“Performance has its price”- why do I write about such a „no-brainer“ or a statement that has degenerated into an empty phrase?
I often experience that there are arguments about competitive prices – both (of course) by the customer and the RSM. These (usually lower) competitive prices are then used internally in the organization to justify and enforce lower prices.
The problem that comes with this is the fact that you also accept that you are just a me-too supplier of an interchangeable product. There is no demarcation to the competition and no unique selling points are made visible. Of course there are situations and markets where this is the only way it works – but these are not markets where money can be made. In case of doubt, they are mere anchor products that are part of it or the markets have to be served in order to achieve or maintain a certain relevance.
The RSM must be able to answer three questions for the customer – and all answers must be formulated as benefits from the customer’s perspective:
- What is special about my solution?
- What personal (added) value do I deliver?
- Why do you buy from me and not from someone else?
Self-confidence has two facets:
- Self-knowledge = what is my performance / what is my contribution?
- Self-confession = what is my price / what am I worth to myself?
Of course, there will sometimes be situations in which the arguments for a higher price are difficult or completely absent – but the right attitude in the conversation decides the appropriate price anchor that can be set at the beginning of the negotiation. In case of doubt, the customer needs a successful negotiation in order to reduce the fear of buying regret. But he often doesn’t know (and usually doesn’t care) how much he may have cornered his partner.
A customer basically carries three (differently pronounced) uncertainties:
- Do I buy the right thing (= benefit, adequacy for problem solving)?
- Do I buy at the right price (= sense of achievement)?
- Do I buy from the right partner (= reliability, reputation, status)
The goal for the RSM (corporate customer advisor) must be to do everything he can to get out of comparability to competition. He must move the customer’s standard away from his employer (bank or savings bank) upon himself. „You don’t buy from X-Bank, you buy from me.“
He has to take the three uncertainties away from the customer – because the customer pays (in essence) for his advisory service, not for the banking product – that just follows silent.
The consultation itself consists of 2/3 (active) listening and 1/3 speaking (= 2 ears, 1 mouth). Most of the speaking part consists of questions, especially in cases where the customer makes claims and statements.
Vertriebsmanagement 