Looking for quality is one thing, yet feeling as though you got value for your dollars is another story. What means value to one customer doesn’t necessarily mean anything to another consumer. One customer may feel that value has everything to do with cost and another customer may perhaps factor such things as availability and customer service into the equation. Most customers know that they are getting what they pay for and if it is all about price, and then there's frequently a lack of caring for additional services and features that may perhaps cause the cost to be somewhat higher. The trick as a salesman or customer service representative is to figure out what that customer is looking for and find out the best way that you can show them what they value and how your product fits that goal. Now, you will encounter times when it's all about price and that customer is usually up front in letting you know that they have no interest about anything else you have to say. They want to know the cost and then they will compare it to other prices in different catalogs and online. They commonly start the conversation by saying something like, “I want to see if you can beat my current suppliers price.” Or something like, “Can you save me some money?” They are not interested in value added services or anything else you are able to provide them, so you can’t up-sell them on those things. You either have to get down and dirty with the price or walk away. These customers are there for a reason, they still need the parts, but they aren't interested in building a customer-supplier relationship. And remember, if you take the business, you'll eventually lose it to somebody which can save them a nickel down the road, with no warning. They are not loyal and they will switch suppliers like the rest of us change socks. But that is what they value and if you determine that up front, then you can save yourself some grief down the line and maybe receive a few orders in the process. Some customers value more than price, and these are the customers that expect service to come along with the added cost. If you can not fulfill the service requirements, then there is no reason that they should pay more to buy from you. Don’t expect this relationship to be any easier, but the relationship will have time to develop.
To be better qualified in the business world, you really should look into six sigma certification. Log onto 6sigmaonline.net, as they provide different levels of training, such as Six sigma black belt.
