I do B2B selling and I sell an item made of steel so shipping has become quite an issue for some of my smaller retailer’s. I am not sure how to approach this product and make it into some type of selling point. – A Reader of Selling Tips from The Sales Hunter
The issue of shipping needs to be shifted to a benefit of time. If you’re selling steel, then it means it’s probably being used in a construction project. If this is the case then the customer has to realize what the value is of getting the steel shipped to the construction site on time. The risk of not getting it on time is significant as it could mean the construction process gets delayed and if so then the completion date could also get moved back. Let your mind begin to run on this but if the site is in a cold-weather climate, then the failure of completing on time could mean up to a six month delay. If the site is a retail store that expects to be open for the Christmas season, then even a slight delay could be significant.
The key to shipping is to get the customer to equate shipping to time. Simply ask them a question such as: “What happens if you miss your completion date by a week?” Or, “How many people are working on your jobsite?” You get the idea, once the person begins thinking of the pain then the shipping issue becomes a very easy one to solve. A little thought I always keep in the back of my mind is “it’s a lot easier to get more money than it is to get more time.”
