Hurt Point
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Identification
Good salespeople do not negotiate price, they focus on the personal or business issue and aim to remove that stress. Good sales people need to know what the buyer views as preventing them from reaching their goals. It is not the salesperson’s job to tell the person what they want, but to explain how they can make the person’s circumstances better. When well done, it is practically magical. How is this information gleaned? Maybe by third-party research, but most often we simply ask.
Example
An example of using the Hurt Point tactic is when a sales person for a communications network says, “so, tell me what keeps you up at night about your telecom network.” This provides the substance to focus on the problem and its solution. They may then hit the nail on the head, or else try to put a square peg in a round hole if they are selling something that does not quite fit.
Solution
If you as a buyer are confronted with this deal tactic, redirect to focus on the issue you want: “Well your solution fits, but your offered price keeps me up at night, I can’t afford that lump sum…” A creative sales person will then come up with financing options in this example.