Why I bought private medical care and why you should sell on value and never on price

One of the messages that us sales trainer types have been very good at getting across over the last few years is the motto of selling on value and not on price. In sales training seminar after sales training seminar around the country sales managers, sales directors and sales trainers keep banging on about value being key not price! As such, when I ask the question, all salespeople are quick to say that we should sell on value and not price.

So why then do they rush to discount so fast? And moan about how their competitors are under cutting them? And whine that their products aren’t any better than their competitors?

Because most salespeople don’t believe that people don’t buy on price - they just say it.

Saying that value is more important than price when selling is not enough. You actually have to believe it. If you don’t really believe it, when the chips are down… you’ll discount! Isn’t it about time that salespeople started being a bit more honest with themselves? If you don’t really believe that you can sell on value then you need to admit it. Only by admitting this can you start to build up the value of your product or service in your own mind.

Private healthcare gave me value for money…

I have recently been into hospital for a one day operation. In the UK the NHS and the private doctors are one and the same by enlarge. Infact, private consultants are normally rushing to get to you after finishing their NHS clients. So the product is identical. OK, so I got my own room but given that all I did was doze in it for 45 minutes before and a couple of hours afterwards that hardly mattered. I waited 6 weeks for a procedure because some drugs had to kick in first for a few weeks. This meant that going private was probably no quicker than the NHS.

So it was no quicker, I had the same consultant and I was barely in the hospital. I have no insurance so I paid for it myself. Can’t have provided value can it?

Yes! Yes! And Yes!

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Had I gone to Bradford Royal Infirmary the staff would have been professional and polite but in essence I would have been rolled in and rolled out. They are understaffed, overworked and trying to keep up. At the private hospital I was "meeted and greeted", the nurses introduced themselves to me, the surgeon came to see me (twice) before and even the anesthetist popped his head in! When I woke up the nurse was by my bedside and prepared to chat to me. I was worried about the operation and to me this 121 time was worth the money.

Value can only ever be dictated by the client and their circumstances.

I am sure that many people reading this blog would say, "The hell with paying thousands for a chat" but in my mind it was money well spent and I am the customer.

The only way to build up your beliefs about value is understand your customers better. Keep case studies and compile them. Really know how you add value to individual customers. If you leave this to chance you will not truly believe the real value of your products, services or solutions.

What strategies do you have for maintaining your belief about the value of your offerings?