A favourite post here from Seth Godin - discussing why some prospects respond to our offers by saying "I can't afford it". It brings to mind the definition of the word "value" that we use during our consulting work:
When the prospect says they can't afford it, what they probably mean is that - in their specific situation - the benefits we are proposing don't sufficiently outweigh the sacrifices we are asking them to make (ie cost, hassle, interrupting them by cold calling them, making them travel to visit our retail store, keeping them waiting etc).
It's a useful concept. Value is "relative" - the prospect can only measure the value we offer COMPARED TO other offers (or indeed doing nothing). Value also has to be "relevant" - as a buyer I might be prepared to sit through the account review sessions you "force" me to have - others may well not see what they get out of it compared to the time you want them to put in.
Measuring "customer perceived value" is fast outstripping "satisfaction" as the best predictor of potential future purchase.
There's lots of good articles on Customer Perceived Value - here's a high level overview - drop me a line if you'd like something more in-depth.
Can you suggest any other reasons why your prospects might "fib" and say they can't afford your offerings?
