5 words that strike fear into my very soul....

Business development is crucial in any business – that is, doing whatever it is you do in order to win and retain new business (and that could be new business from an existing client, or new business from a brand new client – in our case, the process is exactly the same).  At Blue Box we do a lot of Business Development and we like to think that we are quite good at it but when we are in business development mode there are 5 words that strike fear into my heart – do you want to know what those 5 words are? The 5 words that frighten the life out of me and want to make me run for the hills are – HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST It is not the use of the words that frighten me, it’s when the words are used that terrifies me most   These words can have two very different meanings depending on when they are used   Don’t get me wrong, I know that if someone is going to buy from me they will need to know the price at some point   I’m fine with that, In fact, if I’m asked that question towards the end of the sales meeting it’s a good sign,  It shows that I’ve done my job properly and that the prospect actually wants what I’m selling; assuming the perceived value they’ll receive far outweighs what they’ll have to pay   It’s when the words are used at the very start of the meeting that I get a bit wary   And for good reason too, If someone is asking me the price before I’ve even begun my sales pitch, before they even know what it is I’m offering and before they know whether or not it can solve the problem they’re facing in their Business, it tells me that ‘price’ is their number one concern   In other words they’re a price buyer.   This isn’t always the case of course but more often than not, asking me ‘How much will this cost’ before you even know what it is that I am selling or how it will potentially solve a problems that you are facing, and how much money it will save you or make you in the process is a tell-tale sign if ever there was one   And when it comes to our business, people who buy solely on price are probably not the right type of customers for us – it is not that price is not important – it absolutely is, but for us, value and return on investment are much more where we are at If a customer asks immediately ‘how much will this cost?’, then I have not done a good enough job in identifying their needs or selling our services If you want to learn more about our services, the value that they can add to your business and the money that we could potentially save you, then call us anytime on 084 3289 3288 or email us at enquiries@blueboxconsultancy.com If you want to check out Blue Box then go to our web site at www.blueboxconsultancy.com Until the next time be bold and do good business