Value-based selling in the Age of innovation

13th October 2026 |   Ivano Fossati

Moving beyond total cost of ownership to drive competitive advantage.

So, how can I connect the dots between the two definitions of “value” to create a more authentic and practical sales approach to support our salespeople in this transition? VBS is about creating a meaningful and beneficial customer experience. By genuinely caring about our customers’ success, we can align our values with their goals.

Let’s start with the needs and headwinds we face. The first objective to achieve this is to understand the customer’s needs by listening. Once we understand the needs, the next step is to articulate how our portfolio can provide unique benefits to their pain points. Too often, we speak about our uniqueness following a script, with little attention to the relevance of the context.

As Squire (2021) states, this attitude can risk trust and credibility when comparing customer-centricity to suppliercentricity. We cannot build a credible relationship without acting transparently or showing genuine interest.