Consultative Selling – The hardest and easiest way to sell
Adapted by Michael Griffin from Jeffrey Gitomer blog of the same title
6 minute read
Michael says “There has been a lot of hype from sales training companies on the “hybrid selling.” Let me make it clear, consultative selling skills is still the rock solid foundation of all B2B selling. In fact, myself and ELAvate have been training global salespeople in consultative selling for well over 30 years! My view is the successful B2B consultative salesperson must add a new skill set to his/her consultative selling skills: Mastering technology that accelerates the sales cycle. ELAvate has developed a 2022 upgrade of their “Consultative Selling Skills” workshop that has been fine tuned for the post Covid world to sell/persuade and consult across organizational and ethnic cultures.”
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Let’s now review the great insight by sales guru Gitomer on 16.5 basic elements of consultative selling.
“What do you get when you combine a salesperson with a consultant? The most powerful method of selling.” Jeffrey Gitomer
Don’t fight the title “Salesperson,” “Sales Representative” or Account Executive.” Abandon it. If you’re willing to put forth the effort it takes to be a consultative salesperson, you can move from ordinary to extraordinary.
As an experienced salesperson, you have already developed a personal sales style, and have achieved some degree of selling success. Consultative selling combines your personality, sales skills, and interpersonal skills into a style that makes prospects most likely to buy.
Consultative selling has 5.5 primary components:
Finding and understanding the customer’s needs.
Partnering with the customer making the transition from being a salesperson to becoming a valuable resource/advisor.
Helping customers achieve their business objectives through the use of your product or service.
Belief that your business, product and service are the best.
Belief in yourself, and that you are the best.
5.5 A positive attitude about yourself, your product, and your customer that makes the first five components work to everyone’s benefit.
There are no steps to learn, this is not a technique. Consultative Selling is a style and strategy…as a successful salesperson, you must know the science of selling. This process assumes you have that knowledge. The consultative selling approach will strengthen and enhance your selling technique.
Here are the 16.5 Basic Elements of Consultative Selling according to Jeffrey:
Positive attitude: The first rule of life. An “I can do it” state of mind that is with you all the time. A happiness that makes others want to spend time with you.
The ability to set and meet goals: The true professional is a dedicated, well-disciplined and self-directed professional.
Taking pride in what you do: Pride shows. It has an enthusiasm that attracts people to you and your business.
Being able to accept responsibility: Customers want someone who will take ownership in all transactions. An “I’ll handle it personally” person.
Being able to listen: Your customer wants to tell you what he needs and how to sell him. Just use the right questions and listen to understand.
Confidence in your abilities: Confidence in what you do and who you are breeds confidence to buy what you sell.
Knowledge of your business: A given for any professional in any field.
Knowledge of your customer’s business: A prerequisite for having an intelligent conversation with a prospect, and your best chance to build credibility.
Advance knowledge of your customer: Pre-plan all sales calls. The competitive edge in selling. The more you know about your customer in advance, the better equipped you are to serve and the more impressive you’ll be.
Personal success experiences: Your ability to feel success within yourself and relate success to your customer builds your character.
A strong desire to help others: The second rule of life and business success. The caveat is that you must help without expectation or keeping score.
Excellent communication skills: Speaking, listening, writing. Delivering and receiving a clear message is at the heart of the selling process.
Personal ethics: Hard work, truthfulness, being sincere, and living up to your commitments…every day.
The ability to ask intelligent questions Ask the customer for information that only he or she knows such as their goals and objectives, who their customers are, how they do business, budgets and how they intend to achieve their objectives. Ask questions that set you apart from others.
Being able to understand, relate to and fulfil customers’ needs: Success in sales depends on understanding and service to the customer. He needs to be understood, he wants to be befriended, and he expects to be served. Now.
The ability to establish and maintain long term relationships: The true consultative salesperson will make short term sacrifice for long-term gain…every time.
16.5 Your desire to succeed: One element that binds all the others together…One element that measures success every morning in the mirror…your mirror.
These attributes and skills must be present in any successful consultative sales person. What you do with these skills and how you apply them, is what makes you a valued, trusted resource to your customers and prospects. A consultant.
Thank you Jeffrey for this insightful overview of what makes and positive and successful sales consultant!
Michael J Griffin
CEO and Founder of ELAvate
Certified Gitomer Sales Advisor
Cross Cultural Sales Consultant