The Lock & Flank Strategy
The Compass
The Efficiency Sales Trap
The Reality in One Statistic
90% of B2B salespeople sell an efficiency value proposition.
“My offering is faster, better, cheaper.”
But that is an exposure:
It is only one of six possible value types.
It is the weakest of all values to the buyer.
It is a common cause of lost or deferred deals.
They pair this with a Direct strategy that pushes directly for a close.
But the Direct or push is just one of nine possible B2B sales strategies.
This narrow combination traps you in zero-sum price wars, a binary-era game with winners and losers, while ignoring the wider strategic plays available to those who know how to use them.
The Price War Scenario
Your top prospect says: “Your competitor is 30% cheaper.”
Most salespeople respond the same way — offer a discount, push harder for the close, and try to “win” on price.
This is the efficiency trap in action.
Competing on price is a zero-sum game. There are winners and losers. This is how companies competed in the binary computing era, when the primary levers were speed, cost, and feature comparison.
Today, closing business requires expanding your discovery process to uncover additional points of value. It also means bridging to additional contacts and expanding your sales strategies beyond the direct or push strategy. This is how you shift from a binary win/lose battle to a win-win outcome.
Why the 90% Approach Fails
The Efficiency Trap (Tactical Approach)
Value Proposition: Relies on efficiency (“faster, better, cheaper”), making price the primary differentiator.
Primary Strategy: Uses a direct or push approach, creating a head-to-head contest.
Outcome: A zero-sum price war where the cheaper vendor usually wins and margins erode.
The Strategic Alternative
Value Proposition: Expands to higher-value outcomes like risk mitigation or strategic growth.
Primary Strategy: Deploys advanced strategies and bridges to more stakeholders to reframe the conversation.
Outcome: A win-win partnership where your solution is seen as a strategic necessity.
The Strategic Alternative
Breaking free from the efficiency sales trap starts with expanding both your value proposition and your strategy options.
Move beyond efficiency — uncover higher-value outcomes such as risk mitigation, strategic growth, or intrinsic value.
Bridge to additional contacts — broaden and deepen alignment across functions and at multiple levels.
Expand your B2B sales strategies — use the full range of deal strategies available, not just the direct or push approach, as part of a broader B2B sales strategy.
This shift changes the game. You are no longer competing in a binary win/lose price battle. You are creating a win-win outcome where your solution is seen as a strategic necessity, not just a cheaper or faster alternative.
Example – Lock and Flank Strategy
When your buyer says: “Your competition is cheaper,” most sellers either defend their price, start discounting, or challenge the buyer’s fixation on price directly.
The lock and flank strategy takes a different path. You do not engage in a head-on argument about price and you do not try to reframe the conversation on the spot as the Challenger approach would.
Step 1 – Lock
Confirm the price points. Give the impression you are considering matching or playing the price game. This locks your competitor into staying in the pricing battle and keeps their focus fixed there.
Step 2 – Flank
While the competitor is locked in place, you:
Go deeper in discovery to uncover other value types such as risk mitigation, strategic growth, or intrinsic value.
Bridge to additional contacts to broaden and deepen alignment.
Deploy other deal strategies beyond direct or push to find a better path to a win as part of a broader B2B sales strategy.
Result: You shift the battleground entirely. Instead of fighting a zero-sum price war or debating the buyer’s focus on cost, you create a new path to a win-win outcome the competitor never anticipated.
Measurable Advantage
Shifting from the efficiency trap to a broader value and strategy approach delivers clear, measurable gains:
Higher win rates — positioning on risk mitigation, strategic growth, or intrinsic value makes price a secondary factor.
Premium pricing — buyers will pay more when the solution addresses critical strategic outcomes.
Forecast accuracy — broader and deeper alignment creates stronger commitment across the organization.
This is how you move from competing in the narrowest lane of B2B sales strategy to winning in a field most sellers never see.
Bottom Line
The efficiency sales trap is where 90% of B2B sellers operate — weakest value type, single deal strategy, and constant price pressure.
Closing business at a premium requires expanding value, bridging to more stakeholders, and using the full range of deal strategies.
Price wars are a relic of the binary era. Strategy creates win-win outcomes and positions you to win deals others lose.
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I train sales professionals, business leaders, and their AI agents on Sales and Deal strategies using the Compass AI Sales Strategy system. This training acts as a force multiplier, empowering you and your AI agents to work in alignment to win business and exceed your number in competitive environments. Feel free to reach out if I can help you with strategy. It will have a significant impact. Learn more at www.northstar8.com
This was written while listening to Shane Smith & the Saints.