--- title: Why mastering value selling has never been more important... description: Bob Apollo of Inflexion-Point, the B2B sales effectiveness experts, shows how the key principles of value selling can be applied to transform sales performance image: https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/031999220ad8f1375556e0c8d48cd5fc31d6ac78.jpg?image_crop_resized=1920x1080 --- This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Why mastering value selling has never been more important... ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) June 1, 2017 ![Why mastering value selling has never been more important...](https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/031999220ad8f1375556e0c8d48cd5fc31d6ac78.jpg?image_crop_resized=1920x1080) According to research conducted by SiriusDecisions, the #1 sales effectiveness challenge facing today’s B2B sales leaders isn’t product knowledge, lack of demand or basic sales skills: it’s their sales people’s inability to make a clear connection between their product capabilities and their customer’s business issues. The impact can be seen in longer sales cycles, declining win rates, lower deal values and an increasing number of apparently well-qualified opportunities ending with the prospect deciding to “do nothing” and stick with the status quo. If you recognise any of these symptoms, my [**latest on-demand webinar**](https://www.inflexion-point.com/essentials-of-value-selling-webinar) offers a powerful series of field-proven remedies for dealing with this value vacuum… One of the primary causes of the sales value gap is the fact that whilst the average sales person is 4* more likely to be proficient in product knowledge than in business expertise, today’s B2B buyers vale relevant business expertise 4* more highly than product knowledge. ![4 by 4 comparison.png](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2017_Images/4%20by%204%20comparison.png?width=640&name=4%20by%204%20comparison.png) As a result, the performance gap between the average B2B sales person and their most competent colleagues has never been higher: in complex B2B sales, top performers are nearly 3* more effective than the average, but only represent 5-15% of the total sales population. ![3 times.png](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2017_Images/3%20times.png?width=640&name=3%20times.png) Many sales organisations clearly suffer from a sales effectiveness gap: but our customers are also suffering a value gap - between their current situation and their desired future state. But we will struggle to win their business until and unless the gap is large enough to drive change, and unless we can persuade them that we offer the most effective approach to bridging their value gap. ![Customer Value Gap.png](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2017_Images/Customer%20Value%20Gap.png?width=640&name=Customer%20Value%20Gap.png) You can find out how to deal with the challenge and bridge these sales performance and customer value gaps, and how to equip all of your sales people to **master value selling** in this **on-demand webinar**: ---           16:45       16:45     - [  Twitter ](https://twitter.com/home?status=The%20Essentials%20of%20VS%20(Formerly%201-2-3)%20-%20some%20great%20tips%20for%20%23b2bsales%20from%20%40bobapollo%20https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.hs-sites.com%2F_hcms%2Fpreview%2Fcontent%2F5174834186) - [  Email ](mailto:?subject=Why%20mastering%20value%20selling%20has%20never%20been%20more%20important...&body=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.hs-sites.com%2F_hcms%2Fpreview%2Fcontent%2F5174834186) - [  LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.hs-sites.com%2F_hcms%2Fpreview%2Fcontent%2F5174834186&title=Why%20mastering%20value%20selling%20has%20never%20been%20more%20important...&summary=&source=)                     ![Wistia video thumbnail - The Essentials of VS (Formerly 1-2-3)](https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/031999220ad8f1375556e0c8d48cd5fc31d6ac78.jpg?image_crop_resized=1920x1080) [About Wistia](https://wistia.com/about-wistia?about=124343)[Report a problem](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/why-mastering-value-selling-has-never-been-more-important#)   Thanks for reporting a problem. We'll attach technical data about this session to help us figure out the issue. Which of these best describes the problem? Choose one Video plays but frequently stutters Video has poor quality Video fails to play Other Any other details or context?   [Cancel](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/why-mastering-value-selling-has-never-been-more-important#) Send message   16:45             --- If you can relate to what you've seen, and if you'd like to lean more, you'll probably want to download our [**Introduction to Value Selling®**](https://www.inflexion-point.com/value-selling-guide) - and I'm pretty sure that you'll love the concepts behind the [**Value Selling System powered by Membrain**](https://www.inflexion-point.com/membrain). ### ABOUT THE AUTHOR [![Apollo_3_white_background_250_square.jpg](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/file-2491717283-jpg/2015_-_Images/Apollo_3_white_background_250_square.jpg?width=161&name=Apollo_3_white_background_250_square.jpg "Apollo_3_white_background_250_square.jpg")**Bob Apollo**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) is a Fellow of the [**Association of Professional Sales**](https://associationofprofessionalsales.com) and the Founder of UK-based [**Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners**](https://www.inflexion-point.com), home of the [**Value Selling System®**](https://www.inflexion-point.com/value-selling-system). Following a successful career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and mature corporates, Bob now works with a growing client base of tech-based growth-phase businesses, equipping and enabling them to systematically create and capture mutually meaningful value in every customer interaction. ###### Tags: [Sirius Decisions, ](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/sirius-decisions) [Value Selling System](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/value-selling-system) ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) June 1, 2017 Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. [Follow me on my website](https://www.inflexion-point.com) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) [Follow me on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bobapollo) ### Comments ###### Related Articles ### [Why we chose to partner with Membrain](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/why-we-chose-to-partner-with-membrain) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Jun 05, 2017** Inflexion-Point has just announced a partnership with Membrain to incorporate our Value Selling System® methodology into ... ### [Situational awareness - a critical factor in B2B sales](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/situational-awareness-b2b-sales) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Jan 30, 2018** As regular readers will know, I’ve been a long-standing advocate of establishing repeatable sales processes, but please bear ... ### [Sales training: should we emphasise technique or thinking?](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/sales-training-should-we-emphasise-technique-or-thinking) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Mar 13, 2018** I’ve been talking about the long-term impact of conventional sales training programmes with clients, and their experience ... 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