Conventional wisdom tells us to present the value first, and then the price. There are many arguments for this method, and they’re not wrong. However, when you’re the most expensive, this procedure doesn’t work.
Think about your customer’s perspective. You’re investing 45 minutes presenting value to the point where they’re dying to hear the price. When you reveal it, they may think your price is fair and want to move forward, but they still have many steps in the process. After a few weeks, they won’t remember much about your presentation, but they will remember that you were the most expensive. A more accurate synopsis is that they remember that you seemed worth the extra price, but they can’t remember why. Without connecting the price to the different value propositions, your customers don’t have anything to grasp when making their decision and selling internally in a few weeks. Sure, they were “wow’d” by you, but once the session was over they forgot the justification. There is a better way…
What if you presented the price up front? Conventional wisdom tell us that they’ll immediately tune us out because we’re out of their budget range. That’s not entirely true. If we position this method properly, our customers will stick with us throughout the presentation, and justify the price as we move forward.
For example, before showing the first page or slide that contains the price, explain that you’re going to show them the price in advance so they have a chance to assess the value throughout the presentation. Boldly state: “Please don’t tune me out because of the price. I show the price up front so there are no surprises and you get the opportunity to do the benefit analysis in your head as you see the presentation. I know we’re more expensive than everyone else. I want to give you the chance to determine if we’re worth it during the presentation.”
This works. Well, it works better than the traditional way. It doesn’t always work because price is always a key factor. Try it. If nothing else, you’re going to gain some respect and appreciation from your audience and they won’t feel like they’re in a time share presentation.
If you think I can help your sales organization in their approach to the marketplace, please give me a call.
