What do we mean by a consultative approach?
When you hear the word "salesman", it usually brings to mind someone that is pushy and will not take no for an answer. If you stated you were in sales with a prospective client, it would likely turn him off. Yet, all businesses rely on their sales force to bring dollars into the firm. It is the sales force that makes the company run as there would be no inflow of cash without them. So how do you attack such an image problem? Actually the answer lies in the approach that you take when networking. Your job, even though it may be sales, is to act as a consultant and try to find the perfect fit for the client. This approach is called consultative selling and it works very well for anyone that tries it.
I worked with a company that relied exclusively on the consultative approach; they had actually made the switch in order to fill seats in their very large training facility. The company was a major supplier of telephone services, and although people wanted to take the courses, they found them too expensive. This was mainly due to the approach they used. When they switched to a consultative role, they found that the number of people attending and paying for their training increased by 30 % or more. They no longer sold seats, they sold a concept that included training and follow-up to ensure what they taught was actually being implemented.
This leads back to the idea of pricing your services based on value rather than an hourly rate. The follow-up portion of this method is actually the key to its success. The follow-up needs to be planned and time needs to be spent caring for the customer. It is not something you throw in to make the sale.
You will need to record any discussions on how the follow-up process will work for you. A planned set of dates should be written down on your power page and then entered into your CRM software for milestone triggering. If you promise anything to the customer, write it down, put it in your calendar, and follow-through with your promises. Nothing turns clients off more than being ignored.
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com
When selling a product to a customer, it is very... Read More
Three year old Kara was throwing a tantrum. She didn't... Read More
1. Determine your current situation. How are you currently positioned... Read More
Better than offline promotion such as press releases, talks, or... Read More
A study done by the Association of Sales Executives revealed... Read More
"Selling worth doing is worth doing badly ? at first!"... Read More
In studies conducted by Motivational Systems of West Orange, New... Read More
There's loads of material about making money available on the... Read More
Today's business environment is intrinsically tied together by ongoing information... Read More
In my business, it has been an interesting and very... Read More
It makes no difference if you are a Saleswomen, a... Read More
In our culture it is basically un-American for a prospective... Read More
Imagine you've just thrown a rock into a pond. SPLASH!... Read More
You are about to speak to a potential client, go... Read More
1. Multiply your marketing and advertising efforts on the Internet.... Read More
A myth can best be described as somebody or something... Read More
Maybe everything you need to know you can learn from... Read More
Language is one of the most important tools you have... Read More
One of the interesting things about being a coach and... Read More
From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals... Read More
I love the art of selling. LOVE IT. When I... Read More
Did you ever meet someone with whom you just clicked?... Read More
If you've been in sales for any length of time,... Read More
Many business owners and professionals are appalled at the thought... Read More
Yesterday I did a sales training program for a great... Read More
To listen to your customer is important, and to hear... Read More
What exactly is the sales profession? Without a common dialogue... Read More
It's a common question we come across everyday: why is... Read More
As Financial Services Sales Professional you need to build trust... Read More
The following 7 sales skills are what I have found... Read More
When I broke into sales in 1986, I read several... Read More
Just because your business is based in your home that... Read More
Sales resistance is a fact of life for most sales... Read More
Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would... Read More
When sales are down, a salesperson must begin to take... Read More
What does it take to make a sale lately?In Sales,... Read More
The reason why you have a job in sales is... Read More
As a trainer, you will be able to see a... Read More
If you've driven yourself crazy trying to figure out why... Read More
In my business, it has been an interesting and very... Read More
Emotion and reason mix very well together to make excellent... Read More
In the last article, we looked at three emotions (besides... Read More
I have found that there are two best ways to... Read More
One of the biggest problems for many business owners is... Read More
Many sellers like to describe themselves as professionals, but what... Read More
"I need more clients!" wails Steve, a 32 year old... Read More
I was looking at some promotional literature and web sites... Read More
Sooner or later, we all backslide into old ways of... Read More
These are the top 7 safety tips that criminals don't... Read More
How many times have you had a customer say to... Read More
Facilitating the buying process can be very straightforward and fairly... Read More
Almost all Internet Marketers have a basic idea of what... Read More
Increase your sales-in five minutes. This article is the third... Read More
PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST.... Read More
Know where to focus. Not everyone evaluates product solutions with... Read More
Here are three proven ways that will increase your sales:1.... Read More
1) QUICK FOLLOW-UPSWhen you make your first sale, follow-up with... Read More
Several weeks ago I asked my Newsletter subscribers to send... Read More
Do you invite your prospective customers to ask questions ...or... Read More
The art of effective question asking (qualifying) determines the effectiveness... Read More
It is one thing to make a sales presentation, but... Read More
Does this sound familiar? With high expectations, you sent your... Read More
Having excellent persuasion skills is one of the most important... Read More
Developing an abundant supply of targeted referrals is the number... Read More
A lot of energy is expended within selling organizations as... Read More
We all have something in our past we believe someone... Read More
Sales Training |