On the weekend my wife and I bought a new bed.
And I LOVE being sold to… when I’m in the mood to buy.
We walked into a large-format retailer in Auckland late Saturday.
No intention to purchase.
Just “research”.
- Lie down.
- Close eyes.
- Compare options.
Francis was the salesperson.
When he said,
“This is the one for you. The best. No regrets.”
I asked him my favourite question:
“So this is the bed you sleep on too?”
He smiled.
“No. I sleep on the floor at home. It’s my culture. Very healthy.”
Pause.
So why did I trust him?
Because he didn’t sell me a bed.
He sold me my problems.
- “What’s keeping you awake at night?”
- “Why now?”
- “What matters most in your sleep?”
He diagnosed before he prescribed.
We bought the bed.
- Then the mattress protector.
- Then the fabric care.
- Then delivery.
- Then old bed disposal.
But here’s what fascinated me most:
At every step, he discounted;
- Bed: discount
- Protector: discount
- Chemicals: discount
- Delivery: discount
- Disposal: discount.
It felt like he was giving everything away.
And he didn’t need to.
He had us the moment he understood the problem.
Lesson?
Don’t discount your value once you’ve earned trust.
- If you’ve diagnosed properly…
- If you’ve created clarity…
- If you’ve positioned the outcome…
You don’t need to give away your commission to “make it feel special.”
- Sell the value.
- Sell the dream.
- But protect your price.
Question for sales leaders:
Are your people discounting because they have to…
or because they lack the confidence to hold value?
If any of these are live issues in your team right now, we should talk.
#SalesLeadership #CommercialDiscipline #Negotiation #RevenueGrowth
