Consultative Selling

Kenneth Brown

September 18, 2008

In consultative sales, the sale is made on the first appointment. You may not get the check in hand, but you will be further down the road to closing the deal than most sales people.

Consultation sales can be defined as a process by which the sales person establishes a relationship with the prospective client and uncovers the goals, needs, issues and challenges first before offering a sales solution. Most companies that utilize the consultative sales process offer services instead of products. Most use consultative selling to sell an intangible service.

But this type of selling can be used to sell tangible products more successfully. By avoiding the impulse to "pitch" a product or service to make the sale, you place the needs of the prospect ahead the sales person. The goal of consultative selling is to establish rapport, build high level of trust and credibility and collect information that can be used to develop a winning customized solution. This results in the client realizing that the sales person is interested and wants to solve the business problems of the client. Consequently, the salesperson is seen as a knowledgeable advisor and not just a salesman.

"The sale is made on the first appointment."

When I first heard this statement from my boss, I was a first-year financial planner with IDS-American Express. I didn't believe it then, but I believe it now. I thought that nobody could make a decision with just one appointment. Impossible. Who in their right mind can decide anything within such a short time frame? People need more information; more time. They need to talk to at least three other companies before deciding with whom to do business. They need to discuss it with their wife, husband, brother, sister, son, daughter, father or mother, right?

I was wrong.

The first appointment - if done correctly - can make the sale. Only the best can do it. If the appointment is executed successfully, the salesman has not wasted his time or the opportunity. If successful, the prospect becomes a client. If the appointment is done incorrectly, the person is still a prospect or suspect and might never become a client. Good luck if you ever connect with this person again. Most times, you only get one chance to convert a suspect or a prospect. They may never become your client.

The first appointment is critical to the success in sales. The choice is yours. Are you going to hit the ball out of the park or strike out? Are you going to produce a sale and make money or reflect on another "lost opportunity" and wonder what went wrong?

There are best practices and principles for completing a great first appointment.

Place the client's goals and needs ahead of your own.

With the first appointment, it's never about you; it's about your prospect. Recently, I asked a sales candidate for a client company to conduct a role play with me. The task was to conduct a first call interview. Surprisingly, the promising candidate talked about his company, its history, the products and services and its successes. He spoke for at least fifteen minutes.

He did not ask me a single question.

If you do not ask any questions, how do you know if your product or service is the right fit for them? How do you know if your product or service has value, if you do not ask her what she is looking for?

Unfortunately, it was a predictable outcome. Most sales people - young and old - do the same thing. New and experienced sales people exhibit the same behavior. Not surprisingly, most people are interested in their own well being. They are concerned about their own welfare and what's in it for them. It's human nature.

The sales person is out to make the sale. Sometimes, the prospect needs and wants are secondary to the process. Most people will agree that you must understand a prospect's goals, wants and needs before you try to sell them. However, what people say and what they do is different.

The sales experience should be a positive one.

The goal is to learn about the prospective client's objectives, needs, challenges, issues and buying criteria. The sales person should share interesting facts and information. It should be about self-discovery for the prospect. The whole conversation should focus on how the particular product or service fits the needs of the future client. It's not about you.

Just as sales people are interested in themselves, so are prospects. They are interested in their own needs and wants. Let prospective clients talk about themselves.

Smart sales people listen - and learn.

Listening can provide you with the necessary information to customize a sales solution that addresses their business problems. More importantly, it shows that you value their opinion.

Here are some suggestions to help you achieve a successful first appointment:

•    The most important person is your prospective client.
•    It is not about your company or the salesman. It is not about you.
•    Listen first and speak last.
•    Encourage your future client to share and talk more than you.
•    Become a resource for your prospective client.
•    Provide helpful information and assistance.
•    Learn about the client's short- and long-term goals.
•    Seek to understand the client's responsibilities and company.
•    Help the client make the right decision.
•    Give them a unique experience that they will never forget.
•    Make the sales process a pleasant experience.
•    Challenge them in a positive manner.
•    Do not be a burden or an obstacle to the decision-making process.
•    Under promise and over deliver.
•    Deliver the unexpected.

Kenneth Darryl Brown is president and CEO of E3C, a profit and business development company that specializes in profit success systems, leadership, sales, communication and technology. Brown shows companies how to maximize their sales and profits by implementing best practices for sales, networking and profitability.

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Consultative Selling

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Kenneth Brown

September 18, 2008