How often have you heard the quote about the importance of “comparing apples to apples”?
As if an apple were something static and objective.
The reality is quite different.
Ask any greengrocer: the last apple in the fruit display is a hard sell.
Or, if you’re offered an apple by a colleague, but with the addition, “I found it on the bus this morning,” would you eat it?
The same goes for your products and services.
They are not what they are.
They are what your customers perceive them to be.
So, what is the sales perspective in this reasoning?
Context is king: Your offer changes drastically depending on the context.
The salesperson’s job is not just to sell the product or service, but also to create the right context and setting.
The story is often more important than the function: People love to listen to the story of how your product or service solves their problems, improves their lives, or gives them status.
No matter how good your product or service is, if the customer perceives it as bad, it is bad.
Conclusion: value is not an objective truth. It’s a subjective experience.
That’s why an apple isn’t always an apple.
Here you can read more about how to change your customers perception of your product or service.
