Some people think that offering discounts is the best way to try to encourage a prospect to buy. And it’s true that some of your prospects may be buying purely on price, so they’ll probably sit up and take notice if you dangle the carrot of a discount in front of their noses.

Trouble is, this will set a precedent for any future dealings you have with these prospects, as they’ll be expecting a discount whenever they buy from you again. And you know it can be difficult to start saying “no” when you’ve previously said “yes”. Being quick to offer discounts also undermines the quality brand you should be striving to create for your company.

Now, you and I both live in the real world and we both know that sometimes you have no choice but to offer a discount in order to secure a sale, especially if you’re competing with another firm to get your prospect’s business. But I’ve proved time and time again that it is possible to quote a higher price than your competitor and still win the business.

How can you do this? By adding extra value to the deal you’re offering your prospect. A great example of this is the way Enterprise Car Rental uses a fantastic unique selling point to help them stand out from other hire car firms. As part of your car rental package they’ll pick you up from your house and drive you to your local Enterprise car hire outlet. Now that is great service!

Consequently, it’s no surprise that in a national study of car rental companies they’ve been voted number one in customer satisfaction seven times. Now this really shows just how powerful adding value can be. It may only cost them a few pounds to include this extra service as part of their car rental package, but the perceived value of this service to their customers is worth much, much more.

Remember, adding value to your sales proposition doesn’t have to cost your company very much, it’s the perceived value to your prospects and customers that matters.

Ask yourself these questions:

• “What can we offer our prospects and customers that will add genuine value to the product/service we provide?”
  
  
• “What can we include in our sales proposition that will make us stand out from our competitors, so we can even charge more than they do and still win the business?”

So don’t wait for your prospect to ask for a discount before they buy from you. Instead, think about the extra things you can include that will help to build the value of your sales proposition so much, that it’s a no-brainer for them to place the order as soon as you send them your proposal.

Most companies simply don’t make any effort to add value to their sales proposition. If you devote some time to come up with ways that you can add genuine value to the product or service you provide, you will reap some serious rewards.