One of the things sales professionals love about the new year is sharing all the new and exciting products and services being rolled out in 2019. The temptation is easy to understand‚ our latest offerings give us something new to talk about, not to mention fresh revenue opportunities. But before you rush in pitching all your latest stuff, pause long enough to consider whether these new offerings are actually of interest or value to your customers.

A product or service may be new, but it’s only exciting if it meets a recognized need or “gap” for your customer. Going in and showering your customers with all your new offerings without careful regard for their relevance or potential benefit to each individual will undermine your credibility and your sales success, rather than build your customer value proposition.

Not sure about the relevance of your new products or services? This is where the Exploratory Process comes in to play! The start of a new year is the perfect time to explore with customers about their objectives and challenges for the coming year. Completing this exercise will provide the insight you need to position your new offerings with the greatest relevance and in a manner that highlights their benefit relative to a confirmed gap. Learning from exploratory questions will also help you gather the most impactful support and reference materials‚ materials that not only reinforce the benefits of your product, but also provide real value to your client in filling his or her need.

It is easy to get swept up in our own sales objectives and new offerings in the new year, but pausing long enough to ensure we are always filtering and presenting opportunities in the customer’s “odds are” will set the best tone for 2019 and beyond.