The Rule of 3

As consumers, we're almost always focused on one of three characteristics in our buying decisions: Quality, Time, or Price. Its rare when we can find an instance that all three of these are equally catered to.

When I moved to Atlanta and was looking to purchase a house, I sacrificed a bit on price to get into a house in the timeframe I wanted. When I last bought a car, my purchasing paradigm completely shifted. I wasn't in a rush so I took my time shopping and ultimately got the price I wanted. In both cases one of the three took precedence (Home: Time | Car: Price). It didn't mean I didn't care about quality when I bought my car, or didn't car at all about price when I bought my house, but I was willing to sacrifice more on the other two at varying levels.

Discovering which is most important for yourself can definitely help when you're making a purchase. But the real lesson here is that helping determine which is of the three is most important to a customer can revolutionize your relationship with them. This can be a challenge, as a lot of times people will say one is most important (usually price) but reveal that something else entirely is important when they have to pick and choose between the three. Look at their actions more than you listen to what they say, and focus your efforts accordingly. It'll help you guide them toward the best decision and position yourself as a problem-solver.