The Biggest Barrier to Selling Value

Too often, salespeople become overly focused on price—not the customer.
When that happens, real value doesn’t get communicated. The price-focused mindset of the salesperson becomes the main barrier.

Salespeople must resist the urge to react defensively when a customer says, “You are expensive.” Instead, keep the spotlight on value.

3 Strategies to Overcome Price Obsession

1. Focus on Value as Perceived by the Customer

Lead the customer to think about what they gain, not just what they spend.
Selling is about securing commitment by making the tangibilised value feel real.

Action Tips:

• Sell the idea, not just the item: It’s not the car, it’s comfort. Not the cream, but beauty.
• Demonstrate value in use: Organize demos. Show how the product solves problems or creates new opportunities.

2. Quantify Benefits and Stack Them as Value

Do the prep—match your features to customer needs and show the value each brings.

Action Tips:

• Link product features directly to customer problems
• Quantify benefits wherever possible:
  “This feature will save ₹20,000 a year in reduced water loss” is more powerful than “It conserves water.”

3. Have a Meaningful Agenda and Create a Value-Focused Conversation

Without a clear agenda, price takes center stage by default.

Action Tips:

Set a focused meeting objective to shift attention to value

• “Let’s go over how this works for your context.”
• “I’d like to understand your concerns before we proceed.”
• “Can I walk you through the value in actual use?”

Back to the case…
Euphoria may have charged more—but offered more value.
By showing flexibility and support beyond the listed tasks, they made a stronger case than just pricing alone.

For more strategies on selling value instead of price you can explore the Mercuri Insight document on Are your sales people struggling to sell price?