I got the chance to meet Eric Rhoads last week in Austin. Found out he’s a blogger. (as if running two magazines [Radio Ink] and [Pleinair] doesn’t keep him busy enough)
He starts this post with the following paragraph:
Recently, I was in the market for a product. Once the salesperson got me on the phone, this is what I heard: “Mr. Rhoads, this is the best product on the market, light years ahead of our competition. I can get it for you at a really good price right now. In fact, I can take 20 percent off the top.”
The post goes on in minute detail to describe the problems with this salesperson’s approach.
At the end of the story, Eric gives some advice from radio sales guru Dave Gifford, to the effect that you should “Never, Ever Offer Price Before Value Is Established,” and then instructs you to have this phrase tattooed inside your eyelids.