Stop Selling Price and Start Selling Why
One of the fastest ways to turn yourself into a commodity is to lead with price. When the first question a customer asks is, “How much does it cost?” too many salespeople immediately respond with a number. The problem is that once you give the price without establishing value, the customer has very little to compare except the number. Suddenly, you're competing with everyone else who sells something similar, and the conversation becomes, “Who can give it to me for less?” If price is all the customer sees, price is all they have to negotiate.
The best salespeople don't avoid the price conversation. They understand that price should come after value has been established. Before giving a number, you need to understand where the customer is in their buying process. Are they simply gathering information? Are they actively evaluating solutions? Have they already identified a problem that needs to be solved? Do they understand the impact of not solving it? Are they comparing vendors? Knowing where the customer is allows you to have the right conversation instead of rushing toward a proposal before the customer is ready to buy.
This is where the right questions become so important. Rather than immediately talking about your product, focus on understanding the customer's situation, issues, and ramifications. What is happening in their business? What challenges are they experiencing? And perhaps most importantly, what happens if those challenges aren't addressed? The ramifications are where value often lives. If a problem is costing the customer time, money, customers, employees, production, or growth, understanding that impact changes the conversation. Now you're not simply discussing what your solution costs. You're discussing what the problem is costing them.
That's why I often believe salespeople should be willing to say something like, “Before I give you a price, I'd like to make sure we're both the right fit. I want to understand what you're trying to accomplish, make sure we can actually help you, and make sure what we're offering makes sense for your situation. Then we can talk about investment.” That isn't avoiding the price question. It's demonstrating that you care more about solving the customer's problem than simply getting an order.
When you establish value before price, you also create a better buying experience. The customer begins to understand not just what you're selling, but why it matters. Maybe your solution saves them hours every week. Maybe it reduces risk. Maybe it helps them win more business, retain employees, increase productivity, or avoid a costly problem. Those outcomes are what give your price context. Without them, your price is simply a number. With them, your price becomes an investment connected to something the customer actually cares about.
The goal isn't to convince every customer that you're worth more than the competition. The goal is to determine whether you and the customer are the right fit for each other. Sometimes that means discovering that you're not. That's okay. Walking away from a poor-fit customer can be far more valuable than winning a deal that creates problems, destroys margin, and consumes resources.
The best salespeople don't rush to give a price. They earn the right to talk about price by first understanding the customer. They uncover the situation, identify the issues, explore the ramifications, and connect their solution to the outcomes that matter. Stop selling the price. Start selling the value. Because when the customer understands why your solution matters, you stop being another commodity competing on price and become a trusted partner solving a problem worth paying to fix.
Master the Art of Influence: Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Lead Effectively
Are you ready to become the magnetic force that attracts top performers and your best customers?
I’m Kevin Sidebottom—keynote speaker, sales trainer, and author—and I help organizations unlock the power of influence to achieve breakthrough results.
In this blog, I reveal why influence is the ultimate currency in business and leadership—and how you can use it to:✅ Motivate customers to stay loyal and buy again✅ Build trust and engagement with your team✅ Transform your leadership approach to inspire stronger performance
With decades of experience studying why people buy and how leaders earn loyalty, I equip sales professionals and executives to deliver lasting value, strengthen customer relationships, and drive higher revenue.
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