Consultative Selling is About Hunting Marlin Not Fishing Trout

The entire basis of consultative selling revolves around solving clients' problems so they come back to the seller. Hence, the seller becomes the client's expert and reliable source. "We need x again, oh call Bob or Sally, they take care of it." It's that simple. It's that simple if done correctly and worked on.

Through the proper questions during the initial sales contact phase, the disciplined consultative seller can decipher whether this company or individual will become a partner of sorts and form a mutually beneficial, lucrative relationship or whether will they be a one hit wonder.

The average sales professionals take the quick buck and, after 10 years of not getting to where they want to be, either remain unhappy or adapt a sales approach that is relationship based. At first, the change is somewhat scary to the sales professional, but they become used to the listening, the questions and the scaling of the temptation to close a quick deal that will truly go nowhere. This aspect of consultative selling always intercrosses with integrity.

The true consultative sales professional knows that their time is valuable and is willing to forego a company that is ready to write a check, but they know they cannot fully help and that the ROI is not worth the work. Too many sales people, mainly due to poor technique and a lack of integrity lick their lips at any potentially inked contract and, thus kill any possible long-term relationship with another client who is more important.

Consultative Selling is About Collaboration

The sales people who truly implement consultative selling don't work against the client. Instead, they collaborate with the client. Phrases such as, "Please, tell me your thoughts on what I'm about to say," leave the conversation open to discussion and, when this happens, initial concerns such as price seemingly go out the window. Consultative selling gets the potential buyer talking. Once they begin talking, the seller can begin problem solving.

About a week ago, I was shopping for some winter clothing and had a budget in mind upon walking in the department store. To help me study the buying tendencies from a 3rd person (as 3rd as I can get), every time I buy a product or service, I analyze why I did so. In this case, the sales representative came up to me, actually asked me what I wanted and, because I didn't know, he had some recommendations for me, but always got my input.

It was not until the third item was picked up by him in order to put aside to buy that I even looked at a price tag. It was the best extra few hundred dollars I've ever spent. Moreover, because it's hard to try on dress shirts in a department store, upon getting home, not only did he address my other needs, every shirt fit perfectly.

Consultative Selling is About Building Trust

As a sales person, you can never hit the $200,000+ mark if you don't build trust with your clients. The true consultative seller makes the buyer feel comfortable and understands that nobody wants to be or feel sold. In all actuality, the hardest part for a sales person, upon selling into a big company, is that most of the employees are afraid of being wrong, thus don't want to sign the contract.

Although, all true leaders accept accountability, most people quiver at the mere thought of making a wrong move. Therefore, through the aforementioned questions and techniques, the consultative seller builds the trust necessary to close the deal and maintain a mutually beneficial, lucrative relationship.