Price objections are a salesperson’s number-one challenge, and during a struggling economy, price objections are especially difficult. Salespeople often stand firm trying to maintain their pricing, but at the same time, they fear the reality of possibly losing a client. So how can a salesperson sell at a profitable rate and still be able to make a living? Tom Reilly’s new book CRUSH PRICE OBJECTIONS: Sales Tactics for Holding Your Ground and Protecting Your Profit (McGraw-Hill; February 2010) was written to help readers defend their prices and protect their margins by preparing themselves to sell in a price-sensitive environment, gaining pre-emptive selling advantage, avoiding price resistance and responding effectively when a price becomes an issue.

1. McGraw-Hill Webinar by Tom Reilly
Copyright 2010 Tom Reilly www.TomReillyTraining.com 1

2. Sisyphus Syndrome
Price
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3. My objective in this module
I want to help you win the money war
 Updated information on price resistance
 Pre-emptive selling advantage
 Respond effectively to price resistance
Copyright 2010 Tom Reilly www.TomReillyTraining.com 3

4. Your value proposition
When you apply the CPO ideas, you will
be able to gain a pre-emptive selling
advantage and respond effectively to
price resistance.
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5. Realities Of Price Objections
1. You will hear them
2. You will lose business
3. You will sell in spite of them
4. Focused on giving vs. getting—equity
5. Some are real
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6. Realities Of Price Objections
6. Whoever is better prepared
7. You are supposed to make money
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7. Realities Of Price Objections
The purpose of business is to make money
Adam Smith
You may be selling to some non-profit
organizations but your company is not a non-
profit organization
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8. Realities Of Price Objections
6. Whoever is better prepared
7. You are supposed to make money
8. Salespeople create own misery
9. Volume doesn’t trump profit
10. Attitude drives behavior
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9. Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
This means taking early, positive
control of the sales conversation and
directing the flow down the path of
value, not simply price.
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10. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
2. Enlarge the discussion
3. Sell the concept
4. Reframe and soften the price
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11. Price Shopper Characteristics
Price shoppers have two vision problems
1. Myopia
2. Tunnel vision
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12. Price Shopper Myopia
Price shoppers are short-term thinkers.
They focus on the immediate, the
acquisition price.
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13. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
 Ask questions to stretch the time horizon
 Present long-term solutions
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14. Price Shopper Characteristics
Price shoppers have two vision problems
1. Myopia
2. Tunnel vision
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15. Price Shopper Tunnel Vision
They lock in on single buying criterion which
inhibits their seeing the big picture.
The Core
Commodity
“Naked”
Product
Enhanced
Product
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16. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
2. Enlarge the discussion (expand their
peripheral vision) from core product
to enhanced product—from
commodity to enhanced product
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17. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
2. Enlarge the discussion
3. Sell the concept
Copyright 2010 Tom Reilly www.TomReillyTraining.com 17

18. Conceptual Selling
Arguing a case bigger than a product
Selling an idea, new technology, different
way of thinking, different approach to
solving a problem, a new method of
serving customers
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19. Conceptual Sale Product Sale
Green Recyclable product
Technology Computer
Inventory management Inventory program
Advertising Medium
Long-term view Value-added solution
Total ownership cost
Partnerships
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20. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
2. Enlarge the discussion
3. Sell the concept by having better
conversations with customers
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21. Better conversations with price shoppers
Long term Short term
Outcome Input
Results Outlay
ROI Spending
Money, profit, value Price
Total solution Naked product
Enhanced product Core commodity product
Partnership Supplier
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22. Gaining Pre-emptive Selling Advantage
1. Stretch the time horizon
2. Enlarge the discussion
3. Sell the concept
4. Reframe price
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23. Price Shopper Strategies
Reframing and softening is acknowledging
price and relegating (reordering &
diminishing) it to detail status
You affect money in more ways than simply
by offering a cheap price
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24. Summary training point
The battle over price is ultimately a battle
over time, costs, and profit
 Long-term vs. short-term
 Transfer of costs {price sellers view the buyer’s
time as being worth less than their time}
 Value is more than a cheap price
 Cost is bigger than price
 Profit is what customers throw to the bottom
line, not price
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25. Key Value Training Point
The price that your customer complains
about today is something he will brag
about tomorrow to his customers and
employees
Help the buyer brag
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26. Responding to Price Objections
You have done everything right and
the buyer says, “Your price is still
too high!”
What should you do?
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27. Something to
think about…
Musee Rodin Paris, France

28. General Tips for Handling Price Objections
1. Anticipate but don’t create
2. Be patient
3. Do nothing
4. Set aside the objection
5. Why are you still in the game?
6. Be sure you understand the motive
behind the objection
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29. Selling your value, protecting profit
1. Add value
2. Subtract value
3. Buying dissonance
4. Double-edged sword
5. Reversal
6. Trial close
7. Alternate advantage overload
8. Cast doubt
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30. Our Value Added
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www.TomReillyTraining.com
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