What is Really Behind Consultative Selling?
Thursday Jul 5, 2012 by Frank Belzer - VP of Corporate Training, Kurlan and Associates
The difference between the average salesperson and the great salesperson comes down to what? We could try to select one thing, but chances are that we would fail because great salespeople possess a collection of skills and strengths which help them to succeed where others fail.
One thing we do know is that in this day and age there is a real need for salespeople to be consultative in both their dialogue and thought process. Let’s talk about that second point. I have blogged many times regarding the values of questioning skills and provided some roadmaps which help you develop the right line of questioning with a prospect or client. Is it enough to simply have a list of questions or to memorize some high-gain questions? No, it is not!
Why that fails is because truly consultative sellers are not just good at asking questions. They ask the following questions in these ways and for these reasons:
- Context – Are you able to ask questions and set the context for your client. This will make them more receptive to the question and provide you with a deeper answer. For example, “I know you probably are not expecting me to ask you about _____, but in order to really make sure that I am selecting the right ______ for you, I need to understand _____.” You can ask almost anything and get a better answer if you set the context and tell them why you are asking the question.
- Big Picture – The great salespeople are able to focus on strategy and long-term goals first. It's in this way that they don’t get stuck in the weeds or struggle with long conversations about the details.
- Sincerity – You need to really care about the answers and ask questions from a place of true concern. If you really care about your prospect, then the right questions will tend to come out in the conversation.
- Outcomes and Results – When prospects attempt to get granular with features or minutia, the best salespeople answer by getting the focus back on the results or the outcome that the prospect is hoping to achieve.
These are three simple things that need to be in the background behind any of the “good questions” which we may decide are worth asking or putting on a list.
What would happen if we started thinking about these drivers before a call? What if, as part of our pre-call planning, we started thinking about numbers 2 and 4? What if, in our everyday conversations, we started working on numbers 1 and 3? Could we become a more natural and convincing salesperson? Yes, but more importantly, people would probably enjoy our company more.
The bottom line is that, although we list “Consultative Selling Skills” as a skillset on our evaluations of salespeople, the fact is that the goals of a consultative sales meeting are what define this attribute. Rather than trying to force something, simply put yourself in their shoes. Do your clients or prospects leave a meeting thinking, “That was the best sales meeting I ever had.”, “Those people really care about my business.” or “Why isn’t everyone more like that?”
Frank Belzer is the VP of Corporate Training at Kurlan & Associates. You can find this post, as well as additional content on his blog clocated here.
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