The Secret to Sales Conversations When Price Doesn’t Matter

If you’re in business you’ve almost certainly heard “That’s a lot of money. I don’t know if I can afford that.”

I bet you’d prefer to hear “I don’t care what it costs, fix it!”

How do you help someone understand the value of what they are getting by working with you? How do you help them to see that you are worth the fees that you are asking for? How do you make the decision a no brainer even if you are asking for a lot of money?

It’s by making what you deliver vital to your client.

Here’s an example.

I’ve been having a problem with my shoulder. I’ve been seeing both a chiropractor and an acupuncturist every week for several months to fix it. I really don’t care what it costs; I just want the problem gone (and yes, it’s getting a lot better!).

If someone said to me I’d be spending hundreds of dollars every week to fix my shoulder I might say it wasn’t worth it.

But wait a minute, what am I really getting?

I am getting a solution that has helped me sleep comfortably on my side again. That has enabled me to once again lift my luggage to the overhead bin on a plane. That has helped me be able to comfortably pour cake batter into a pan. And has made it so that I can put on a shirt or jacket without wincing in pain.

Now that is worth every penny.

So what does my shoulder have to do with your business and your sales conversations?

When you first speak with a prospective client they generally share the surface issues.

As a service provider you need to understand, and then help your potential client understand, how deep the problem they have goes, and how far reaching the solution you have to offer will penetrate their life.

It may take time to help them dig past the obvious problem to the underlying problem which is the real problem. That is the one worth solving.

In a recent article I shared an exercise to help you understand your value.  With a few minor tweaks this exercise can be a powerful tool to use during a sales conversation as well.

Next time you are having a sales conversation give these questions a try to help your client recognize just how important it is for them to solve their problem at any cost.

1. What is the problem you are having?
2. What is happening in your business or life because of the problem you are having?
3. What result do you want?
4. What would that do for your business or life?

What would change in your sales conversations if you start to use these questions?  Share your thoughts below.