I go to Starbucks and they sell me a Mocha Grande at least 95% of the time when I visit.  Yes, I said they sell me.  I didn't say I buy.  Somehow, through the magic of branding and perception, Starbucks has sold me on the idea that I need to drive to get coffee and pay almost four dollars a cup.  What would be my motivation for that?  Sure, it tastes good.  However, it also adds calories to my diet that I don't need and I burn up expensive gas to get there.  What a great sales job on a high priced product that I really don't need and really isn't good for me, and certainly the ROI is hard to measure.  So how did this happen?

I have no idea.

What I do know is that I'm not alone.  I couldn't find information on store traffic, but with 17,000 stores worldwide, there are alot of people drinking expensive coffee that they don't need.  This leads me to my point.  (Finally)

Why are we so hung up on price when it comes to selling?  It is never solely about price.  Certainly, price is a contributing factor, but it is not the factor.  People simply do not make important buying decisions based on money.  If that were the case then exclusive home builders would be out of business, Rolex would not have watches to sell and Cadillac and Mercedes would not be used to describe ‘the very best'.

Instead of focusing on or worrying about price (which is really a record collection in your head, not a reality) focus on the following:

1. Why is the prospect meeting with you? They may start with ‘I want lower price' but that isn't it. Ask them, aside from price, what else is important to you because I'm certain that the people that you are doing business with today will do everything possible to keep your business including lowering their price.
 
2. Find out about the entire picture. Sales people typically focus on a single product or service, yet the companies they represent have a multitude of product and service offerings. Learn how to ask questions about challenges your prospects face in meeting their top line and bottom line objectives. What else keeps them from achieving what they want to achieve besides the product or service you offer?

3. Think creative solutions and value. Seth Godin has a recent blog post titled "When you stand for something.”  I love his comment "When you stand for something you now have to make decisions about what you won't do." Make a decision not to sell on price but get people to buy your value, your solutions and your ideas. Anyone anywhere can provide a product that you provide. Not everyone is creative enough to position the product or service so that people see how the value applies to them individually and how it removes a burden they have.

4. Be different, be Starbucks. What is it about you that you need to change, improve or capitalize on that would cause more people to want to do business with you, more frequently, more quickly and pay you more? Answer those questions, package it with a nice environmentally friendly cover and you too will have people spending more time and more money to let you sell them.