Increasing margins for
Why you should avoid selling to price buyers
They’re transactional, short-term thinkers not interested in building a relationship
They negotiate aggressively and undermine your value
They’ll jump ship the moment a cheaper option appears
It’s difficult to grow or expand the account over time
Common Roles that exhibit price buyer behavior:
Procurement, Finance, Supply Chain
💡 Solution: Identify price buyers early—and navigate toward roles who care about outcomes, not just cost.
Move beyond transactions – Vendor-level relationships are limited and transactional. To grow, sales teams must bring problem-solving insights, ROI-driven innovation, and financial impact to the table.
Ask these 3 essential questions to evolve the relationship:
What’s your customer’s current perception of your role?
What barriers exist that are preventing deeper engagement?
What actions can you take to move toward preferred or trusted advisor status?
Prioritize accuracy, compliance, and performance. They are highly analytical, detail-driven, and laser-focused on whether your solution meets strict specifications and standards.
They’re not swayed by hype—they want facts, metrics, and proof.
What sales professionals should know:
Expect longer sales cycles and in-depth evaluations
Be prepared for detailed questions and formal communication
Build trust by providing clear documentation, case studies, and technical proof
Understand what KPIs or compliance standards they’re accountable for
Operational buyers are focused on execution, efficiency, and output. Their #1 concern is: "Will this solution keep us moving forward—faster, better, and more reliably?”
They prioritize streamlined processes, productivity gains, and on-time delivery.
What sales professionals should know:
Be prepared to show proof statements, efficiency metrics, and documented results
Emphasize ease of integration, reliability, and after-sale service
Speak their language: time savings, workflow impact, and execution reliability
They want a partner who understands their operational pressures—and can help remove friction from the system
Value Buyers
They see suppliers not as vendors—but as strategic allies. They care about the big picture: profitability, long-term growth, and how your solution supports their business objectives.
They evaluate solutions through the lens of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI)—not just price.
What Sales Professionals Should Know
Value buyers are looking for trusted business partners, not product-pitchers
Expect open, frequent communication—especially if you bring new ideas that drive business results
Speak in terms of financial impact, risk reduction, and long-term value
Be ready to justify your solution with quantifiable data, TCO framing, and a clear ROI story
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