Price- Is it a deal breaker?

We met with a customer last week who we have known and worked with for a number of years and have a fantastic relationship. We were discussing price and whether it was always a deal breaker. Their response not only made me smile but also inspired me and I thought it would be something other people would enjoy reading about. 

Our customer (lets call him Bill for illustrative purposes) received a phone call from a client that he had worked with for over five years now to explain they had received a phone call from a competitor who said they would offer the same service but for £100 less per month. Bill did nothing other than say "Stay where you are, il be there in 10 minutes" and hung up. 

Bill drove to his clients office who was slightly shocked he had got in his car and drove all the way to see him all because of the phone call he received. 

Bill said to his customer:

"Ok Mr Customer, you have just called me and told me that to you are considering terminating our services to save yourself £100 after five years of working together. Now Mr Customer, what I would like you to consider carefully is this... 

During our five years of working together, when you have called me at unsociable hours with a problem that perhaps we didn't directly deal with- have I always fixed it. The customer said yes. On a Saturday evening when you can't work out how to get onto your emails (which again isn my remit) and I have been out dining with my wife and family, have I always dropped what I am doing to help you. The customer said yes. "

Bill went on to explain that he respected saving £100 was a lot of money and so on but also expressed that he didn't work for his competitor and essentially in saving £100 per month he would lose him as an account manager and someone he could rely on regardless of the time or the day. 

The customer (starting to turn slightly pink by this point) explained to Bill he didn't know what he was thinking in even considering moving his business elsewhere. They shook hands and Bill got back in his car and continued on with his day. 

I think this illustrates strongly the value of relationships and going the extra mile. Not only has Bill gone the extra mile in the five years of the relationship he has had with his customer, but he also did this by dropping everything and getting in his car when the customer was considering making a saving.

The moral to the story is that if your over deliver and continuously exceed client expectations, you do not need to be the cheapest in the market. 

Closing the sale and getting the order...

Everyday we talk to our clients and contacts and the one thing we hear time and time again is this... The customer seemed interested, our price was competitive and we offer a service which is exactly what we need- yet somehow we didn't manage to get the order. 

Does this sound familiar?

We have been faced with many situations ourselves when sales representatives have came and met with ourselves, listed the endless benefits, gave a competitive price and even reduced the price- however one critical aspect is missing from this and so many are guilty of forgetting. 

Whenever you meet with prospective clients or before you even arrange the meeting you need to do one thing (it will save your time and theirs!). 

QUALIFY!!!

Lets use Hockey Sticks as an example. 

You work for a company and they sell THE BEST hockey sticks on the market. Not only are they the best, every famous hockey player known to man uses this hockey stick and to top it all off - not only are they competitively priced, you can provide me a deal if I buy here and now...

The catch: I don't play Hockey and therefore have no requirement and wont be making a purchase regardless of any of the factors above!

It seems obvious but in actual fact by asking the right questions you would save yourself and your prospective clients a lot of time. 

So the moral of the story is: 

Identify if there is a need- if not, save their time, your time and move onto the next prospect who does have a need for what you do! 

10 Tips to be a more successful sales person

# 1 - Mouth Shut, Ears Open

#2- Sell with questions, no answers

#3- Pretend you are on a first date with your prospect

#4- Speak to your prospect as you would speak to someone you care about. 

#5- If you are asked a question, answer it briefly then move on

#6- Assess the needs of your prospect before you go on to offer your product

#7- Refrain from lecturing your prospect about your product

#8- Ask your prospect about any barriers or doubts they have which will prevent them from moving forward

#9- Invite your prospect to take action

#10- Ask for the Sale!!! 

3 Sales Tips to Increase Your Performance Today!

Number One

You can have the best sales presentation in the world, but if the customer doesn’t believe your proposition, then you don’t have a chance in closing the deal! Take the time to engage with the customer and build up a rapport.

Ask them questions and let them tell you their wants and needs.  Yes, many times they don’t know what their needs are and you’ll have to guide them, but in the end, if they don’t believe or trust what you can offer, you don’t stand a chance!

Number Two

Never go into a sales call not knowing how you’re going to close the sale... Ever!

If you don’t know where you’re going, then how will you get there?  The most common part left out of any presentation is the close.  Plan for it upfront by developing the strategy and your course of action.

This does not mean you’re only going to use one type of closing technique, you may need to use a couple.  On the contrary, it means you’re going to be ready to close using several different techniques based on what the customer tells you.

Number Three

Too many salespeople find themselves spending far too much doing everything else but prospecting.  If you don’t schedule it and hold yourself accountable, you won’t do it. No prospecting = no new business!