Research by Learning International revealed that the top three reasons people buy have nothing to do with price and relate directly to the quality of a sales force. Here are the top three reasons customers buy:

- Business expertise and image

- Dedication to the customer

- Account sensitivity and guidance

And yet, you still have clients who tell your salespeople, "Your prices are too high." Clients give us price objections, because they have trouble articulating the real reasons they aren't buying. Very few clients tell you , "You are an inept, insensitive person dedicated only to selling to me to make a commission and are unwilling to offer me any expertise or guidance." Instead, they let you down easy with, "Your rates are too high." The truth might be too painful.

You want to behave in a way that research shows the client wants you to behave. Prepare for a call by looking into the client's history that you are calling on to demonstrate client sensitivity and to offer better guidance. Here are five things to do now to help you build business expertise and image, dedication to the customer, account sensitivity and guidance.

- Do homework on important calls. (If a call isn't important, why are you making it?)

- Discuss a particular problem in a sales meeting and get creative strategy for the problem.

- Ask, "What am I going to present to them? What am I going to recommend that they do?"

- Examine your proposals for client focus vs. company focus. Are you presenting solutions or selling your company?

- Focus on how the client can sell more of his or her inventory instead of how you can sell more of yours. The harder you work to sell your clients' products and services, the easier it is to sell your company to them.

Clients want expertise and help. If you aren't providing that, then you can be sure that clients will demand the lowest price. Training yourself to behave like clients want you to behave is the profitable choice.