Word Count: 503 words
Time to Read: 1 minute

Have you ever lost a sale because someone came in with a lower price? Frustrating, isn't it? When that happens, it feels like you could not have done anything to change the outcome. How about this scenario…have you ever lost a sale because someone claimed loyalty to another company? It probably went down like this:

YOU (sales rep): "we would love to get an order from you today."

Prospect: "gee, it is good of you to ask, but we have a 16 year relationship with company Z. Thank you for calling though"

Ouch! You were out of the game before you even got up to bat! Here's what really happened…when price and loyalty are the excuses and objections that you come across…you are being seen as a vendor. Vendors provide a product or service that is easily replaceable. What you want to do is to position yourself as a valued partner! Once your customer sees you as a partner (not a disposable vendor) things like price and loyalty actually are in your favor.

Think of it this way. When is the last time that you thought about your dry cleaner? Probably not very often unless you are dropping off or picking up clothes. If another dry cleaner moved in right down the street and they were 40% cheaper for the same service…you might be willing to switch. BUT, if you have a relationship with your dry cleaner, and they can do quick turn arounds because they know you travel for a living or they will do minor alterations for you because they know that you are busy…this has positioned them as a valued partner.

Now, let's bring this into the world of corporate sales. Let's say that you are selling copiers. You have positioned yourself as a partner to your clients where they can call you with questions, service and scheduled maintenance is a breeze and you make frequent update calls to your clients to make sure everything is running smoothly. You have positioned yourself as a valued partner because you know that, to your clients, time is money. If they can't make copies and print, then that is costing them money. But, by you staying on top of their business, assessing their needs and making sure that you are on top of service requests, you have become an invaluable part of their team. Team members are not as easily replaced as vendors.

You've got to find a way to position yourself as a valued partner in order to keep and grow your business in today's fierce marketplace! Think about the value that you add to your client's business, start claiming that value and use that to help you attract new business!

If you are ready to position yourself as a valued partner to your clients, let us help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and let's start growing your business!

---------------Join Us for a FREE Teleseminar-------------

Values Based Selling June 8, 2011 11:30 PT – 1:30 CT – 2:30 ET

Do you want to grow your business this year? Have your sales started to come back but not as well as you'd like? Having a tough time differentiating yourself from competitors in the market? Then this teleseminar is for you!

Join Jeff Wolf as he interviews Wolf Management's Senior Consultant, Dr Cynthia McGovern, one of the country's foremost sales experts. He'll be asking Cindy the tough questions about how to increase sales in today's competitive market!

Join us for the FREE Q&A for tips on how to make your sales bounce back!! Learn what you can do today to start increasing revenue!

Email: jeff@wolfmotivation.com to register for this FREE teleseminar and Start growing your business today!