Whether you’re a sales professional, entrepreneur, or other type of business owner, it’s important to understand how to sell effectively. If you don’t know how to sell yourself and your products/services effectively, then your business will suffer—and so will your wallet! To help all of us learn the ins and outs of selling successfully, here are some tips on how to utilize Consultative Selling:
You cannot be everything to everyone.
You can’t be everything to everyone. It’s impossible, and it’s not your job.
You need to focus on what you do best, and then use the other things only as ancillary support for your clients’ success. This means that if you’re a marketing specialist or architect or coder, don’t try to sell them a product from another department—that’s not your area of expertise! Instead, recommend someone else who knows more about X than you do (and make sure they’re also part of the team).
Become an adviser to your clients and identify their needs, rather than presenting everything you have to offer.
Become an adviser to your clients and identify their needs, rather than presenting everything you have to offer. Identify the right solution for each client’s problem, rather than just saying “I have this solution that fits everyone.”
Become a problem solver, not just a salesperson who is looking to sell as many solutions as possible. Help customers solve problems and challenges they are facing in their business, instead of assuming you know exactly what they need or want.
Educate your potential clients on the benefits of what you have to offer, not the features.
When you’re selling a product or service, it’s tempting to focus on the features. After all, they’re what make your offering unique and different from competitors’. And that’s great—but only to a point. Features are important, but they only get you so far in terms of sales: If you really want to make money and build long-term relationships with clients, then you need to focus on the benefits of what you offer instead.
Benefits are what will actually convince potential customers to buy from you over your competitors. It’s important that these benefits align with what’s most relevant for them at this moment in time; otherwise, they’ll just bounce off and move onto another provider who seems more suitable for their needs—which means less revenue for everyone involved (including yourself).
Focus on uncovering “real” problems/needs and then addressing them with your solution.
Identify the real problem.
Real problems are not always obvious—they can be hidden and/or complex, multi-faceted, and emotional. For example, they might be an organizational issue that needs to be addressed at multiple levels within the organization; or they may include additional factors outside of your control (such as competition).
Close deals faster by gaining a thorough understanding of the customer’s buying process and organization.
A consultative sale closes faster, but it also helps you get the most out of your customer relationship. With a deeper understanding of the buyer’s buying process and organization, you can make better recommendations that will help them achieve their business goals. The better positioned you are to advise your customers on how they can grow their business, the more likely they are to buy from you again—and recommend others do so as well.
Sellers who utilize Consultative Selling win because they position themselves as thought-leaders, uncover client needs, and close deals faster than the competition
Consultative Selling is about helping customers make decisions that are right for them.
The focus is on the customer, not the seller.
It’s all about uncovering client needs and helping clients find solutions that fit their unique situation.
My wrap-up!
To summarize, the key to successful consultative selling is to focus on asking questions and listening to your customers. In this way, you can uncover their needs and address them with your product or service. While there are many things that make up consultative selling, these three tips above should be at the top of your list when planning out how you want to approach each client or customer.
Q: What are your favorite tips on how to sell yourself and your products/services effectively?
Q: How do you find out the clients needs so you can help them make a good decision?