Price vs. Value

Transforming Client Relationships: The Power of Adding More Value

Motivation| Sales| success mindset| Habits| Business Development
October 15, 2024•4 min read

In the world of sales and business development, it is not always about winning a new client or business. What most often matters more is the interactions we have between the calls, meetings, voicemails, texts, or emails. Most often, people will pay more for something, as long as they see value in it. I often ask this in sales training workshops: 'Have you ever paid more for something than you had planned to?' There are always a few people who answer, 'yes.' Why do we pay more? It is the client or sales experience that the person brings to us. In contrast, we can all think of a poor sales experience, whether it was someone who was pushy, aggressive, or maybe we felt ignored or passed over for another customer. The key is to always focus on bringing more value to every prospect, client, or customer, whether they expect it or not. Oftentimes, and in my experience, a 'no' today can lead to a future 'yes,' if we have brought value to someone else.

In today's competitive landscape, the key to enduring success lies in a simple yet profound principle: bringing value to your customers and prospects. For sales and business development professionals, this means going beyond traditional selling techniques to create meaningful, lasting relationships that drive trust and loyalty. By focusing on delivering exceptional value, not only do we differentiate ourselves, but also we drive growth and customer satisfaction. In this blog, we will explore the integral role that value plays in sales, business development, and growth, and how embracing this mindset can transform your approach and outcomes.

Here's a list of practical actions that exemplify bringing more value to clients:

Share Industry Insights: Be a student of the industry you are in. Regularly provide clients with valuable insights and data about their industry to help them make informed decisions.

Teach Your Clients Something New: Offer blogs, podcasts, social media posts, educational resources or workshops that provide clients with knowledge they didn’t have before, enhancing their experience and trust in your expertise.

Keep Up to Date with Trends: Our customers expect us to be trusted advisors. Stay informed about the latest trends and technological advancements within your industry to keep clients ahead of the curve.

Be Easy to Do Business With: Return calls, emails, and all communication quickly. Simplify processes, provide clear instructions, and offer excellent customer service to ensure a smooth experience for clients.

Help Your Customers Avoid Landmines: Always let your customers know you have their best interest in mind. Proactively identify potential challenges or risks that your clients may face and offer solutions to navigate around them effectively.

Be Flexible: Adapt to your client’s changing needs and be open to customizing solutions that fit their specific requirements.

Underpromise and Over-deliver: Set realistic expectations and strive to exceed them by providing more than what was agreed upon, creating a world-class client experience.

Exceed Expectations: Continually look for ways to go above and beyond, whether through superior service, bonuses, or personalized attention that leaves a lasting impression.

Bringing value is indeed a cornerstone of success in sales and business relationships. There are several common mistakes to avoid:

Lack of Understanding of Client Needs: Always start with discovery. Without a deep understanding of what your client truly needs, it becomes challenging to offer genuine value. This often requires active listening and ongoing communication.

Complexity: Complexity is the killer of execution. If the process of doing business is cumbersome or confusing, it can deter clients. Simplifying procedures and being easy to work with can enhance perceived value.

Overpromising: Making promises that are difficult to keep can damage trust and hinder the ability to exceed expectations. It's important to set realistic goals and then strive to over-deliver.

Resistance to Change: Being inflexible and unable to adapt to changing client needs or market conditions can reduce your ability to provide value. Embracing flexibility and innovation can help overcome this barrier.

Poor Communication: Effective communication is key to understanding and meeting client expectations. Miscommunications or lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities to provide value.

Inability to Anticipate Problems: Helping clients avoid potential issues before they arise adds tremendous value. Failure to do so might result in lost opportunities or strained relationships.

Making it a practice to always deliver more than other expect is a key to success in sales, business development, and life. Keep commitments, exceed expectations, and you will never be at a loss for new customers.

Salesbusiness developmentcustomer serviceloyalty
Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

Amy Lemire CSP

Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

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