I was sitting with a customer service representative and listening in on her customer conversations to observe her approach and to look for ways to help her improve her sales numbers. She answered with, “Thank you for calling, this is Mary, how may I help you?”, in a cheerful voice. The caller responded with, “Hi Mary. I was wondering how much your weekly service costs.” Mary was quick to respond with, “$19.95- Is there anything else I can help you with?” The caller said no and that was the end of the call. Mary turned to me and said, “That was easy! I love price shoppers.” I asked her how she knew the caller was shopping around and she said, “Easy- she asked for the price.” What she didn’t realize was that an opportunity to win a new customer had easily slipped through her fingers. Often times a CSR or sales person assumes it’s all about price when the caller simply is using that question to start the conversation. Price may be a factor in the decision making process, but it isn’t the only one. Potential customers will be willing to pay more if the person on the other end of the line is intelligent and helpful, or if they were able to get immediate help versus waiting a long time on hold. What is your bargaining chip? Finding your bargaining chips1) Brainstorm with your sales, customer service and operations teams. All three teams will be able to provide a different perspective. What do you do better than the competition? Do you have an excellent safety record? Do you always have a live person answer? Come up with 3 specific things and their benefits to the customer. Remember, they need to be things that a customer would care about. 2) Once you have established your top 3 bargaining chips, you need to determine if they are valid. Do you profess to always have a live person answer, but during lunch time a customer will reach voice mail? The reality of the customer experience must be tested. 3) Give your bargaining chips a name and some promotion. Create posters, tee-shirts, etc. Example: Customer service-Zero to Sixty. We answer every call within 60 seconds. When you create a buzz internally, it helps the entire team to focus on what makes your company great. 4) CSRs and sales people often times struggle with what wording to use to describe the benefits of your company and your product or service. Enlist a professional to help you with the wording and take time to practice it through role-playing. Simple and catchy wording is easy for your customers and employees to remember. The next time a prospective customer asks for the price, don’t take it so literally. Have a good conversation where you uncover what is important to the potential customer. Listen, don’t assume. Use your bargaining chips to show added value and let the person know you look forward to working together. Price doesn’t need to be the focus.