Value Merchants: Demonstrating and Documenting Superior Value in Business Markets

SIX

Transform the Sales Force into Value Merchants

Selling on Value, Not Price

GIVING VALUE AWAY takes no particular skill. However, it is the responsibility of marketing and, especially, sales to get a fair return on the value delivered to customers. For most firms in business markets, the sales force is a substantial cost. And suppliers can’t justify paying for a sales force that only sells on price. Unfortunately, too often salespeople do exactly that—they become the customer’s advocate for price cuts rather than the supplier’s advocate for the value provided.

In this chapter we begin by contrasting value merchants with value spendthrifts. We contend that while compensating salespeople on profitability is necessary, it is not sufficient ...