you present your price. the consumer runs for the hills. maybe he or she pauses to offer “that’s expensive!” or “i was expecting this to cost less” before making the mad dash. sometimes, it’s silence (no feedback or reaction given) and a return to shopping. we’ve all experienced something like this behind a pitch. the question is — do you know why it’s happening? generally, it’s not because he or she actually thinks you’re unreasonable. very few service providers charge more than can be justified. let’s get that out of the way early.

what’s more likely to be happening is that the consumer has yet to think seriously about your offer. he or she may not have listened all that closely to your pitch. you can look at this as the consumer’s shortcoming (which i feel is ill-fated), or you can examine what you’re not doing in the equation. if you haven’t grabbed him or her, then you certainly haven’t “built the value” of what you’re offering. that’s an important first step to take. make sure you’ve got a product and pitch that sizzles. if you hesitate to wonder if it sizzles, then back to the drawing board. your enthusiasm and careful preparation (or lack thereof) will make or break your pitch. also, move to minimize or eliminate their distractions. ask to meet during a time when the consumer will likely be less busy. perhaps meeting outside of their work environment will help him or her focus more on what you can do to help them. definitely make sure you have all decision-makers at the meeting, if there is more than one. nothing says this isn’t all that important more than meeting with non-decision-makers, or with one executive in the equation. there’s no urgency where you can’t arrive at some sort of consensus by the close of a meeting.

so — how do you build value? consumers like to hear that what you’re doing requires great skill and insight. perhaps you’re uniquely qualified for a challenge at hand. each likes to know that the stakes are high, but that you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure success. each wants to hear that doing a quality job means you’ll need to make a significant time commitment to his or her project. the bottom line is that you need to earn the response where it’s “huh — that’s where i figured this would be” or better still “wow — that’s less that i thought you were going to say.” the “wow” response is where quick closes and sales occur (known in the sales community as “laydowns”). it’s also where great projects are jumpstarted. the consumer likes all that he or she is getting (relative to the price being paid), which translates into a feelgood attitude for getting down to business, which allows you to do your best work.

let’s look at my business. our pricing is reasonable. however, that fact can be lost on new clients at the outset. they can’t yet measure or appreciate the “value add” that we bring with regards to smart, sustainable marketing. many haven’t invested in long-term planning and marketing to date, opting instead for quick-fire ways to generate leads. the reality for many businesses is that they can’t envision potential until they’ve gone up a level (or two) and are looking back. only then can many look back on the impact that someone else brought to what they once offered. consumers know what they have, where they are and how pressing the feeling is that something must be done to alter the course of natural events for the better.

technology, for all of its benefits, also represents a substantial obstacle for many service providers to navigate. consumers generally don’t fully understand the powerful (yet easy to use) technology that can be employed on their behalf. all of the widgets, wherefrom and what’s new or next tend to perk up consumers. it sounds great in a generalist kind of way. that’s because most don’t know or do exactly what we do. that’s why they need us. technology is scary for many, and impatience with it can cripple a consumer  to the point where he or she doesn’t want to consider the details carefully because it makes his or her head spin.

lastly — don’t underestimate the impact of the last thing that happened before the consumer broke away to meet with you. it can dominate attention span. ask how their day is going, or what they were working on today. watch for the tone and pace of their response, and how much command he or she has on matters in play. establish a comfortable vibe by offering to help them with current concerns you can readily address. point to how a different perspective or reality can change everything. place your offering at the heart of that bigger solution.

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