Consultative Selling Helps to Close Deals Faster and Win More Business

Imagine a situation, wherein you want to buy a shirt and you go to a shop. You ask the salesperson to show you the shirts. So, the salesperson shows you all the variety of shirts that she has in the shop and asks you which one would you like to buy. Upon seeing so much of variety, you keep thinking about which one to choose. The salesperson also watches you doing that but keeps quiet. Slowly you start losing the interest in that shop. A thought crosses your mind that though there is a lot of variety in the shop, it is confusing. So, you leave the shop and go to another shop which is nearby. Once you enter that shop the salesperson extends a warm welcome and asks how she could help you.

Once you tell her that you were looking for shirts, she asks you about the required size, colour, style etc. After hearing your specifications, she shows you a few shirts that match your specifications. Upon seeing those shirts, you could easily choose one that matches your requirement and pick that to buy.

Have you experienced this situation before? Actually, we all come across such situations once in a while whenever we want to buy something from the market. The second salesperson in the above situation was in a way adopting the Consultative Selling approach. It is a method of selling in which the salesperson sells the product or service, after discussing thoroughly with the customer. She never tries to push her offer and makes the buyer feel comfortable in the buying process.

Consultative Selling is an investigative approach. The salesperson asks the buyer many questions to unearth the exact needs of the buyer. The questions are framed in such a way that the customer starts thinking and deciding what exactly she needs.

An American author and a salesperson named Mack Hanan introduced the concept of Consultative Selling in 1970s. Initially the concept drew a lot of opposition. However, later it revolutionised the selling approach. It actually changed the image of the seller from being merely an information giver and buyer being an information taker.

From the product focussed selling, it shifted the paradigm. The salespeople started finding that rather than pushing the products that they have if they sell what the customer was actually looking for they could sell better and more. Nowadays, we see that many salespersons, rather than giving their boring sales pitch, they try and offer the customers what they want.

Consultative selling is a sales approach that prioritizes relationships and open dialogue to identify and provide solutions to a customer’s needs.

Consultative selling techniques are rooted in the selflessness of the salesperson. It’s not about proving that your product or service is the best, it’s about finding the solution that’s right for the customer.

Like every effective method, Consultative Selling also has its own framework. It mainly has six steps:

1.????Prepare: The salesperson should plan and prepare for the meeting the client. A thorough planning and preparation help to have productive meetings, increase salesperson’s credibility and ultimately improves the success rate.

2.????Connect: When the meeting starts, it is very crucial to open the dialogue effectively. It not only helps build trust but also sets the tone of the meeting. No doubt, a good opening builds salesperson’s credibility.

3.????Understand: Next comes the process of understanding the need of the customer. This is achieved by asking a lot of relevant questions. The salesperson should ask the questions in such a manner that the customer should engage in the dialogue openly and willingly.

4.????Recommend: After listening to the customer’s needs, it’s time for the salesperson to recommend the solution. She should position the solution in a clear, concise and compelling manner.

5.????Commit: Once the recommendation stage is over, the salesperson should try and close in such a fashion that the customer commits.

6.????Act: Many times, the salespersons do not follow up enough after the sales call. It is essential to keep in touch with the customer. It improves credibility as well as it separates you from the competition.

To adopt the Consultative Selling approach, the salesperson should develop some habits. Without practising those habits, the outcome might not be the same as expected.

• First and foremost, the salesperson should always use her curiosity. As we tend to grow older, we don’t remain curious enough. Curiosity, asking relevant questions and a strong urge to know the customer’s requirements helps in a long term.
• Next comes Active Listening. There is a wide different between just hearing and listening. Listening is intentional whereas hearing is casual. Listening practice helps the salesperson to understand the exact requirements of the customer.
• Researching about the customer’s Industry, market and her own internal needs matters. The salesperson should try and understand what the customer is thinking, what are his fears, doubts and pain points.
• Every customer is different, every situation is different and that’s the beauty of Sales. The salesperson should understand this well. Based on the customer and the buying situation, the salesperson should interact with the customer.
• The salesperson should first add the value and then expect the positive action from the customer. If the salesperson focusses only on the deal, product or service, it is a no gainer. First give and then take. Even if the salesperson doesn’t have a solution to the customer’s problems, she should show the guts to recommend another solution to help the customer.

Consultative Selling offers its own benefits. It improves revenue as it helps the salesperson to close more deals profitably. It reduces the overall sales cycle because the salesperson offers exactly what the customer wants. So, there is no waste of time or chance of sales cycle becoming lengthy. The third most important benefit is that the salesperson gets a competitive advantage. If the salesperson is using the Consultative Selling approach, she creates a certain image in the customer’s mind. Hence, when the time comes to buy actually, the first name that comes to customer’s mind is of the salesperson who is using the Consultative Selling approach.

As mentioned in this video, the buyer always looks for a friend, guide whenever she wants to buy something. She looks for a person whom she could trust, who has authority and who has clarity of thoughts. If a salesperson decides to use this approach she not only would become the buyer’s friend and guide but would have that coveted win-win deal.