If you are selling slow and good to someone who wants fast and cheap, you have a problem,. The same is the case if you think they want a high quality product and their standard is so low that any product will do. I've seen instances where efforts at keeping the price affordable are harmful because the prospect wants the bragging rights - bizarre though they may be - which come with a very expensive product or service. Snob appeal can beat content. You can also find cases where a low price makes people worry about quality. Recommendations by a friend can trump expensive advertising. A nudge by a trusted advisor, such as attorney to client, can give you a monopoly. Some people like dealing with a person who is accessible and down-to-earth and others prefer the cool operator in a pin-striped suit. Some want a lot of your time and others just want the decision off of their desk.
A few things to keep in mind: A lot of what we are selling is unseen. What they want is more important than what you want - don't sell rocky-road if they want vanilla - but the choice has to be on the menu. The customer is not always right. As Steve Jobs demonstrated, people may not know that they want a product until they receive it. You are not trying to "get something over" on the other person but are examining how - and if - you can be of service. Your goal is to create and maintain a relationship of mutual trust and mutual benefit.
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