“How do you compare to ____________ on pricing?”
“What is the absolute lowest price you can offer?”
“Do you price match?”
What do these three questions have in common? They are all asked by customers who are uneducated about you, your product, and your service.
Someone who immediately inquires about the cost of what you offer is begging for you to explain the other benefits of working with you. What can you do to take advantage of this opportunity?
Re-focus conversations toward something more in depth. For example, if your customer Bob asks, “What is the absolute minimum cost you can offer this for?” try a response like this: “Obviously, Bob, we are competitive on pricing; otherwise we wouldn’t be in business. But are you familiar with all of the other services/tools we offer that make us your #1 option?” This slight adjustment to the nature of the conversation will encourage more of an open discussion. Use the additional information to qualify your customer and recommend the best possible product/service you can offer.
Why not just price the sale aggressively and move on? There will be times when you are the lowest cost and the customer will choose you for the job. But what about when you are slightly more expensive than your competitor? Wouldn’t it be nice to have customers that weren’t overly concerned with your price because the benefits of working with you outweighed the extra expense?
Prove your worth. Show your customers that you offer a heck of a lot more than just a low price. Strive for the highest possible level of customer loyalty. Adopt an empty-inbox policy and wow all of your customers by answering their emails in 24 hrs or less. Have a live, friendly human being answer the phone instead of an automated system. When an issue happens and you think you’ve done all you can to help, do one more thing. Attach value-ads like these to your sales, and attract the most profitable type of customers each day.

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