Let’s Talk Consultative Selling....

Let’s talk about a word that salespersons use every day; indeed, we all use it every day.  There’s no question that it can be a modest, if  nonessential, communication aid.  It can also almost magically make important things you’re saying virtually disappear, and can even make you sound insincere and manipulative.  We will tell you what the word is, but….

We can think of at least one situation where borderline obsessive-compulsive behavior can work out well for everybody.  If a salesperson is fanatical about making sure that nearly everything he/she says and does is truly and conspicuously  beneficial to the client, that salesperson’s success is virtually assured, too— even if the “return on investment” isn’t readily apparent at first.  

You can count on this:  in a continuing relationship, avoidance and denial don’t work.  Left untreated, festering wounds usually get worse;  unresolved small problems can “draw interest” until the current “canyon” in the relationship dwarfs the past potholes that precipitated it over time.  Wouldn’t it be better to fill in the potholes as they occur?  Asking for client feedback on your performance starts the healing process.

Arguably, the most important step of all in “consultative selling” involves playing back to the client or prospect what he/she has just finished telling you— pretty much parroting their own words and implications, without adding any value of your own.  Pound for pound, you’ll get more selling leverage this way, than from your presentation skills, objection resolution skills, or closing skills.  The selling step we’re talking about is called the “Review of Needs as Understood,” and here’s why it’s so powerful.  

It goes without saying that, for a salesperson, “making the sale” ranks first in importance and job satisfaction.  What may be surprising is that a salesperson’s work is far from over after the business has been won and handed off to the ongoing manager.  Here are four reasons why it’s crucial that you stay connected— even after you’ve made the sale:

In order to increase the value we offer to our clients, we must first analyze the true nature of the current value relationship.  We can do this with an effective "measuring stick" called the Value Pyramid; its four levels define where we are and where we could be:

A good way to start this new year off right is to analyze and upgrade the effectiveness of your sales team— and a group self-improvement exercise called “Keep/Stop/Start” is a quick, easy and low-risk way of accomplishing this.  It’s a simple process— an idea generation/problem solving meeting in which the team members, themselves, first define the issues affecting the quality of their collaboration, and then develop practical ways to work better together.  Here's how it works.

This holiday season is inevitably a time of gift giving. At its very worst, it can become an obligatory nuisance— a time-consuming, possibly costly chore, often facing the risk that the recipient may not even like your present.  Here’s a foolproof gift idea for your workplace— a gift that’s quick and easy to give, costs absolutely nothing and is guaranteed to be greatly appreciated.  How about just saying “thanks” to your colleagues for the help they’ve given you this year?

 Make no mistake: done correctly, the Sales Process is a Problem Solving Process, but taken to the highest level.  A true understanding of the problem solving/selling connection changes the salesperson's focus— away from "selling our wares" and toward providing genuine solutions to the client's needs.  Let's compare these surprisingly similar processes to see how you can sell more successfully.

All too often, the salesperson's contacts with the client fall into this potentially dangerous rut: every call is either about performing a client-directed task, or it's about a salesperson-initiated project or "pitch" for more business.  What would happen if the salesperson made calls on clients (or even prospects) which had absolutely nothing to do with the product or service he/she offers— as if the salesperson had nothing at all to sell?