Value-Added Selling, Fourth Edition: How to Sell More Profitably, Confidently, and Professionally by Competing on Value—Not Price, 4th Edition

CHAPTER 4

The Critical Buying Path

From its mouth near Dinar, the Great Menderes River snakes its way throughout southwestern Turkey for approximately 363 miles until it empties itself into the Aegean Sea near the ancient port of Miletus. As the crow flies, it spans a distance of approximately 180 miles. The ancient name for this river was Maiandros (Maeander) and is the root of our word meander. Aerial photos of this river illustrate the circuitous route it travels. Some salespeople would argue that many customers follow a similar path when they attempt to satisfy their needs.

Some buyers have simple needs; others have complex needs. Some buyers paradoxically treat simple needs as complex, while other buyers treat complex needs as simple. Understanding ...