Even the most innovative product or service will one day become a commodity—but the salesperson doesn't have to.
Understanding the Value of Commodity Sales in a Saturated Market
In modern B2B sales strategy, it's crucial to understand the difference between selling a commodity and becoming one. This article explores both concepts and explains how you can thrive, even in saturated, high-competition markets.
Selling a Commodity in High-Demand Markets
Here, we are going to explore two ideas about commodities in sales. You may believe that a commodity is something negative.
The First Commodity: What You Sell
Many salespeople wish they could sell something that has a durable advantage. They dream of a product built on something so different that it causes decision-makers and buyers to prefer them and their solutions. They want to compete in the Blue Ocean, where there are no competitors.
This writer learned to sell a commodity and, in doing so, I learned that it brings many benefits. First of all, commodities are in high demand, while truly unique offerings tend to fill more specialized needs, so demand for them is limited. The fact that there is demand for commodities means you can sell a lot of them. Non-commodities exist in the Blue Ocean. Commodities exist in the Red Ocean, which is much bigger and offers more opportunities.
Remember how exciting it was on the day ChatGPT launched? It was a revolutionary new tool. There wasn’t anything like it. It was a Blue Ocean product—but not for long. A short time later, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude entered the market; then, Chinese competitor DeepSeek emerged. Now, AI is everywhere. This is what happens to things that are special. Their initial advantage will fade. Some competitors will copy it, while others are able to improve on the original. If there is real demand, a Blue Ocean product will become a commodity.
Given a choice of working for a company that offers a commodity or one that offers something that is new and groundbreaking, sell the commodity. You will develop stronger sales skills that are necessary in almost every market. If you choose to sell in the Blue Ocean instead, you are merely biding your time until you must enter the Red Ocean. But the Red Ocean offers many advantages. You are likely to have more revenue, more commissions, and more clients, even if you have to take them from your competitors.
The Second Commodity: You as a Salesperson
Let’s look at the other way we can think about being a commodity—one that concerns you and me. You, I, and our brothers and sisters in sales cannot present ourselves as commodities. We must be something more than a peddler, who could be easily replaced by any other salesperson. To succeed in sales, we must create value in the sales conversation.
Maybe you have read Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative. That book introduced the concept we describe as being One-Up. This idea encourages you to become an expert and an authority in your industry.
To better understand the difference between a salesperson who is a commodity and one who is One-Up, let’s consider a scenario. Imagine that you are a buyer, and you have booked first meetings with two salespeople. Before your meetings, you visit each company’s website, where you read a little about their history and the companies they sell to. You watch their videos and read all about their products and features. You are buying a commodity product, so you see little difference in the offerings.
The first salesperson arrives. He opens his laptop and clicks through a presentation that repeats the information you read on the company website. He asks you about the problem your business is facing and, before you’re finished explaining your experience, he’s pitching his solution. Then, he launches the video you’ve already watched and tells you all about his product’s features and benefits. He is like his company website in human form, and you think about how you might as well have talked to the chatbot there. When he asks to set up a demo, you tell him you’ll call him next week, but you have no plans to do so.
Before the second salesperson arrives, you are already filled with dread. You definitely do not want to spend more time being told information you already know. Your job and business are in jeopardy, and you really need to focus on getting the outcomes you need. You hope this purchase can help with that, so you prepare yourself to make it through one more sales meeting to get pricing info and make up your mind.
The second salesperson doesn’t dim the lights or cue up a slideshow. Instead, he hands you a one-page executive briefing. “Would it be okay if I shared some of the trends we’ve identified that are affecting your industry?” As you look at the paper, things start to click into place. This salesperson describes the reasons why you’re struggling to get the results you need. He asks you questions that get you thinking on a deeper level, and about your company’s overall strategy. You feel relief that you are not alone, and that you’ve found someone who knows more about your problem than you do. The time flies by, so you schedule another meeting for later that week.
This Second Salesperson is One-Up
It is important to recognize that you sell whatever you sell every day, while your clients only rarely buy. Your sales conversation is all you have to win the client’s relationship and their business. The less that you look and sound like your competitors, the more likely your client will find that you create value for decision makers and their many stakeholders.
Conclusion: Why One-Up Salespeople Win in Competitive, AI-Driven Markets
The future of sales belongs to those who refuse to be interchangeable. In a world where AI tools and tech products quickly become commoditized, your ability to differentiate yourself, create value, and guide decision-makers is the real, durable advantage.
