Review
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“Dense with information, ranging from the simple to the complex,
this book is a must-have for every retailer. It’s a
nuts-and-bolts how-to born out of real world experience and
success." —Retailing In
“In a world with tens of thousands of sales books, is there room
for one more? After reading Mark Hunter's new book, I say a loud
'YES!'” --Score More Sales
“High-Profit Selling will get you Mark’s priceless, hard earned
knowledge that will add measurable value to your overall sales
process.” --Sales du Jour
"Mark’s ins will change the way you think about
discounting, price, negotiating, and, above all, the
all-important concept of value…it’ll change your professional
life." --Selling Fearlessly
“Pperfect for entrepreneurs who are not confident in their
current sales approach to prospects and need a better method for
increasing profits more comfortably." --Entrepreneur Library
“A very valuable, clearly organized and well written book. A
must buy for sales and sales managers.” --Knights on the Road
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Book Description
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In the high-pressure quest to make a sale, acquire a contract,
and beat out other bidders, sales professionals frequently resort
to cutting prices, offering discounts, or making other
concessions that cut into their operating margins—short-term
strategies that are destructive to the long-term sustainability
of their business.
High-Profit Selling helps readers understand that their sales
goal shouldn’t simply be to sell more, but to sell more at a
higher price…and that success comes only to those focused on
“profitable sales.” This eye-opening book shows readers how to:
Avoid negotiating • Actively listen to customers • Match the
benefits of their product or service with the customer’s needs
and pains • Confidently communicate value • Successfully execute
a price increase with existing customers • Ensure prospects are
serious and not shopping for price
Too many salespeople believe that a sale at any price is better
than no sale at all. This powerful guide helps move readers
toward a profit-centered approach that will strength en their
relationships and increase their bottom line.
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From the Back Cover
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There’s a big difference between making sales…and making
profitable sales. While it may be tempting to cut prices in order
to fleetingly beat the competition, short-term strategies based
on offering discounts can destroy the long-term sustainability of
your business. In short, your sales goal shouldn’t be to sell
more…but to sell more at a higher price.
High-Profit Selling offers you a whole new way of thinking about
sales. The book gives you a comprehensive, step-by-step system
for moving toward a profit-centered approach that will strengthen
your relationships and increase your bottom line. You’ll learn
how to:
Avoid negotiating • Actively listen to customers • Match the
benefits of your product or service with your customers’ needs
and pains • Confidently communicate value • Successfully execute
a price increase with existing customers • Ensure prospects are
serious and not shopping for price
Customers will always want a “deal” . . . and all too often,
salespeople are willing to give it to them before digging deep
enough to find out what the real issues are behind their buying
decisions. High-Profit Selling shows you how to avoid making
price the central talking point and focus more on how your
product or service meets your customers’ needs and desired
benefits.
All sales aren’t created equal. This book shows you how to close
deals that truly make a profit.
Advance Praise for High-Profit Selling
“How do you handle today’s crazy-busy, price-sensitive
customers? High-Profit Selling shows you numerous strategies you
can use to avoid discounting and to reposition your offering as a
worthwhile investment.” — Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling
and Selling to Big Companies
“Do you want more profits and more satisfied customers? Look no
further than Mark Hunter’s book, High-Profit Selling. After
decades in the sales industry, he knows what it takes to maximize
price — and now he’s ready to show you.” — Ron Karr, author of
Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way
MARK HUNTER, known as “The Sales Hunter,” spent 18 years in the
sales and marketing divisions of three Fortune 100 companies, and
has conducted thousands of customized sales training programs
nationally and internationally. His client list includes
Coca-Cola, Samsung, Godiva, Abbott, Heineken, Mattel, Unilever,
Dole, Novartis, and other industry leaders. His popular blog and
website can be found at www.TheSalesHunter.com.
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About the Author
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Mark Hunter, known as, "The Sales Hunter," is globally recognized
for his expertise in sales leadership. He specializes in business
development and guiding organizations to find and retain
high-quality prospects without discounting their fee. His ability
to inspire sales teams to create self motivating and integrity
driven cultures, makes Mark Hunter a highly sought after keynote
speaker, consultant and coach. Mark has taken his vision for
sales leadership to more than 25 countries and 5 continents where
he leads and consults with companies ranging from small startups
to global
giants.
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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Introduction
OVER THE Y E A R S , I’ve been amazed at the number of
times salespeople have asked me how they can avoid
lowering a price to close a deal. As many times as I’ve
been asked, I know there are hundreds more salespeople wondering
the same thing. The tactic of giving someone a lower
price as an incentive to close a deal is certainly not new. It
has
been going on for as long as there have been people looking to
sell something to someone else. What astounds me, though, is
that cutting prices to close a deal seems to happen regardless
of whether the item is staggeringly expensive or supercheap.
Customers want a deal, and too many salespeople are more
than willing to give that deal, regardless of the negative
consequences.
But will the customer buy if the price isn’t lowered? This
is a vital piece of information to have if you want to close the
deal. Unfortunately, many salespeople don’t dig deep enough
to find the answer. The end result is the salesperson simply
resorts to lowering the price. When the salesperson gives in
once on price, the sales process usually becomes a game where
customers wait to see how low they can get the salesperson
to go on price—and everything else. Profits continue to erode
at an expanding rate until the damage is done (and even then,
some salespeople still don’t realize the extent of the damage).
The purpose of this book is to show you how you can
avoid cutting prices to close sales. I’ll even show you that
instead of cutting prices, in many cases you actually can raise
them! For some of you, this is an unheard-of concept because
never has a week gone by in your selling career that didn’t
involve lowering price, regardless of the impact on you or
your company.
I am dedicated to showing salespeople how to avoid this
habit of discounting. While it is definitely possible to stay
firm
on your price (and even raise it), I’m not saying it is easy. If
you are looking for a couple of quick, easy steps, this book
isn’t for you. If, however, you want to make solid changes in
your sales process that will lead to high-profit selling, then
you
have arrived at the right place. I will walk you through each
phase of the selling process, from finding the right prospects
to closing the sale. You will learn the techniques and ideas
that
you can best adapt for your situation and industry.
The core of the problem rarely is a customer who is
not willing to pay. Rather, I believe the problem begins with
salespeople who do not believe in the price they are asking. If
the salesperson does not believe in the price, then there is no
way the customer will ever choose to pay anything that is not
discounted. Harboring internal doubts about price affects the
salesperson’s ability to close sales and, more important, to
ensure
the profit margin.
In this book I’ll share personal stories—good and bad—
about how I have dealt with issues on sales calls. The
experiences
cover a cross section of my more than twenty-five years
as a salesperson and now as a consultant and speaker on sales
and, particularly, on pricing. I think you will find that my
stories are similar to situations you have already faced or are
currently facing.
Many salespeople cl that price is one of the biggest
issues they confront when closing a sale. To me, it’s debatable
whether price is genuinely a big issue or simply something we
have come to believe is a big issue. I devote considerable time
in this book to helping you determine whether price is the real,
underlying issue holding back a sale or if the customer is
merely
saying it is the issue. More important, I’ll show you how to
respond to the customer and even how to avoid getting into
situations where price becomes the central focus. It may
surprise
you, but when selling situations are consumed with discussion
about price, it usually means the salesperson is dealing
with the wrong type of customer. You want customers who
are focused less on price and more on how your product or
service meets their needs and delivers desired benefits.
High-profit selling is all about changing how you think.
If you change how you think, you can then change how you
deal with the customer. By changing how you deal with the
customer, you can take control of the process and move yourself
away from dependence on discounting to closing sales.
In all my years in the selling profession, I have seen
countless techniques that customers use to try to get a
salesperson
to lower the price. I will walk you through the more
prevalent situations, including how to handle professional
buyers and requests for proposals. My goal is to offer you solid
solutions for the problems you face. After reading this book,
you’ll be better prepared to go into your next sales call
without
relying on discounting to actually close the sale. Finally,
I’ll share with you the exact steps you need to take to avoid
the many problems that can arise when a company attempts
to increase its price.
High-profit selling sounds good, doesn’t it? It does to me!
Let me show you that there is nothing wrong with high profits
when they allow both you and the customer to win.
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