Selling Solutions
Whenever I buy something I try to pay attention to how I respond to different sales approaches and use that to improve my own client interactions. We recently put a home renovation project out to bid and I think we’re learning more about sales from this process than just about anything else we’ve ever done!
The first contractor walked through our house and yard, clucking and sighing at every step. He furrowed his brow, grimaced and shook his head over the challenges of our site and the complexity of the job. It was clear that he was trying to justify a high price but his approach did little other than convince us we were dealing with someone who was going to always focus on the problems, over-react to any changes or modifications and probably nickel and dime us to death.
The second contractor acknowledged that the job required significant expertise but focused on all the ways that he’d be able to make it easier. He outlined a process for managing the project that would help us track progress so we wouldn’t have to commit to various decisions until they were actually needed. He described projects he’d completed with similar challenges and what his team had learned that would help them with ours. He identified all of the same challenges as the first guy but used them as an opportunity to demonstrate how he would solve the problems and make our lives easier.
The price difference between these two contractors is not insubstantial but the difference in their approach gave the second contractor a level of perceived value in our eyes that was far, far higher than the difference in costs. Experiencing this difference first hand has really brought home to me how important building perceived value really is along with some great ideas on how to do it.
4 Responses to 'Selling Solutions'
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Hey Judy!
Great post, and solid food for thought. It’s always a good thing to give your client “warm fuzzies” by outlining the process and your proposed solutions.
It never hurts to be reminded that we are in the “people” business too…
John
I had to learn to train myself to stay excited about the creative challenge first instead of getting bogged down about the logistical challenges.
Enjoyed your post immensely — if only more people who sell for a living understood the difference between problem and solution. Both are necessary to understand, but it’s more important to give the customer a clear vision of the solution — that’s how they assess the value of what they are buying. Too few salespeople do this — many equate the value they provide solely with the amount of fear they can create in the prospect. Check out our blog for more on this: http://www.solutionsellingblog.com — good luck and good selling!
[...] example, while there is a post on “Knowledge is Power in a Negotiation” by Blake Discher and “Selling Solutions” by Judy Herrmann, you will also find “Taking Pictures for No Reason at All” by Sean Kernan and [...]