Time to Rethink Value Creation in Sales & Life?
July 22nd, 2012 | 
Author: Value creation is a matter of perception. In sales it is the perception of the buyer while in life it is the individual.
Now some in the sales training coaching industry along with those in sales management believe that salespeople can create value.
Yet if we truly understand human nature and more importantly how the human brain works we know this strategy to increase sales is rooted in a false premise.
Yes, sales people especially the top sales performers can connect the buyer’s value perception to their solutions or what I prefer to call a Buyer’s Value Bridge. And from an outside point of view, it may appear these individuals are indeed in value creation roles and relationships. However in the long run, it is the buyer who determines the value of any solution be it a product or a service.
Albert Einstein wrote “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” The key word here is “of.” Einstein by all accounts was a pretty smart man. I am sure if he believed man could create value he would have not said “of.”
Oscar Wilde also understood value from a different viewpoint when he said “What is a cynic? A man who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Again, this concept of value originated from within the individual.
Thomas Edison wrote “The value of an idea lies in using it.” Again, for something to be used suggests it originates from within the individual.
Consider when sales people to others believe they create value, what may be happening is the placement of ego and the development of an even stronger ego that may lead up to “I know better than you” or even “It’s my way or the highway” attitude.
Each person from his or her own experiences is responsible and accountable for his or her own value creation. If sales people actually created value, we would have far less diversity in the market place and even Adam Smith recognized that issue.
Now this posting may upset some people and create some push back and that is Okay. However, I still believe people buy on value unique to then and this belief is based upon over 40 years in sales and in the marketplace.
Posted in Sales | 
Tags: Adam Smith, creating value, increase sales, sales training coaching, value creation
2 Responses to “Time to Rethink Value Creation in Sales & Life?”
Leave a Reply
Sales leads are like blooming flowers. Nurture them.
Hi Leanne! I absolutely agree with your point here, and I would like to add that as sales pros, we sometimes have to focus our client’s attention back to the value they have by “forgot about” temporarily.
The client’s focus is not always “zooming” on what could genuinely be of service to them. That’s what, I believe, is one of the important things a sales pro mcan do; re-focus the client’s attention to their (the client’s) own values. Granted, this process will serve both the client AND the sales person.
What do you think?
Mazen Alzogbi recently posted..Give Your Client Less Details
Mazen – I agree with the refocus and sometimes the buyer lacks clarity as to what he or she values and this may nurture sales objections. Of course the sales pro does not truly know what the client values until he or she engages in actively listening and leaves all pr4edetermined thoughts at the front doo5.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
Leanne Hoagland-Smith