The Follis Marketing Report

Whether you’re selling cars, beauty supplies, or professional services, no doubt you’ve heard the words: “Sorry, but I just can’t afford it right now.” Everyone involved with sales, or managing a business, has. When it happens you have three choices: 1) Accept it. 2) Try to convince them otherwise. 3) Lower your price. None are good. So, how do you avoid that scenario?

When your prospect says they can’t afford you, in some cases it’s true. But, in most, it’s not. Because, regardless of cost, it’s rarely about price. It’s about perception.

What does that mean?

Look around. Every day thousands of people pay $5.00 for a coffee, $5,000 for an attorney, or $50,000 for a car. Why? Because, whatever the cost, they’re convinced it’s worth it. Teens will spend $200 for a pair of sneakers when $30 buys something comparable. Why? Because, they’ve been convinced that the $200 pair is worth it.

If you’re a business owner or manager your job is to make sure your company provides a great product or service. And, that’s a full time job. Yet, unfortunately, your great product will not guarantee a successful business. In a competitive marketplace, you’ve also got to be sure that your prospect knows about you, is excited about you, and wants to pay for you. You must build a brand image that convinces prospects that your price is worth it.

So, if someone says they can’t afford what you’re selling, use it as motivation. First, make sure that you truly have a quality product. Then re-evaluate your marketing and figure out what you’re not doing right… or at all. Because the sooner you do that, the less you’ll have to respond to: “Sorry, I can’t afford it.”

This entry was posted on Monday, March 24th, 2008 at 12:56 am and is filed under Follis Marketing Therapy, Small Business Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.