Because of the relentless pressure to drive revenue and close business, all sales professionals are very familiar with the temptation to discount or give ground on other terms and conditions in order to win the business. With the customer right there dangling the deal carrot, and the end of the month or quarter closing in fast, many sales professionals will take the money and run - especially in a down economy - even if it means giving up margin to do it.
However, highly successful sales professionals understand that their company relies on margin and brand reputation to maintain viability and leadership in the market place. They have also discovered time and time again that you earn bigger deals and build long-term, highly profitable relationships when you sell value over price, because customers are more than willing to pay a premium for something that truly delivers extra value to them. That is why it is so important for sales professionals to understand what the customer truly values.
Simply put, if you want to sell value to your customer instead of being forced to discount price to close deals, the most important thing to remember is not to lead with product features and deals, because customers don’t by products. Instead, they buy solutions that will give them the outcomes they need to make their business more successful. Therefore, before you can present them with an attractive solution, you must.
