(Editor’s note: This column ran a year ago in The Week in Imaging. It’s still just as relevant today as it was then.)
The nuns at St. Rose Grammar school would be smacking my knuckles with a ruler if I made that statement, but the poor grammar is meant for emphasis. As we work on sales effectiveness with our clients the most constant value proposition I hear is “we’re going to save them money.”
Really? They’re spending $310 per month now and you’re going to sell them their new device for $290. That’s unbelievable—maybe they can spring for lunch today, for one other person!
I wonder, frequently aloud to the sales person, if they really give their statement any consideration. Honestly, if there was any consideration given to the statement about saving the company $20 per month the first fact the sales professional would need to consider is what type of company really cares about saving $20 per month: A small Mom and Pop company? An almost bankrupt company? A really nice person at a legitimate company that doesn’t want to embarrass this sales professional by pointing out that they spent more than $20 taking their co-worker to lunch on their birthday last week?
Money is not the key determinant of a business decision; I am not saying it is not a factor as nobody wants to get ripped off, but it is not THE factor. If money drove every decision there would be no Neiman Marcus, no Mercedes Benz, no McMansions, no 50-foot power boats. You get the point. If you look at the aforementioned brands and styles people shop at Neiman Marcus for their legendary service, their high quality, and their ability to offer a multitude of top designers. People buy a Mercedes Benz for the status, the road absorbing manufacture of the car as well as the abundant creature comforts. Nobody needs a wine cellar, media room, home gym, two family rooms, and an activities room for the kids as well as a bathroom for every bedroom plus two extra “just in case,” but we’re sold on the lifestyle and prestige despite the price of our new McMansion; we’ve “made it” in life.
Are you a true sales professional? Do you bring value to your prospects and customers? Are you worth $20 per month? In other words, is the value you bring in your business interactions worth the price of lunch at some cheap sandwich shop? Then learn how to position your selling efforts so that people are willing to spend more money to do business with you. Get the training so that you have a sales process that helps you clearly justify your value in a B2B sales transaction. Stop selling price and start focusing on the value you and your organization brings to the relationship. Real sales professionals sell value not price.
