SKILL
From Price Objection to Agreement STEVE ATLAS
“These are the terms. Take it or leave it.” It’s the classic showdown with prospects balking on price. You think how much you want to make the sale – but at what cost? Before caving in or call- ing their bluff, salespeople can win customers by making them an offer they can’t refuse.
Cathy Lamont, a sales representative for a commercial printing company, avoids emotionalism and does her homework. She finds out who her competitors are and what the customer’s specifica- tions are. Will her bid be competitive? If not, she often prepares an alternate proposal that still meets the customer’s needs but is more competitive on price.
6 | DECEMBER 2019 SELLING POWER © 2019 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
Lamont recalls a customer who needed a printer to design a catalog. When her first proposal turned out to be too costly, she went back to the customer with a slightly different (and less expensive) design – winning her company the contract. Other times, if she can’t come up with an acceptable counteroffer, she
simply has to say no. “Recently one of our clients, a nonprofit organization, wanted us to print a brochure at no charge. I had to tell the organization that we couldn’t do the job free.” Don’t compromise your integrity to get a sale, Lamont cautions other reps. One purchasing agent told her that other printers were willing to give him “a little something back.” When he told Lamont that she, too, would have to give him a kickback to win the contract, she replied, “No thanks.” Stu Doar, a general manager for a wholesale distributor of build- ing materials, recommends getting customers’ focus away from the price. He encourages prospects to consider his company’s service, delivery, flex- ibility, and employees. “Too often,”
VIKTORIA KURPAS /
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33
