John Hirth's commentary on sales...

"Winning the "price only" sale..."

I know... perish the thought that we actually "sell" on price. Many so called "experts" will say "I never sell on price". But what if it really gets down to the fact that "price" seems to be the only difference and you feel you have no other options. Or, let's consider the fact that sometimes we have a "price" advantage, so it might (on occasion) be worth using low price as a strategy.

Before we "go there", first decide if you have exhausted all of your options? Do you know why you are worth more and have you created a "value translation strategy" that gives you an advantage? Have you done a good job of managing and controlling the call in a way that helps you "create difference" and helps you avoid the "feature benefit trap"? If not, your selling strategy may actually be leading you to the price objection (see other "sales strategy" posts)!

Have you explored all of the other advantages your customer gets when they buy from you that are not product related? Can you split shipments, offer dating or extended terms, help lower inventory carrying costs or eliminate paper invoicing with electronic ordering? Make sure you think "beyond the product" to extract ever bit of value you and your company can deliver.

So for now, let's assume you've done a good job managing the call and you reach that "control point" where you have to decided to accept the "price only" option. It gets down to "the best price wins". You go in with your best price in hand (notice I said "go in" not send in!) and you make the offer knowing you have an extra 10% to work with... they're notorious for "grinding you at the end", so you're prepared with one more bullet. They look across the table with that steely gaze and say "you've got to do better"?

Offering to do better at this point is a huge mistake. If you give them your extra 10% now, every time you come in they have to say to themselves "based on the last situation I guess everytime I buy from this sales person I have to assume that they have not given me their best price". Your actions create distrust.

You're better off saying "I wish I could but I can't". How you say this is probably more important than what you actually say. It must be said quickly, courteously and without reservation. Your ability to respond immediately communicates to your prospect that because you answered so quickly and without the need to think about it, it must be true (we'll learn more about this "Subconscious Selling" in future posts).

Now, you will hear one of two things:

          1. "O.K., I can accept your price (it was just a test (remember, they always lie!) or

          2. If you can't get lower... you lose.

With the second response you know they mean business. Now, instead of dropping the 10%, first ask what they mean by lower... they might say 5%. But don't give in yet... tell them that you have already given the best price you are able to authorize, but that you would be willing to fight for them and try to get more. However, first they'll need to give you a purchase order at the price they want that you will take back and get approved. With a commitment from them like this, you're sure the company will be able to compromise...but  they would be unwilling to compromise unless you have "paper"! Empty promises will never get fulfilled! If they're serious they should have no problem with this request.

What does this get you? First, credibility, they believe they got the best price up front so they are less likely to question your offer the next time. You've also shown them that you will go the extra mile for them. Plus, you didn't just "drop your price" giving them the opportunity to go back and use it against you with their current supplier!

When all else fails and they tell you it's price, make sure you know how to "manage to win"! This strategy gives you options and will let you make "the price only sale" with dignity!

Action Step: Learn the strategy and role play it with a co-worker. Remember, practice, practice, practice!

Change Their "Shopping Pattern"...

I was running a public program in Chicago the other day and one of the participants started a discussion about "decision making". They wanted a suggestion or strategy on how to "keep prospects from shopping." You know the story, you give them great information on how to handle their problems, make an offer with competitive pricing and then instead of making a decision they stall and "shop your deal all over town". Sometimes you have the low price and get the deal, but too often it goes to another vendor for "just a little less".

I've always said "you can't change the way people make decisions" but you might be able to change the way they shop! What I mean by that is if it is their normal decision process to get three competitive prices, you telling them "they they can't do that" probably won't work. However, you may be able to get them to get the other vendors pricing first and then give yours. Thus, you get them to "change their shopping pattern".

(The first question you need to ask is "why do they feel the need to shop in the first place?" You may not be selling in a way that creates a difference or you are using a selling model that invites shopping. This often occurs because you are letting the prospect control what's happening. While there are many factors that contribute to this issue, we'll let it be a discussion for another day).

The example we were working with happened to involve a sales person that was selling a commodity item with no discernible product difference (i.e. steel, paper, ink, raw materials) that was also a consumable sale (product used or bought with frequency, rather than a one time capital purchase). The participant told me that she typically makes an offer with pricing and gets some of the business but often times loses to another vendor for "just a little less". It reminded me of the necessity of being "last" and being able to get the other vendors to make their offer first so if a price concession is necessary (not suggesting that this strategy is preferable) you at least have the chance to make it.

So, I asked this sales person a couple of questions;

      When you win do you get the deal because you are the low offer?

             The answer was yes (determines the prospects pattern).

       Does the customer feel confident of your abilities to deliver?

             The answer (predetermined by past action) was "yes", why else would they buy from us?

So, I suggested it might be an opportunity for us to change their "shopping pattern". Instead of providing the offer and letting the prospect "shop" off your offer, why not ask if the prospect would get the other offers first and give you an opportunity to "shop off the competitive offers" and see if you can beat their price?  If they are willing to allow you the privilege of being last it might give you an opportunity to win more of the deals you are losing now for "just a little less". Also, the prospects willingness to allow you the privilege to be last demonstrates preference, making you more willing to commit time and energy to this opportunity.

Now, let's not let this be a "carte blanche invitation" to become a "price seller" but in context with this specific example changing their "shopping pattern" will give you better results! Take a risk, think out of the box and I'll bet you'll get better results!

Action Step: Identify 3 customers that you do business with now and ask them if they would be willing to "change their shopping pattern"!

 

Stop saying "no problem"!

Oh... here's one you're  going to struggle with! For many of the businesses we work with, particularly our customers in the distribution business, service is the differentiator. Unfortunately, in our zeal to provide the service that we believe will be our "differentiator"" we often create a situation where our customer thinks what we have delivered really has no "extra" value. Ironically, they believe this because of how we have responded to their request. They asked for something special and we said it was "no problem...", so they believe it and we create the impression by our words that the deed we have accomplished is "no problem".

Often, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Many times when we tell the customer "no problem" we go way above and beyond the call of duty and get no credit for it. We work past quitting time, we manipulate and cajole the operations staff to go the extra mile, we promise Mike in shipping an extra case of beer if he'll get the order out on time and we tell the customer it was "no problem"??... are you kidding me, what, do you have a "kick me" sign on your back????

So, how do we change our behavior and start getting recognized for the extra effort we provide. We'll need to start by creating a change in your belief system and recognize that we often go way beyond the call of duty for our customers. Then, we need to push aside our "need for approval" and start being willing to tell customers "like it is". Not in a rude way, but the actual truth of the situation and what we had to do to get the results they asked for. Then, when we recognize what we really do for people and change our belief patterns, it will suddenly make sense to stop saying "no problem". Instead, we might say, "let me look into that and get back to you."

An example: a client was asked by a customer if he could change the delivery of an order to delay shipping for an extra week? Instead of saying "no problem" our client said "let me look into it and see if I can make the change". The issue was challenging, took some extra effort, but they were able to make the change in the delivery schedule as asked.

Now, the sales person went back to the client and said " I called our shipper and I was able to re-route your order to another customer. Then, I found another LTL (less than truckload) shipper that will be able to deliver your order when requested. We'll be able to eat the extra shipping charges this time but in the future we'll have to pass the cost of the changes on to you. Now the customer, rather than thinking "no problem", thanked the sales person for all the hard work, offered to pay the expediting charges and promised some extra business for the effort they went through. Now, we end up getting the credit and potentially some additional business for all of our effort... all by refusing to say "no problem".

So think, next time you get asked to do something special , to not be so quick to say "no problem". You might actually end up getting "paid" for what you do and create the extra value your customer expects and has gotten in the past without knowing!

"...can I take a message?"

In the day to day of any selling career, we all make phone calls, many of which do not end up reaching the intended party. We're often confronted with the option of "can I take a message?". This often comes from either a a live voice (administrative assistant, secretary), or an electronic "gate keeper", some form of voice messaging system. The dilemma, "should I leave a message or not...?", is a question I frequently get from our clients. It's a question that deserves some thought, one that requires a strategy that will help us to be both efficient and effective, upping our odds to succeed while helping us to effectively manage time.

First, with people that you don't have an existing relationship with, you have two choices; leave a message, or leave no message. Sometimes it is appropriate and expeditious to just hang up, particularly when put into voice mail. Also, if you are working hard to contact them it may require multiple calls in a short period of time and we don't want to be arrested for "stalking"!

Your other option, leave a message, presents some other problems. When leaving a message in voice mail, most of us give out to much information, pre-warning the prospect of who we are and what we are trying to sell them. If you decide to leave a message it needs to be customer centric and compelling. It needs to focus on how talking with you will make their life easier or business better. You need to develop a short, concise and compelling message that is more likely to create the right impression ( Our "Dealing with voice mail" clinic will help you with this.).

When I say "create the right impression", it doesn't necessarily mean that I would expect them to call you back (although more likely than a typical message like "we have great quality"). Rather, with a compelling message, they might be more inclined to accept your call the next time you try to connect with them. Leaving several compelling and concise customer focused voice messages can actually work like advertising and helps to "soften the beach-head". This is part of building your voice mail "campaign".

I would strongly suggest, in the event that you are confronted with a live person that you not leave a message. First, they rarely write it down completely or correctly and second you lose the advantage of communicating with pace and tone in a written message. Always ask to go to voice mail where you can leave a message that is well thought out and delivered in a tone and pace that makes you sound like someone they would enjoy talking to (tough for you "mogul's of mono-tone!").

On the other hand, when leaving a message with someone you know, be specific (again, always ask for voice mail, much preferred over a hand written note), tell them exactly what you want and help them respond to you in a way that answers a question, rather than just asking them to call you back. I can't tell you how frustrating it is when people call me and just ask for me to call them back, without some explicit instructions as to what they want me to call them back for! My time is more valuable than that and so is the time of your customers/prospects.

Oh, and by the way, stop asking people to "please call me back.". First, it sounds like begging, and second, I think it is a little presumptuous for you to think they should call you back!  Instead, I would suggest you say "if this has interest to you I can be reached at 800-123-4567". It keeps you from sounding like everyone else and gives the impression that you are already successful and busy!

Following these simple strategies will save you time and make you more productive. They will also leave a much better impression on whoever you might be calling!

"Should I respond to that RFQ, RFP, RFI... yes, with an RFM!"

You know the drill... you get an RFQ(request for quotation), RFP(request for proposal) or RFI(request for information) and you're wondering whether or not you should respond? As you ponder, you decide that if you don't comply you'll lose the opportunity to have a shot at the business! You know a lot of these are really nothing more than "price checks" but you're "afraid" that if you don't respond you may seem "dis-interested" and they'll take you off their list. So, you do the work and "hope" that the outcome will be in your favor. Once again you've become the "hunted" rather then the 'hunter".

Through our work with hundreds of companies in a wide variety of businesses, we have learned and identified that much of this "quoting or proposing" ends up being a waste of time and does nothing more than provide leverage for prospects to beat up their current vendor. Or worse, we provide unique ideas or solutions that become a "shopping list" which allows the prospect to take our ideas and share them with the competition. An unfortunate and expensive process we call "cloning" or "free consulting". Expensive because it not only wastes your time but allows them to "commoditize" your offer and drive your margins into the toilet!

We regularly ask our client companies what their experience with these "undeveloped opportunities" has been and the answer is always the same, "low closing percentages"! On average we're told that closing ratios average between 10-20% (often lower), but because they "close some" they feel like they need to respond to all. They have a tough time distinguishing between the ones that are "likely to close" vs. the ones that are "unlikely to close" and because of this see no alternative other than to respond. Most of our clients tell us it is "part of the sales game" and a necessary cost of doing business.

So, the strategy would be to win a higher percentage of our quote, propose requests and stop wasting time and resources on "low percentage" opportunities. The tactic that we have created to implement the strategy is called a "filter". Filters are used to take a large quantity of substance and separate good from bad or high quality from low quality. It all starts with making a decision to "not respond" to RFP's or RFQ's in the way you have been asked (remember, you always have a choice). Responding with information does nothing more than make you look and sound like everyone else and has you losing control of your information asset! Your zeal to respond quickly and demonstrate your capabilities ends up costing you a lot of money!

Let's start by responding to these requests with one of our own... a "filter" if you will. Let's start by responding with an "RFM", or "request for meeting". Rather than just sending what you've been asked for "call to request a meeting". Anyone truly interested in doing business with you should also be willing to spend some time with you. Anyone who will not take the time to meet with you clearly identifies themselves as someone who feels you are not worth their time, which I would suggest means they are not really a good opportunity for you. This simple tool (followed up by other tactics and filters that we will discuss in future posts) will quickly help you "filter" real interest and opportunity from "smoke screen, time waster, column fodder and price check".

Action Step: Stop responding to those RFP's, RFQ's and RFI's with what you have been asked for but instead respond with an "RFM". You'll quickly know where you stand and will save your valuable time and information!

"...what makes you better?"

Sales people are frequently confronted by this question on sales calls, along with some others like "why should I buy from you/your company?" or "what makes you different?". In fact, as identified in a previous post, they have probably spent a lot of time at "Product Knowledge U" learning exactly how to answer these questions. In reality, answering questions like these usually end up putting you on the defensive and will not give you the advantage you are hoping for.

Think about it for a minute... if you answer that question you immediately sound like all of the sales people that have come before you, as well as those who will follow you. By answering the question you create "sameness" and a belief in the mind of the prospect that you are just like everyone else. You must also consider that everything you say will be considered as "sales fodder" and is often listened to with skepticism and from an "oh sure" perspective.

Obviously, there are many different situations in which this questions can be asked. Are they currently buying this product from someone else. Is this a product they have bought in the past, or is it a product they have never bought? Knowing which situation you are in will help you determine how best to proceed. Rather than answer the question, you might want to say "I'd be happy to tell you but I'm curious, is this a product that you have used in the past or are currently buying?". Their answer will be a valuable piece of information from which we can plan our next question.

If they are currently using or have had past experience, it would make a lot more sense to find out what they have used in the past. If they are looking to make a change "what would they like to see different?"  This is a questions that would get us information that would begin to form our offer, or identify that we don't have what they want. Remember too, if they are not buying or have not used before, giving away your information can now become a shopping list that will allow them to compare you to the competition and "commoditize" your offer.

Not always, but often times the best answer to a question is another question. By not answering the question but rather asking:

       "Was there something that you were hoping would be better?", or

       "if we could offer something different or better what were you hoping for?"

With these questions you end up with the chance of finding out exactly what they are looking for and can craft your response based on the feedback you get.

It takes some courage and emotional control to respond this way but you'll find it will put you in an entirely different light with your prospect. Stop answering "what makes you better" and you'll get better information that will help you make more sales!

For more of John's commentary go to www.johnhirth.com.

"Cold Calling Doesn't work..." (or does it!)

I was talking with a business owner (prospect) about how challenging it has been in their market to get new business. I asked if his sales team was making any cold calls and he responded by saying "cold calling is a waste of time, it's unproductive activity and doesn't work in our business"..."what we really need are more leads"..."my sales people are professional and an expensive resource so I don't want them wasting their time on cold calls"!

I've learned that arguing with someone about an "opinion" is equally unproductive, as well as not representative of our selling model. I wanted to suggest that I had a different opinion and that he had been sold a "bill of goods" by either lazy (lead dependent) sales people or a Marketing department looking for a bigger Marketing/Advertising budget (job security and better lunches from vendors!)

I had a prospect in front of me with "motive and pain" (opportunity) and wanted to argue, but quickly remembered what I teach and went into my "consultant mode". Rather than "argue and tell my opinion(sell)" I needed to ask questions or make "ground zero statements" that would allow my prospect to cast doubt on his thesis and essentially get him to "argue with himself".

So I started with:

"That's interesting, you've obviously studied your business and know what works..." (by suggesting I agree with his comments I remove any defensiveness from the situation). You're not alone I have other clients with exactly the same problem (third party reference, removes defensiveness, builds rapport).

"It sounds like your sales people are very busy and use their time wisely... I'm sure every minute of every day is spent on productive activity and they never have any down time" (never is hard to accept).

and got the response:

"Well, I'm not sure I'd go that far and frankly I question how busy some of them really are". "I have a couple of sales people who have low handicaps and expense an awful lot of golf".

and continued with:

"So in a sense, some of what they do is already unproductive..."

"Well of course I suppose that's true..." (movement)

"I would also guess that with all the leads you give them they appreciate what they get and close a high percentage of their opportunities."

"Oh yes..."

"And you have a system in place that can tell you the exact closing % of all those leads..."

"Well, we really don't keep track of every lead so I'm not exactly sure what happens to all of them"(weak sales management and accountability).

"And I'll bet they never complain that the leads aren't any good..."

"Oh, we hear that all the time, they whine a lot that's why I said we need more leads".

(It's amazing, sales people will tell you cold calls don't work and that they need more leads, and then in the same breath tell you that the leads the company provides are of poor quality. Remember "Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross"?)

Well, since you have suggested that they have some unproductive time on their hands (his words not mine), and since they complain about the leads they get anyway, maybe getting more leads is not the answer... maybe the answer is helping them do a better job on the leads they have and put some of that unproductive time into making cold calls.

"But I told you cold calls don't work..."

"Yes, and you didn't want them to waste time, but now you just told me that your sales people have some unproductive time on their hands when they are essentially doing nothing".

"Cold calls don't work well, but they do work! They are a low percentage activity, but need to be part of the equation. I guess you can let your people waste their unproductive time doing nothing, or have them use their unproductive time on an a low percentage activity that will probably work better than doing nothing".

Would you be open to a discussion on how some of our other clients have resolved this issue (third party reference)...

Now, that's the end of the story and you may be asking why I told it. There are two reasons... first, a demonstration of "the art of persuasion". I am faced with this exact situation on a regular basis when I talk with people about cold calls (sales people and company management). My response is well crafted and practiced... something you need to do for the objections you will face in your business.

Second, cold calls work, but are appropriate only after you have done all of the other "high%" prospecting activities that we teach in our program. Most sales people are looking for people like me to tell them that "cold calling doesn't work". Sorry, I won't do that because I know better. You may not like them, you just have to do them. There are unpleasant aspects of every job in life and in sales prospecting is one of them.

Action Step: Next time you are on a sales call (already spent the time and money to get there), think about walking next store and asking for the name of the contact you usually work with. The worst thing that can happen is you will get the name and address of a company you can "nurture market" too. Funny thing... someone may just want to talk with you!

Don't handle objections... get rid of them!

Over the years, handling objections seems to be one of the skills that sales people are most interested in learning. Those tough objections are the bane of our existence and finding the “silver bullet” to deal with all of them would be nirvana! With that problem solved we could close everyone!

The problem with most of the objections that you will get from prospects is they are usually a response to an offer that we have made; in essence we end up creating the objection that keeps us from succeeding! And to resolve the issue we use our best “closing moves” that ends up doing nothing good and irritating the prospect!

Actually, there is a better solution than learning how to handle objections, and that is to learn to sell in a way that keeps you from getting them in the first place! If you look at most objections you will find that they are usually in response to an offer that has been made. For example:

Salesperson—”Mr. /Ms. Prospect, let me tell you all about xyz product line including its wonderful features and benefits” (Offer)

Prospect—“I don’t think I need that, besides we’re pretty comfortable with our existing product and suppliers”. (Objection)...

This is a classic example of creating an objection that did not exist (simplified for explanation). In our zeal to “sell” we have ended up making an offer without first finding out if the offer has any interest for the prospect. Unfortunately, because we’re in such a big rush to “sell”, we didn’t take the time to find out exactly what the prospect would be willing to buy. If you let the prospect define the solution and then deliver what they have created it is much less likely that they will object to the offer.

Start out with some simple questions like:

Are there any problems you are having that you might want some help with?

Is there anything about your current sources of supply that you would like to see improved?

Often, simple questions like these will open a discussion on what they really want. These questions will get the ball rolling and help your prospect identify things that they have an interest in.

In our “Value Translation” and "Competitive Strategies" workshops, we go to great lengths to help eliminate this problem and change the approach of our customers from a “presentation” mode to a “question” mode. Help the customer define a problem and a solution they are looking for. Talk through the best solutions and arrive at an option that will not only solve the customer’s problems but also one that you can deliver.

The best sales people let the customer create the solution and then present it to them. This process, consistent with our selling system, will yield positive results and eliminate the likelihood of getting objections in the first place. Let’s get rid of objections instead of learning how to handle them!

"Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat...!"

2400 years ago (talk about history lessons!), ancient Chinese strategist Sun Zu wrote the book "The Art Of War". In the book, he wrote "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory" and "Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat". We often talk about both strategy and tactics and have always believed there is a link between the two. However, which comes first, and how can we instruct and teach our sales people to connect and leverage both to get the best results we want?

It is not uncommon that we find companies and their sales people engaging in "tactical" (selling skills) sales training without an overall selling strategy (sales process or model) to leverage the skills. An example would be teaching "questioning skills" to uncover customer needs and wants. Good questioning skills is an important selling "tactic" that can uncover valuable information. However, using the information our questions uncover without a good selling "strategy", can be disastrous. We need to include a "strategy" to support the tactics that can help people understand "how and when to use the information once they have it".

Suppose you become a great questioner, your skills uncover information that you believe has high value to your prospect and you build your presentation around the information you have uncovered. Then, you make the presentation, attempt to "close" and discover that your prospect needs to get offers from three other companies before they can make a decision. You've provided them valuable information that they can now use to "compare" offers, or worse, bring the information to your competitors so they can copy or "clone" your ideas! This is one example of how "tactics without strategy" can become the "noise before defeat". You must have an overall "information management strategy" to support your "questioning" tactic to guard against this problem.

If you listen to Sun Zu, you realize that your desire to "sell value and not be the low price provider" is a strategy. However, the "strategy without tactics" (selling techniques to implement the strategy) will enable you to win (sometimes) but by "the slowest route to victory". We meet many companies and sales people that have "strategy", or direction, but have not done a good job of helping their sales teams develop "tactics" to implement the strategy. They may eventually win, but it will take a long time and will require a lot of hit and miss attempts (offers, presentations) that create a low winning percentage and high selling (and emotional) costs. Building, creating and teaching a"value translation" model is the tactical implementation of the strategy and usually the piece that is missing.

Example: If your strategy is to "sell value not low price" then you need to develop tactics that support the strategy. When confronted with the "price question" a tactic to use would be "We're not usually the low price provider, will that be a problem?". If the answer is "no" you may have identified someone who is willing to consider your "strategy". If the answer is "yes, we only buy the low price", you still have options (see post under sales strategy "is it really price?"). You could  leave and save time by not doing "missionary work" (best left to the church!) or develop tactics that will make you good at "re-framing" the price question... like "so does that mean that quality is of no value to you?"

Additionally, if your strategy is to "sell value not price" then part of the strategy would be to call on people in the organizations who benefit more from your value, and not just low price. This would entail develoing "tactics" that would help you call over and above the "purchasing department" who is normally focused on buying for low price. You'll need good "messaging" that will get the interest of those people who really benefit from your value, rather than having them "refer" you back to purchasing.

In upcoming posts I'll try to further expose "strategies without tactics" and "tactics without strategies" and help you put these concepts to work for you. You'll also find some examples in previous posts that can be found in the archives of this blog.

Action Step: Identify your "strategy" and make sure you have "tactics to support it. Identify are you guilty of "tactics" without strategy?

"Be the "hunter"... not the "hunted".

Too often in sales we find ourselves being shot at... "hunted" if you will. We play a defensive game rather than an offensive game. We are reactive rather than proactive and often find ourselves justifying our existence and value. As long as you allow yourself to be "controlled" this way the outcome of your calls will not be what you have hoped for. You need to be in control, manage the "game" and be "the hunter" not the hunted!

The reason this happens is most of us don't do a good job of taking control of the call in the first place (or even recognize that we've lost control!). In our "Sales Mastery" program we go to great lengths and spend a lot of time helping our clients craft what we refer to as "the initial agreement", which is a tool designed to get control of the the call right from the start. It is a well choreographed and "scripted" response to the tough "offensive" challenges your prospects will use.

Sometimes, right off the bat, their responses are challenging and put a lot pf pressure on the sales person. They ask questions like:

               Why should I buy from you or your company?

               What makes you better than ACME brake pads (see the movie "Tommy boy!)?

               You're going to need a low price to be able to get our business!

Right away, if you answer these questions, you are reacting, on the defensive and "taking lead". What's really important here is to understand that "any answer you provide will be a problem", because it forces you into the "hunted" or defensive mode. You need to not answer but "reflect" the question to  take control and become the "hunter". You need to gain the upper hand and assume an offensive position. What you need to "hunt" for is information from the prospect that will allow you to determine "are they really a good prospect that could benefit from what you have and be worth your time"?

This concept can easily consume three hours in a training session, so let me give one example of how you create an advantage for yourself. since so many of our clients are pressured on price let's take the low price issue first:

             "You're going to need a low price to be able to get our business!"

First, this is a "statement" and does not require an answer (sales people have a bad habit of answering unasked questions!). Second, justifying why buying on price is a bad idea just "offends" the prospect. Or saying "we never lose on price" clearly demonstrates that you are willing to negotiate price. These responses keep you in the "hunted" role.

A better response that would put you in the "hunter" role and might provide valuable information that could help you know how or what to sell might be something like:

"It sounds like low price is important to you, can you tell me why?"

Immediately, without arguing or forcing them to assume a defensive position we have acknowledged the value of the statement but have then asked a question that starts our "hunt" for information.

Another way of "switching" to offense on a question about low price might be:

"Most of the time, when people are concerned about price they are trying to find ways to reduce their expenses or control costs. There might be some other ways that we could help you control your costs or make you more efficient, could we discuss those issues as well".

Same outcome, we switch from "hunted" to "hunter". We change the focus of the conversation from "us" to "them" and immediately put ourselves in an offensive role rather than a defensive role. Learning this skill will require thought and work but will pay dividends and help you not only be more successful but also a lot less frustrated in your selling career. It's a lot more fun to "hunt" than it is to be "hunted"!

Action Item: Make a list of all of the questions or statements that you get on sales calls that tend to make you lose control. Create strategies around those questions that help you "reflect" or "re-frame" the conversation to your advantage. Practice, practice, practice.