In the 1960s, Avis was hopelessly behind Hertz.
The standard reaction when you’re number two is to try to close the gap by imitating the leader. You polish the details and talk up things like “customer focus” and “tailored solutions.”
But in doing so, you’re just confirming the competitor’s playing field instead of drawing your own.
Avis did the opposite. They bared their throat:
“We’re #2. We try harder.”
It wasn’t an apology. It was a positioning that Hertz couldn’t possibly copy.
Avis didn’t change the game, they replaced the playing field.
This is where many sales teams drop the ball.
They accept the customer’s definition of the problem at face value.
They step into a pre-defined process and try to win by being a little cheaper, a little faster, or a little more “customer-focused.”
They play by rules the customer or the competition has already set.
When that happens, only one thing remains: being compared on price.
The best do something different. They challenge the foundation.
They shift focus to the blind spots the customer didn’t even know they had.
That’s exactly what Upstream Selling is about.
What “truth” in your industry is really just an old habit waiting to be challenged?
We’ve developed a short diagnostic that shows how you actually sell today and where you’re losing deals.
Takes 5 minutes. No registration. No data stored.
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#UpstreamSelling #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #Shifthappens
