Customers develop buying rituals, like working with a specific rep or receiving a customary discount, that provide a sense of control. When a salesperson imposes a more 'efficient' process, the customer feels the pain of losing control, a feeling twice as powerful as the pleasure of any potential gain.
Don't just sell logical features. Frame your solution as the tool that allows the customer to achieve their own psychological victory. Help them build an internal business case that makes them look brilliant, positioning them as the savvy decision-maker who found the perfect, high-value solution for their company.
JCPenney's shift to 'fair and square' pricing failed because it eliminated the customer's feeling of victory. Consumers aren't purely rational; they crave the emotional rush of finding a deal. Removing the psychological anchor of a higher original price made the new, lower price feel emotionally sterile and without value.