--- title: Solving the Wrong Problem and Subtracting Value | The Sales Blog description: The chain restaurant specializing in ribs in my neighborhood was struggling. Their business wasn’t doing well, the quality of experience started to decline, and the restaurant started to look shabby. In an attempt to increase the restaurant’s poor profitability, the owner switched to a new meat supplier. This meat supplier was cheaper, and that lower […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_107611046.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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Their business wasn’t doing well, the quality of experience started to decline, and the restaurant started to look shabby. In an attempt to increase the restaurant’s poor [profitability](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/09/01/some-thoughts-on-pricing-power/), the owner switched to a new meat supplier. This meat supplier was [cheaper](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/02/06/its-easy-to-cut-costs/), and that lower price point meant that there would be more profit. But the meat was inferior. It was of very poor quality. First, there was very little meat to speak of. Worse, the bones were thin and translucent. I only know what happened here because the manager told me the story—before the restaurant closed forever. By changing the meat supplier in an attempt to control costs, the owner made a bad experience worse. #### Solving the Wrong Problem The owner tried to solve the wrong problem. He believed his restaurant was struggling to make a profit because their [costs](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/10/13/on-spending-and-cutting-spending/) were too high. The answer to that challenge was to lower his costs. But this wasn’t the problem. The real problem was that he was creating too little value. If you aren’t making enough money, cutting costs isn’t the answer (unless you are profligate). By cutting costs and lessening the experience, you only exacerbate your problems. The right way to grow your business and your profits is to create more value. The greater the value you create, the more attractive is your offer to your customers and prospects. ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2013](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2013) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on December 18, 2013 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2022-06-16T3:23:39 PM", "datePublished" : "2013-12-18 22:12:59", "description" : "The chain restaurant specializing in ribs in my neighborhood was struggling. Their business wasn’t doing well, the quality of experience started to decline, and the restaurant started to look shabby. 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