Can Your Sales Team Ride a Bike?
The Consultative Approach to Selling
How does it all fit?
The Handlebars: You can’t ride a bike without the frame.
It is the core of the bike. Without it no other parts of the bike matter. Sales and service conversations also have a frame. These core elements of the conversation include professionalism, rapport building,. They form the backbone of the relationship.
Frame: The backbone of Pedal/ Chain: The
pedals and chain propel the bike forward. In consultative sales the conversation is driven by job knowledge and agent empowerment
Rear Wheel: Bikes need 2 wheels.
There is no way around that unless you want a unicycle. In a sales or service environment I relate the original purchase trigger (need/want) of the customer to this part of the bike. You need to identify the purchase trigger through open ended questioning. Once obtained the sales rep must use this purchase trigger to foster value in the product or service.
the consultative approach is the balance between customer and company. You must be customer centric yet focused on corporate goals.
Front Wheel: This is obviously essential
for the bike. The “front wheel” is also critical to sales and service. This wheel represents client objections. For a truly effective sales presentation or service offering a rep MUST seek out the client objections and address them DIRECTLY. Effective reps will be able to address objections while simultaneously building product or service value.
Frame = Customer / Company Balance Customer Centricity:
Consultative sales are focused on highlighting the value of your product or service and aligning those benefits to your customer’s expressed needs. All communications should be focused on the what the customer wants and needs. Proper positioning is critical. As an example: If you are selling a language course you may say “Based on what you have told me, I can tell you this course should be an excellent fit for you. You mentioned you spend most of your day going to sales appointments. Well, this course is designed to completed using 30-minute lessons. Just one per day. Just imagine you are heading home from your last appointment and now you are learning Spanish”
Company Centricity:
Let’s face it, you are in business to make money. You must remain focused on making sales, yet protecting the long-term interest of the company. Remain focused on customer needs but also remain equally focused on corporate interests. Don’t devalue product, don’t over-promise, don’t slash margins. As an example: If a customer is looking for a price break which significantly reduces the value of your service you may say “I can surely appreciate budgetary constraints you must work with. In this case the solution we have discussed can simply not be offered within that budgets. What I can do rework my proposal to ensure you receive the critical features of the service yet do not find yourself paying for the additional bells and whistles you had hoped to obtain. You may not have the perfect solution, but you will have a great solution nonetheless.
Handlebars = Rapport Building Just as you can not ride a bike without using the handlebars to steer, you cannot effectively steer a service or sales call toward success without rapport building The concept behind rapport building is very simple. If the client feels connected to a rep on a personal level he is more likely to communicate openly and honestly. Rapport fosters trust and leads to extended relationships.
Whether you are a sales or service rep you will enter every customer interaction with a goal in mind. In order to drive the conversation toward your desired results you must turn the customer into a partner in the process.
Clients that feel a “connection” with a rep are more likely to follow presumption, accept advice, and defer to expertise. They are less likely to escalate their frustrations, withhold valuable information, or reject suggestions.
Pedals = Knowledge & Empowerment Product/Service Knowledge:
Successful consultative sales rely on very strong understanding of the product or service being sold. This knowledge must go beyond simple understanding of features. Remember, you can not close a consultative sale without clearly aligning the product benefits with the customer needs. The more you know and understand about the product and the customer need, the more successful you will be. As an example: If you are selling cars you may say “Sure the car has 8 airbags, but what really stands out is the strength of the reinforced doors. In a 25mph side impact crash test the vehicle was able to ……..”
Empowerment:
In order to sell consultatively you must be able to effectively offer the right solutions to each customer or client. This will require a creative mind and a firm dedication to generating satisfaction. If a sales representative is not empowered to execute creative sales plans the consultative sales approach can not achieve maximum impact for the organization or for the customer. As an example: If you are selling storage equipment to a hospital you may say “Our manufacturer does not specifically produce storage equipment for a sterile core unit, however the use of our retail shelving combined with the anti-microbial powder coating will achieve the same outcome. I believe I can offer this solution to you at a similar price to a standard sterile core solution.
The 1st Wheel = The Purchase Trigger Align your offering:
Once you have clearly identified the triggers behind your client’s interest in your products, start aligning your products and services. Discuss the features your product offers that meet the stated needs and desires of your client. As an example: If you are selling a sports car and the customer says he wants a fast car, you may specifically mention the acceleration from 0-60mph or the top speed of the car.
Close the Loop:
You identified the trigger and outlined how your products and services match the client’s stated requirements. Now it’s time to really close the loop. Now you must add an experiential element to the close the loop entirely. As an example: Your customer stated a desire to have a fast car. You already told him/her the car’s acceleration and top speed. At this point you add the experiential element such as “With this car you won’t have to worry about merging into to traffic ahead of that dump truck. You just hit the gas and leave him in your dust.”
Identify the Trigger:
First you must identify the reasons behind the interest in your product or service. Ask openended questions and allow the conversation to flow naturally. By showing genuine interest in the client’s reasons for displaying interest in your products you will be able to identify what the client values in the transaction (or interaction). Once you have the specific reasons behind the purchase or interest in your product you can move onto the next step. As an example: If you are selling cars you may ask “What type of driver are you? What type of driving will you be doing?”
The 2nd Wheel = Client Objections Close the Loop:
Clients want to know you are listening to them. Restate their objection in order to verify you have a solid understanding. If the objection is based on the product features you can approach the topic as you would any other purchase trigger. If it is a price-based issue you can continue working around the 2nd Wheel.
You now have the reason for the client objection. Now the rep needs to very clearly address the concerns. If the issue is price you can discuss the added features that justify the pricing. If you know you have a healthy mark-up and are willing to negotiate price, be prepared to grab your calculator to crunch some numbers.
As an example: Your customer stated he was not enamored with the overall price of your service. You may say: “I want to be sure you and I are on the same page. If I understand correctly, the service meets your needs, however the price of the service is higher than you are prepared to pay. Is that correct?”
As an example: Your customer confirmed the service meets his needs, but the price exceeds his budget. You may say: “We’ve found a solution that meets your needs. Now let’s see what we can do to get this project within your budget. What I can do for you is…”
Restate the Objection:
Identify the Objections:
There are always objections to a sale. The problem is that many sales or service reps are unaware of them because they remain unspoken. The most effective sales and service reps will proactively seek the client objections. Once identified the rep can then effectively address the concerns and close the sale, or solve the client problem. As an example: If a customer is not enthusiastic about continuing to use your services, you might say the following: “Based upon our conversation it sounds as though this service isn’t quite living up to your expectations. May I ask what is specifically troubling to you?”
