I got quotes from a few contractors. Most contractors gave me a price for exactly what I asked for. But one contractor was different. He listened to what I wanted to accomplish. Then showed me a better way to do it for less money. That contractor got the job.

Maybe you can't offer a better product or a cheaper price, but you can offer better insights about their market, their competitors, and options to accomplish their goal. 

Brand Beats Commodity

When products are identical, buyers choose the safest one.

Every purchase carries the risk that something won’t work, or a different option would have been better.

Brand is the ultimate risk reducer.

When you say you're calling from Google, buyers listen. But when you mention you’re with some small startup they've never heard of, they hesitate. Same product, different reception.

Look at video conferencing for example: “Zoom” became the literal verb for how someone describes a video call. If you try to sell the same video product as Zoom, buyers will always view Zoom as the safer buy. 

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t go sell for a new startup (in many cases, I think you should). But when it comes to selling commoditized products, brand matters.

Strong brands can mean easier meetings, fewer discounts, and faster cycles. 

Choose your battles wisely.