I’ve sat across from some of the meanest, ugliest, snarliest buyers this world has ever produced. I have also never apologized for the prices of the product I represent.
Why ? Because I have price pride.
Every time a buyer tries to browbeat me into lowering my prices, I have the answer to whatever scenario they throw at me.
I study hard before the sales call and that allows me to be confident while I’m there.
Do I get the order every time ? Of course not. Nobody does.
Do I get my share and a little more. I think so. As does every manufacturer that has employed my services.
What is price pride ? It’s the one thing every salesman needs to develop before he sets foot in the office of his first sales call.
Without price pride, you’re at the mercy of every buyer you sit down with.
With price pride you’re in control of the situation.
Think of it this way – you didn’t have the order when you went in, so you’ll not be any worse off if you don’t have the order when you leave. At least with price pride, you’ll have the chance to make the sale the next time, on your terms.
Price pride means you know what your product will do for the buyer. It means you know what they’re doing now, with regard to how your product will work for them.
It means you know your product inside and out.
It means you know their business inside and out.
It means you know what they’re paying now.
It means you have several ideas for how they can use your product to make their company better. Several.
If you don’t have all those answers, don’t go.
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Excellent.
Thanks Brian.
Truth be told, I’m getting better at blogging as a result of reading several great blogs.
Yours is one of them that forces me to get better.
Like your blog. Keep things simple.
What this post does is simply explain the concept of value.
(BENEFITS to the customers’ business PLUS BENEFITS to the customer PERSONALLY)minus Your Price.
Emphasis on benefits. In B2B features are worthless unless they provide a tangible business benefit AND either increase customer pleasure or decrease customer pain.
So what you’re saying is — do your homework to justify your price position. And by sticking to your guns, perhaps you’ll earn their respect.
Its difficult to do business with someone you don’t respect.
Hey … that makes a heckuva lot of sense to me as well.
Cheers
t
Thanks for coming by Bob. I appreciate the comment.
Hey Tony,
Doing your homework will help you not price yourself out of the market. BUT, you have to make a profit to afford to send a salesman to their office. Cars ain’t cheap and neither are hotels and gas.
Sometimes being on the high-side of the market is the place to be…sometimes it ain’t.
If all the buyer has to do to get you to lower your price is raise his voice, you’ll never enjoy doing business with him.
Price = Value. No one will ever pay a dollar more than their perception of the value.
Then to get a better price, we have to increase perceived value.