Title:
… How much do you charge for “X”?

Word Count:
374

Summary:
This is a question that comes up often in sales calls and one that you want to handle with caution. As I’ve said in other posts, questions are always thought-provoking and never happen by accident. There is always a “context” where the questions come from and your ability to understand the context will increase your chances of developing the correct answer. When I suggest working on creating the “right” answer, I’m not doing that. It does not mean that we are trying to deceive anyone.Frequently, when we…


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Article Body:
This is a question that comes up often during sales calls and one that you want to handle with caution. As I’ve said in other posts, questions are always thought-provoking and never happen by accident. There is always a “context” where the questions come from and your ability to understand the context will increase your chances of developing the correct answer. When I suggest working on creating the “right” answer, I don’t mean we’re trying to fool anyone. Often when we are faced with questions there are multiple answers and we just want to make sure we have a better chance of picking the right one.

When it comes to pricing questions, it’s always important to answer the question “in context”.So generally, to understand the “context” in which the question was asked, you will have to ask more questions. Also, you’ll often find that the question “how much do you charge” isn’t really the real question. Starting a dialogue with the prospect about what they want will lead them away from the price and give you better information. Using a “reflector” or reverse will help you figure out the real issue.

Of all the “spotlights” or setbacks we teach in relation to price, one of the simplest turned out to be one of the best. When asked for the price, try “…it depends”.This simple phrase has a scary way of dealing with a lot of questions about the prize you will receive. The price often depends on many things like:

When do you need it?

How much do you need?

Which type do you need? (good, better, better?)

Another great spotlight, particularly effective on the phone for inside salespeople is “While I was searching, did you select this item for a reason?” “. Potential customers often ask for a price on an item, listen to it…and hang up. Engaging the prospect and getting better insights will not only help you build a relationship, but it will eliminate a lot of that “take a price and hang up.”

Talking about price before understanding what your prospect is trying to achieve is business suicide. Use some of these simple reflectors and you’ll get better results!