Comparing Apples to Oranges To Walnuts
During sales conversations, it is common to hear clients give a price objection by saying they want to compare “apples to apples”. Often, this objection comes up when you are preparing to present the proposal you have put together based on your extensive expertise and experience in your field. This is when you find out that your customer is comparing your product against a competitor who has “low-balled” the customer – not just on the price, but on the product or service itself.
This is very common in commoditized industries like alarms, consumer goods, cars, etc…. The customer tells the salesperson they are shopping only based on price, and a salesperson obliges them by presenting the cheapest option possible, hoping that the customer will be so excited by the low price that their credit card will fly out of their wallet faster than a superhero to a damsel in distress.
But what happens when your product doesn’t scale down price wise to match the competitors in a way that makes an “apples to apples” comparison focusing on price a viable option for you?
On a sales call I was involved in, just such a situation arose. The customer was comparing on nothing more than price, which of course triggered the dreaded price objection. While the product I had to sell him was going to be significantly more expensive, it also offered more in terms of value that would be important to the customer in the long term. So I explained to him that in this situation, we can’t compare apples to apples… we are instead comparing apples to walnuts. The two products he was considering were so completely different in what they offered that there was no reasonable way to compare them at all. In this situation, we couldn’t even compare apples to oranges – after all, apples and oranges are both sweet fruits that grow on trees, have a peel, and you can pack them in your lunch. But while walnuts can be packed in your lunch why would someone want to compare them to apples?
I went on to highlight the additional features and benefits of the product I was proposing, patiently explaining what they would mean to him personally over the lifespan of the product. I asked him questions about what each of them would mean to him, and what the lack of those would mean if he were missing them. He told me what would the cost of not having them actually may be. And finally, in order to give him additional choice and control, presented a second product that was in between the one he already had priced and my preferred product in terms of price and benefits.
We discussed the notion that you get what you pay for in terms of value and showed him that the higher end product was actually a better overall value than either of the other two. To boil it down, I compared the 3 products to a Chevy, a Buick, and a Cadillac…. They all have the same basic features, and do the same basic job. But given the chance to purchase a Caddy for a price that is in the same price range as a Chevy…. Why wouldn’t you?
He went with my recommendation, and even thanked me for explaining it to him and giving him the opportunity to buy it – even though several times during the sale he told me he was only interested in the cheapest thing he could get and it had to be an “apples to apples” comparison. In the end, by not just giving the customer what he wanted, but taking the time to listen to his needs and present a plan that had his needs front and center while clearly articulating why my plan was actually in his best interest even though it was not the cheapest option I was able to minimize the price objection and actually sell the most expensive option on the table because it had more VALUE to the client.
In situations like this, it is important to understand that as the professional you are the person who should be the most educated about your product, your competitors’ product, and all of the likely options your customer has. Having that knowledge is critical so you can quickly and confidently reply to the customer, address his or her concerns and redirect to the close.
Many times what we have is not really an objection by a customer, but a gap in his understanding. This gap can, instead of being “overcome”, be responded to by filling those blanks with information about how your product provides the best solution and value to the customer.
When you go to the doctor, you expect them to ask you questions to first diagnose the problem and then prescribe a solution. As a sales professional, it is your job to be just this type of expert so you can confidently “diagnose” your customers needs and lead them to the best possible solution – even if it is not what they originally had in mind. Failure to do this effectively costs you sales, costs you the opportunity to cross-sell, up-sell, and ultimately costs your customer the opportunity to have the best possible outcome to his buying experience.
Ultimately it is your moral duty as a professional to do what is in the best interest of your client even if that means comparing apples to walnuts.
John Kaufman provides the easiest to learn / most effective sales training in the world – come get a free objection handling guide and learn 10 objection handling techniques to make you more money today at: www.SalesCoachingLab.com
