Sometimes salespeople whine. And like all wines (whines), some are fine, but most are common. Below are the FINEST SALES WHINES. Most of them are vintage. And they’re all worth a fortune — if you can get rid of them.

Pick out your favorites. Pick the ones that apply to you. Then slap yourself in the face as you realize you had the answer all along.

1. I got beat on price (again). That would be your fault. The customer perceived no difference between you and the competition and no value beyond the product, therefore “price” was all that mattered.

2. The prospect went with someone else at a higher price. Proof that lowest price doesn’t matter. Value and relationship will win the order AND the profit.

3. I had to bid through a purchasing agent. You were too chicken, or unprepared, to meet with the boss (who, by the way, tells the purchasing agent what to do).

4. The buyer won’t decide. You have not created enough of a value proposition to interest the customer enough to act TODAY.

5. I can’t create a sense of urgency. Whose fault is that? Talk to the customer about lost profit and greater productivity INSTEAD of offering to cut your price.

6. My product is becoming a commodity. What are you selling? Pigs? Oil? Corn? Those are commodities, Sparky. Your product has value, and it’s up to you to prove it. Besides, your customer didn’t tell you that your product was a commodity; you told yourself so many times you actually believe it.

7. The competition is beating us by lowering its price. Whenever you get beat on price, it means you were perceived as the same, and price was all that mattered.

8. The competition stole one of our big accounts. That’s because it can. Whenever you lose customers to a lower price, it means you were vulnerable to lose them. Find the REAL REASON before you start losing more of them.

9. The prospect won’t give me an appointment. You haven’t established enough rapport OR interest to earn one. You’re begging or selling. Try engaging and gaining interest with questions about them.

10. The customer lied to me. Usually the lie is about money, or it’s pitting you against a competitor, or both. If you are CERTAIN, you know it to be true. Confront them with a question, NOT an accusation.

11. I can’t get to the decision maker. That’s because you started your encounter too low. If you find out the decision maker is NOT the person you’re talking to, immediately request a meeting with all three parties and learn the lesson for the next prospect you want to sell.

12. The customer or prospect wouldn’t return my call. Why? Because you gave them no reason to, that’s why. You were just calling to see if the money was ready, and disguised it as a courtesy call. Give them a solid reason and they’ll call you.

13. Our sales cycle is too long. That’s because you’re dealing with influencers, not decision makers. CEOs decide in two minutes. There’s a clue.

14. My company doesn’t support my sales effort. Meet with your CEO and ask for his or her assistance. If you don’t get the meeting or the assistance, find another job.

15. Company policies fight the sales effort. Just make more sales; don’t worry about policies or politics. If the situation is unbearable or untenable, find another job.

16. My company cut my earnings or cut my commissions. Find another job. They’ll keep cutting.

17. My company cut my territory. Find another job. They’ll keep cutting it.

18. My company made my biggest account a house account. Find another job. They’ll keep doing it.

19. My company can’t deliver on time. Meet with the CEO to resolve it, NOT production or shipping.

19.5. Quit your whining. I just gave you the real-world answers to 19 whines. They basically boil down to this strategy: if you spent as much time selling as you do whining, you’d be a millionaire.

Got a sales whine I missed? E-mail me at salesmoves@gitomer.com. Great whines will be answered personally and appear in my e-zine, “Sales Caffeine.”