Value Selling vs. Price Selling: Why Value Matters More

Are you tired of constantly competing on price and struggling to differentiate your offerings in a crowded market? It's time to shift your focus from price selling to value selling. In this blog, we will talk about the concept of value selling and price selling, helping you understand the key differences between the two. We'll explore why value selling is gaining popularity among businesses and its impact on business growth, customer retention, and profit margins. But that's not all - we'll also provide practical tips on how you can sell value instead of price, including identifying your target audience, clearly understanding their problems, and highlighting the unique benefits of your product or service. Get ready to transform your sales approach and release the true potential of your business with value selling!

What is Value Selling and Price Selling?

When it comes to selling, there are two different approaches: value-based selling and price-based selling. Value selling focuses on the benefits and value of a product or service to build long-term buyer relationships. Price selling emphasizes cost but may not establish buyer loyalty. Let's demonstrate the methodologies detailly;

Value Selling

Value selling is a sales approach that focuses on demonstrating the unique value and benefits that a product or service offers to potential buyers. It goes beyond just emphasizing the price and instead emphasizes the qualitative value that the product brings.

Salespeople who adopt a value-based approach understand the importance of addressing the pain points of their buyers and tailoring their solutions accordingly. By effectively communicating the value proposition of their product or service to their buyer personas, sales reps can differentiate themselves from the competition and close deals more successfully.

Understanding value selling is essential for sales professionals and teams looking to build long-term buyer relationships and achieve growth.

Price Selling

During the sales process, understanding different approaches is the key. One such approach is price selling, which places a heavy emphasis on the cost of a product or service. This method revolves around price comparisons and discounts, often prioritizing short-term gains over long-term customer relationships. While price selling may attract some buyers who are solely focused on getting the lowest price, it may not establish long-term loyalty. Buyers who choose a product or service based solely on price may be more likely to switch to a cheaper alternative when one becomes available.

Additionally, price selling can backfire if the salesperson doesn't have the product or service to sell. By pricing their offering too low, sales reps may irritate potential buyers who were hoping to buy something more expensive but didn't get a good deal. Price selling is an effective approach when used correctly, but it's important for sales professionals to understand how and when to use it in order to create lasting buyer relationships.

Why is Value-based Selling Methodology Gaining Popularity?

Value selling is gaining popularity because it focuses on understanding the different types of value needs and preferences of buyers, and then offering them solutions that provide maximum value. In today's competitive market, successful companies know that buyers are willing to pay more for products or services that offer unique benefits and solve their problems effectively. Value selling helps businesses differentiate themselves from competitors and build long-term relationships with buyers.

One McKinsey survey found Value to be the third most common reason for buyers to switch brand allegiances after availability and convenience.

92% of buyers want to hear a value proposition early in the sales cycle.

Value Selling vs. Price Selling: A Comparative Study

Value selling and price selling are two different approaches when it comes to selling products or services. Sales team, managers, and professionals often debate which approach is more effective. Sales methodology experts argue that value selling is the superior approach compared to price selling.

Let's take a closer look at the two methodologies to understand their differences and advantages;

1. Focus: Value selling focuses on understanding and fulfilling the specific needs and preferences of buyers, while price selling primarily emphasizes offering the lowest price.

2. Buyer Loyalty: Value selling aims to establish long-term buyer loyalty by providing unique benefits and solutions, whereas price selling often attracts buyers based on low prices, leading to a transactional relationship and may easily switch to a cheaper alternative.

3. Product or Service Offering: Value selling focuses on offering solutions that provide maximum value and address buyer's problems effectively, while price selling may not prioritize the specific benefits or features of a product or service.

4. Competitive Advantage: Value selling helps businesses differentiate themselves from competitors by offering unique benefits and solutions, whereas price selling solely relies on offering the lowest price, which can be easily matched or beaten by competitors.

5. Buyer Relationships: Value selling emphasizes building strong, long-term relationships with buyers based on trust, understanding their needs, and delivering high-quality solutions. Price selling does not prioritize understanding buyer needs and challenges. As a result, it becomes challenging to build meaningful, long-term relationships with buyers.

6. Profitability: Value selling allows businesses to command higher prices for their products or services due to the added value they provide, resulting in higher profit margins. Price selling often results in lower profit margins as businesses may have to cut prices to compete with competitors offering lower prices.

7. Buyer Perception: Value selling helps create a positive buyer perception by showcasing the benefits and value buyers will receive from the product or service. Price selling may give the impression of offering lower quality or compromising on certain aspects to achieve lower prices.

8. Sales Approach: In value selling, sales professionals focus on understanding the buyer's pain points, needs, and desired outcomes to tailor their pitch accordingly. They highlight how their product or service can provide unique value and solve specific problems. In price selling, sales teams primarily focus on highlighting the low price of the product or service as their main selling point, without necessarily addressing the buyer's specific needs or pain points.

9. Market Positioning: Value selling allows businesses to position themselves as providers of high-quality products or services that offer unique benefits and solutions. This positioning helps establish them as industry leaders and experts in their field. Price selling positions businesses as providers of affordable options but may not necessarily convey the same level of expertise or quality.

10. Differentiation: Value selling allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors by highlighting their unique value proposition and competitive advantages. It enables them to stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract buyers who prioritize quality and value over price alone. Price selling, however, makes differentiation challenging as buyers tend to view products or services primarily based on their price. It becomes difficult for businesses to distinguish themselves from competitors solely on the basis of price, as it is easy for others to undercut prices and enter the market.

By demonstrating value through effective value selling, businesses can build buyer loyalty and long-term relationships, leading to repeat business and referrals.

Effect on Business Growth

Impact of Value Selling on business growth cannot be underestimated, especially for high-growth sales organizations. By focusing on the benefits and unique value proposition of your product or service, salespeople can effectively demonstrate the value it brings to potential buyers. This value-based approach not only helps close deals but also leads to customer retention and loyalty.

By differentiating yourself from competitors and addressing pain points through a consultative and personable approach, you can build long-term relationships and drive business growth.

The positive effects of value selling are evident in high-growth companies that prioritize the value-added selling process.

Impact on Customer Retention

Value selling is an essential factor in customer retention. Salespeople can emphasize the advantages and distinctive value proposition of a product or service, showcasing the qualitative value they provide to buyers.This approach goes beyond simply pitching the price and instead addresses the pain points and needs of potential buyers through open-ended questions.

By adopting a value-based sales process, sales professionals can build trust, provide effective solutions, and ensure long-term customer satisfaction. This personalized and consultative approach helps in building strong relationships and creates loyal buyers who are more likely to continue doing business with a company in the long run.

Influence on Profit Margins

Value selling has a significant impact on profit margins. When salespeople focus on demonstrating the value of their product or service, they can command higher prices and increase profit margins. By positioning themselves as trusted advisors, sales reps can build credibility with their buyers and gain their trust. This allows them to sell based on value rather than price, which leads to higher margins.

By incorporating a value-based selling process, sales professionals can effectively identify and address their prospects' pain points, align their solution with the buyer's needs, differentiate themselves from the competition, and provide the best solution. This ultimately enables them to close deals at a higher price point and maximize profit margins.

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In conclusion, value selling is a more effective approach than price selling when it comes to driving business growth, increasing customer retention, and improving profit margins. It's important to understand the needs and pain points of your target audience and tailor your messaging to highlight how your offering solves their problems and delivers value. By demonstrating the value you provide, you can build trust, establish long-term relationships with buyers, and ultimately achieve greater success in your business. Remember, it's not just about the price - it's about the value you bring to the table.

How can Forward help you demonstrate Value Selling more;

Introducing Forward

Forward is the sales enablement platform that gives your buyers and sellers everything they need in one place. Here’s how it works:

• When you begin working with a target account, you create a Forward workspace exclusively for you and that account
• Inside your secure workspace, you can share content with your buyers. From initial presentation to final contract, your content lives in Forward and can easily be shared around the buying team
• Inside your workspace, you can assign tasks and set deadlines to keep the deal moving forward
• Real-time notifications ensure your reps know when to reach out. Nothing falls through the cracks
• When it’s time to do the deal, Forward is compatible with your e-signature platform

Sales teams love Forward as it makes sales a collaborative process with their buyers, shortening the sales cycle and reducing the number of deals that go dark. They can sell in the way their buyers want, delivering unique, relevant content in a digital setting, as and when they need it.

Buyers like Forward because it gives them the easy buying experience they demand. Each part of the buying team can work on the parts where they have responsibility, with the right information at their fingertips – and no endless email threads. 

B2B buying has changed. But with Forward, you can join the modern way of selling and reap the rewards.