I love sports! And I like the similarity between sports and business as some of you that may have read my previous blogs will attest to.
The saying "if you build it they will come"; popularized by the movie Field of dreams in 1989 is a common analogy used by business people to describe potential growth. More simply stated if you put out a good product people will buy it.
Never was more apparent than in the days after the Philadelphia Phillies signed Cliff Lee. The day the Phillies announced they had re-signed Cliff Lee they sold 15,000 tickets. All of this occurred in a down economy where consumers are seeking the best value for their entertainment dollar. These same principles should be studied and emulated by companies and sales organizations.
Value is always a key component in every purchase. Truth be told, value is subjective. The products services features and benefits that I place value on may be totally different from yours. However, they represent value nonetheless. This value is perceived by the consumer and I believe perception is reality. Their reality!
Don't confuse value with price. The Phillies were well aware of this when they signed Cliff Lee. Signing a player of his caliber but disrupting ticket prices would reduce the value for a number of the consumers.
You only have to look at new Yankee Stadium and the New York Jets ticket base for proof of this.
Whether you are a company or individual sales representative you need to be cautious of the price you associate with your product or service. No one will willingly pay a higher price without perceived value.
Determining your customers’ perception of the value you provide can only be done through good consultative salesmanship. It's not smoke and mirrors or magic its hard work that takes practice.
Good selling!
