Don’t discard price-obsessed prospects, learn how to handle them

Transportation and freight forwarding companies know that price is sometimes the factor that determines whether a customer is going to hire us or not. The amount to be paid is, of course, the focal point of any quoting proposal and the first thing the client looks at when he begins to deal with us. It is true that keeping our prices at a low and competitive level can help us win many new deals. But it is also true that some customers tend to pay much more attention to the price than others. It is important to know how to handle this class of customers and when it is best to withdraw.

Don’t fall into the “expensive” category

Sometimes it happens that some of our services have a more expensive price than those of the competition. At such times it may be more advisable not to enter the competition for the customer. It may be better to reserve our efforts and focus on other areas or to promote other services for which we do offer competitive prices. Also, in this way we avoid falling into the category of “expensive”, which could damage our image in a longer period of time. It can be difficult to change the opinion of a new contact and potential clients once they have become accustomed to cataloging us in a certain way.

Add value to your quoting proposals

However, there is another situation that is repeated much more frequently. Most times our competitors will offer a quite similar price to ours for the same service. But it could also be lower. If we know that the customer will only look at the cost when choosing between one company and another, we must focus on the added value we offer. We must give the client more compelling reasons to hire us, even if our cost is higher.

How can we convince a potential customer of our added value? To begin, we must be fast and efficient in our quoting process. In some situations, receiving a quote before another tilts the balance in our favor. We must also offer a professional approach and solution tailored to their needs to justify the highest price. In the same way, we can show a transparent and modern quotation system, with which the client understands where his money is spent and what benefits they will get. Finally, it is very important to maintain communication with the customer and be accessible at all times. This is a key point to anticipate the competition and also to offer a professional and efficient image of our company.

Sometimes a lower price opens the door to a long-lasting relationship

Lowering the prices of some services may seem counterproductive, and that there is  less profit margin with such projects. But what we must think is that these lower prices open us the possibility of contacting new customers. As soon as we offer our service to these clients, they will be satisfied and convinced of our value and professionalism. In this way, these new customers will be more likely to re-hire our company, and will no longer worry about a strict price. They will come to us for our good work, pleasant treatment and unbeatable service.