Consultative selling approach-Problem solver

Selling process starts where one gets into action of personal interaction with the leads for finding out the qualified leads or prospects and converting them into Sales or business.

Most of the sales people start pushing their products or services as soon as they get the leads , which should not be done. Every customers are different, having different goals, needs & constraints. Without analysing those parameters ,it will not solve problems of customers and hence they will not be interested into your products or services ,it doesn’t matter how good your products or services are .

So the first step in selling is to try to understand the requirements, goals and constraints of your customers before pitching the offerings as products or services. When the above parameters are sorted out through gentle questioning about these things from customers, one should pitch those products or services from one’s product basket which are problem solving to the customers .

When one’s offering is based on customer analysis , one is tuning very close to the goal or the final negotiation of win-win situation creation . So instead of pushing products or services to customers, try to understand , evaluate and add value or provide solution to your customers problems .This process of customer analysis with problem solving attitude and pitching the right products or services as the solution to customer’s problem thereby creating win-win situation is called as Consultative selling approach in Sales or Business.

It is different from conventional selling in the way that it is more like a pull activity with personal interaction and is compelling like Marketing .On the other hand conventional selling is a push activity where one goes into the process of convincing and negotiation for generating sales. The one who follows the consultative selling approach for generating sales is naturally desirable to customers or the target audiences and is the foundation of healthy relationship for sales, business and growth .

So instead of bargaining on price , talk  more about the goal your customers want to achieve because that’s where you can position yourself with the right products or services as the solution and create win-win situation for the growth.

Always remember generating sales without selling is called Marketing. Consultative selling is a kind of Marketing with personal interaction where customers get pulled towards the offerings thereby closing sales.

Thus Consultative selling is all about being the problem solver to your customers. The first and foremost thing in consultative selling is one’s attitude to help customers or target audiences achieve their goal with one’s products or services as the solution.

It is the helping , problem solving and caring attitude which comes in primarily position in sales , knowledge of products & services takes the secondary position.

Always remember “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Seek first to understand then to be understood is the secret to connect with your customers or audiences for sales , business , growth and success.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Narendra Kishore Mishra