I had a client long, long ago who used to email or call me at least once every few months showing interest in my then-business, HomeTimes.
He always spoke about really wanting to promote his company to my audience, and would tell me all the things I loved to hear: “Your site is a breath of fresh air…” “How do you come up with so much content all by yourself…”
He knew just how to stroke my ego…
So we would do the usual dance around the products I had, the strategy and he would close with: “So, how much am I going to pay?”
I would prepare a proposal, make a point of drawing his attention to the value of advertising on my site and lay down the prices and sub total.
The document would be attached and the email sent.
I’d follow up the next day.
Silence.
Eventually I’d call him and then would get the same price resistance and “Can’t you make it cheaper?” narrative.
At first I folded and provided discounts…some business was better than none, I told myself. And I really wanted people to like me. So I would eventually negotiate myself out of a profit.
Then one day I woke up in a different mood. Something clicked in my brain…
And it not only changed the way I ran my business…it also repelled the price-shoppers and instead attracted the value buyers (the people who seek out value and buy based on that…not price).
And it was really pretty simple.
In fact, it meant opting for just ONE of two very similar words in my sales pitch.
The one word was attracting the price shoppers and tyre-kickers. These were the customers I didn’t want.
But when I shifted my focus to using a different word, the price shoppers stopped banging on my door…and stopped wasting my time.
The words are: pay vs buy.
People often ask how much they need to pay for a service or a product in which they do not recognise the immediate and inherent value.
It’s also usually associated with grudge purchases: pay your fine, pay your TV license, pay your DStv subscription, pay your FFC…
This is the same word price shoppers use when asking about your service. They know you can help them, but they are not convinced that you or your service are worth using.
If you do decide to take them on, be ready for the constant whining about what you are costing them and how they could do what you do…or find someone cheaper…or tell you how they would do what you do differently.
They will suck up your time and energy…and will “negotiate” you down so you either end up doing more work or make less profit.
These are the clients you know are bad for your business…but you are also terrified of chasing them away for fear of having no customers.
But…guess what? Once you get rid of them, you will attract the value seekers…it’s a birds’ of a feather kind of phenomenon.
Which brings me to how to attract the value-seeker.
If the word Pay gets you price shoppers, the word Buy will see you doing more business with the value seeker.
The reason for this is simple: we buy things we want. And the things we want always have an inherent value attached to them.
We buy clothes because we want to look our best and feel confident…we buy courses because we want to improve our skills and get ahead in our careers…we buy cars and houses because they are reflections of our success, aspirations and portray how we want to be perceived by others.
Buying is all about value…paying is about price.
As a property professional, you have more than likely dealt with both kinds of clients…and you already know which one you prefer doing business with.
By changing the narrative in your written communication, verbal dealings and marketing assets, you will change the profile of customer you draw to you.
Have a look at (and read out loud) the following two value proposition sentences and notice how the identical sentences change in tone and who they attract simply by opting for either pay or buy.
Price shoppers
“By paying for my service, you are investing in your future. How? Because by selling your home at the best price and within the quickest amount of time, you will be able to buy the kind of home your family deserves.”
OR
Value-seekers
“By buying into my service, you are investing in your future. How? Because by selling your home at the best price and within the quickest amount of time, you will be able to buy the kind of home your family deserves.”
Being deliberate is key. Invest your time and attention in your offers.
Do this and separate yourself from 99% of the agents all doing the same thing and all fighting over the same tyre-kickers and time wasters.
By developing a clearer and more targeted offer, story and marketing delivery method, you can say goodbye to the price shoppers once and for all.
In fact, they will stop bothering you altogether. The value seekers will find you and not blink when you mention your professional fee.
How many more mandates would you be able to take on if you didn’t have to waste so much time motivating your commission and proving your worth?
And all because you were deliberate about who you were attracting?
It’s exactly what I do in my business…and it works.
I’m clear on my offer, my story and my marketing methods…and I make a great living doing what I enjoy.
You can do this too…and I’m here to fast track the process for you.
Simply click the button below and learn how by investing a small amount of money and time, you will have an irresistible go-to-market offer that sees you only working the kind of people you want to.
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