Three-fourths of salespeople complain about losing a sale because the price was too high. Three-fourths of them are wrong, says sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer (gitomer.com).
“Saying, ‘the customer took the lowest price,’ is as bogus as, ‘my dog ate my homework.’ The fact is you let the customer control the selling/buying process. If you are sick of losing sales like that, then you better discover why they took the lowest
price and create greater value differentiation,” he says.
Gitomer says the real reasons why salespeople lose sales are rarely mentioned by the salespeople. He cites:
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Lack of real connection to the buyer
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Lack of engagement
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Lack of perceived value
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Lack of perceived difference
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Lack of relationship
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Lack of ability to reduce or eliminate risk
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Lack of hustle
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The customer was loyal to someone else
Some fixes: Get the customer to change the criteria of proposal submission in a way that is both in favor of the customer and you. Make the customer aware of the cost of buying inferior products as it relates to work stoppage and lack of productivity. Make them aware of the value of their image and reputation.
Lowest price is the easiest excuse for a salesperson to make. Customers take lowest price because they perceive your product or service is the same as your competition’s. “The opposite of blame is responsibility. In sales responsibility is taken, not given,” Gitomer says. “Be responsible to yourself and for yourself. Don’t blame the customer, help the customer. Do not let the real reasons you lost the sale get tangled up in blame.”
