In 1989, the American space shuttle Challenger exploded just minutes after lift-off, plunging the entire world into shock and dismay. America, which had made its aerospace technology a standard-bearer and showcase of its economic model, was faced with doubt.
Commissions of inquiry were set up to identify the causes of this tragedy. The culprit was identified as a rubber o-ring that had failed to withstand the temperature reached by one of the shuttle's engines. This insignificant part set off a chain reaction that led to the destruction of the shuttle, wiping out the work of thousands of engineers and the pride of a nation.
This is the o-ring syndrome. The detail that no one thinks about, the grain of sand that can bring down an entire enterprise.
The seller justifies his price
It's up to the seller, when he has to justify his price - even though his product only differs from the competition's in a few seemingly insignificant details, yet is more expensive - to emphasize the importance of these details, and to point out the disadvantages of neglecting them. To this end, he'll be able to tell the story of the o-ring.
Example: furniture salesman.
The customer: "I saw exactly the same china cabinet in a mail-order catalog, but much cheaper!"
The salesman: "I'm delighted to hear you say that, because it gives me the opportunity to tell you an anecdote that happened eight months ago to one of my good customers, Mme Bonard. She had bought a china cabinet, through VPS, for almost €200 less than the one we were offering. She thought she was getting a good deal, since this model was the same as ours, according to her. But a fortnight ago, her son, rollerblading, ran into the china cabinet and smashed one of the doors. She wrote to the company that had sold her the china cabinet to find out how to replace the damaged door, but they didn't provide after-sales service. So she contacted a carpenter who gave her a quote of €250, not including the cost of staining the wood... And that's where the problem comes in, because it's virtually impossible to re-stain the same thing. In the end, Mrs. Bonard's attempt to make a good deal turned out to be a bad one, and her china cabinet now has a different door from the rest of the piece. And who do you think Mrs. Bonard turned to three days ago to buy a low sideboard and a kitchen table? To us, of course! For us, after-sales service and the follow-up of our ranges, customer satisfaction, means something, and it's built into our price... We could do without it, but that's not our company philosophy. That's why we prefer to be a little more expensive, but to keep you as our customer for good. "As the saying goes, "Price is forgotten, quality remains".
Excerpt from : " Les accélérateurs de vente - Techniques et secrets pour vendre plus, plus vite, plus cher " - Michaël AGUILAR and Philippe LAFAIX - 2005