Professional Selling Skills Training: "29 Sales Territory Questions"

Are you trying to create or further establish a sales territory? The information found in Mark’s article, “29 Sales Territory Questions”, is designed to help you implement an effective sales development program. These powerful questions are based on consultative selling principles. Follow the link below to access this important information as found on our website.

"29 Sales Territory Questions"

Consultative Selling Tip: Know your Customer's Customer

Consultative selling is all about knowing how your customer is going to use your product or service and, more importantly, helping them identify previously unknown areas of need they may have. Now, it seems simple, but something get lost in the translation in many companies. This week, I saw that the global giant Unilever is getting out of the household cleaning category in the US (All, Wisk, etc.) by selling off their brands. What I found amazing was an article in Advertising Age talking about how their CEO and other top people had not been in a laundry room in years. It's unbelievable how the top people of a major company could not find the time to know how their customer's really use their product.

With this fact in mind, I guess it shouldn't be surprising that they're selling this business. The key lesson: Make sure you take the time to really know how your customer and your customer's customers use your product or service.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is More Than Networking

Consultative Selling is all about dealing with customers. Sales Development is having an on-going process to build your sales volume. Neither of these definitions say anything about networking with your friends in the business. Recently, I've seen several situations where very competent, experienced sales people have had trouble closing sales. The reason for their slump is because of who they're calling on. Veteran sales people often wind up in trouble because of the amount of time they spend talking to their friends in the industry, believing that if they just stay in contact with these people, their numbers will take off. This big mistake is one of the primary reasons why seasoned veterans often finish their careers on a sour note. My advice: stay in touch with the people you know, but, at the end of each week, ask yourself how many new people you've talked with and have been able to add to your prospect list.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Questions and Consultative Selling

There are so many varied definitions of "consultative selling" that have surfaced over the past several years that it makes me sick.

My definition? Consultative selling is asking questions that allow the customer to reveal their true needs, thus allowing you to work with them to help develop a solution that goes beyond solving their basic needs / pain to, ultimately, achieving a higher level of success or satisfaction. It begins with the questions you ask and the quality of the listening you do. It concludes with you delivering what will exceed the expectations of the consumer, regardless of what you initially expected.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling is Like a PBJ

I'd like to elaborate on my belief that Consultative selling is like a PB & J sandwich. Keep in mind that the PB & J stand for Perception, Belief, and Justification. The customer you're selling to will always develop a perception of you based on what you're saying and how you're saying it. This perception if often formed from things you would never expect. From their perception, they then determine their belief. This is where the customer takes great leaps of faith for reasons beyond anything you might have said or implied. It is not only very difficult to modify, but nearly impossible to correct. Their belief is then used to justify their decision whether or not to buy from you. It is scary to consider that the customer not only bases their decision, but also your livelihood on their shallow perceptions. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens each and every time you're out making a sales call. Remember, think PB & J: Perception becomes Belief which becomes Justifciation.

Professional Selling Skills Training: Consultative Selling and Negotiating

Consultative selling often involves negotiating and one of the common skills that both consultative selling and negotiating require is ensuring that you're providing a level of self-confidence to the person you're speaking with. This may sound a little counter-intuitive, but your ability to allow the other person to feel confident in their position will allow you to more quickly reach a successful outcome. To help them feel more self-assured, use their first name when you speak to them. Additionally, compliment them on their comments and use their remarks to shape your responses.

Professional Selling Skills Training: What is Consultative Selling?

Consultative selling is all about developing a solution for the customer that is beyond what they normally would have been thinking about doing. It is not just listening to the customer to find out what they need, nor is it recanting to the customer what they say they need. Consultative selling is all about asking questions and getting the customer to open up in a manner that allows you to put the pieces together and find a solution that not only benefits the customer, but brings value to them.
The best way to determine if you're practicing consultative selling is to ask yourself this simple question: Is the solution I'm providing my customers beyond the scope of what they would have determined as the best one if I was not working with them?