After all, what is consultative selling? Understand now!
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 8:32 am
Have you ever heard of consultative selling? It is a process that focuses on the experience of a potential customer during interactions with the salesperson . It is up to the consultant to find ways to demonstrate to the lead the real value of your product or service, that is, to create the sales process with the consumer in mind.
The goal of consultative selling is clear: to align expectations, create a closer relationship with the customer and build a relationship. When executed correctly, a consultative approach provides important information about the consumer's desires, which makes it easier for the salesperson to guide them to the next stages of the sale.
In this post, we will understand what consultative selling is, its methods and benefits. Check it out!
What are the differences between traditional selling and consultative selling?
To help you better understand what consultative whatsapp usage in usa selling is, let's draw a comparison with traditional selling. As we said in the introduction, in consultative selling, there is much greater interaction between the customer and the salesperson compared to traditional selling.
Traditional sales focus exclusively on conversion, i.e., it is a more objective and direct relationship between the parties. In this type of sale, the seller is merely an intermediary, who will not change anything in the buyer's concept regarding the benefits of the product. Control of the process is in the hands of the buyer.
Consultative selling focuses on the customer experience, which puts the salesperson in a position that goes far beyond simple conversion or the need to meet targets. The focus is on ensuring that the customer can make the most of all the features of a product or service.
When the salesperson is able to help the customer understand their real needs, even those they didn't know they had, and focuses their efforts on meeting them, they become a customer consultant.
What characteristics does a consultative salesperson need to have?
A consultative salesperson must be a highly qualified professional with general knowledge and knowledge of the product they are selling. They must always be aware of new developments, seeking detailed information, and have a feeling for understanding people's needs. Another important factor is the ability to engage in dialogue, to obtain information from customers about their needs.
Why should I invest in consultative selling?
Although many people still see value in objective sales, focused on conversion, consultative sales, with their more inclusive characteristics, present a series of benefits, the highlights of which are:
increase in the average ticket, as the customer will be willing to pay a little more for the quality of service;
increase in the product mix — in the quantity of different items or bundled sales;
customer loyalty — who starts to see your company as a partner and not as an intermediary.
What are the steps to making a good consultative sale?
Migrating from a traditional sales model to consultative selling is not an easy task. Creating a predefined roadmap can help during this transition period until there is a true change in organizational culture. See below a step-by-step guide to achieving this goal.
Make a plan
First, find out who your target audience is and define your ideal customer persona. Then, it's time to define your competitive strategy, which could be low cost, niche, differentiation, etc. Only after this definition can the salesperson make the value proposition, whether in B2B or B2C, after all, we are always dealing with people.
To do this, the professional must prepare in advance, researching the market in which the lead operates and the main demands of their company. The salesperson must be prepared to be a leader with decision-makers and stakeholders, knowing how to identify them.
Prepare the approach model
This is the stage in which the sales consultant must present a value proposition to the lead, making clear the benefits and advantages that will meet both demands. At this point, it is important for the salesperson to establish a relationship of trust with the lead, showing that they are focused on much more than conversion and truly want to help the lead solve their problems.
Conduct a customer needs assessment
To identify needs in more depth, the salesperson must ask the customer pertinent questions and, based on the answers, show how their service or product can optimize the productivity of those who purchase them.
Make a presentation and negotiation
When we talk about consultative sales, the important thing is not what you sell, but how you sell it. It is at this stage that the salesperson will make the commercial proposal and begin the negotiation. A high-level negotiation is based on elements such as:
deliver a proposal that meets the lead’s needs;
present solutions to demands that arise during negotiations;
show what’s in your solution that the competition can’t deliver;
use legitimacy criteria;
be clear in communication;
maintain a close relationship with the lead;
make a commitment to carry out what was agreed.
Close the sale
After the negotiation, it is time to close the sale, and follow-up is the key element in this phase. The salesperson still has the chance to add even more value to their business by integrating other products into the final sale, always focusing on improving the customer experience and solving their problems.
To do this, you need to have a feeling to identify the signals that the lead gives during the process. In addition, this stage involves a large set of requirements that are part of the formalization of the sale, such as the payment method , term, price and preparation of the contract. It is at this stage that the lead becomes a customer.
Focus on after-sales
While in traditional sales the salesperson ends the process at the time of conversion, in consultative post-sales the salesperson works on customer loyalty . At this stage, the delivery or implementation process is monitored, complaints are managed, maintenance and support are provided, etc. The relationship with the customer is maintained, so that they will return to do business with the company and promote it spontaneously.
As we have seen, consultative selling is a methodology that brings the salesperson closer to the customer, acting as a partner and not as an intermediary. Intelidata positions itself as a partner to its customers, which are small and medium-sized companies, and offers all the resources for its customers and resellers to be able to offer consultative selling based on data and delivering the best product.
The goal of consultative selling is clear: to align expectations, create a closer relationship with the customer and build a relationship. When executed correctly, a consultative approach provides important information about the consumer's desires, which makes it easier for the salesperson to guide them to the next stages of the sale.
In this post, we will understand what consultative selling is, its methods and benefits. Check it out!
What are the differences between traditional selling and consultative selling?
To help you better understand what consultative whatsapp usage in usa selling is, let's draw a comparison with traditional selling. As we said in the introduction, in consultative selling, there is much greater interaction between the customer and the salesperson compared to traditional selling.
Traditional sales focus exclusively on conversion, i.e., it is a more objective and direct relationship between the parties. In this type of sale, the seller is merely an intermediary, who will not change anything in the buyer's concept regarding the benefits of the product. Control of the process is in the hands of the buyer.
Consultative selling focuses on the customer experience, which puts the salesperson in a position that goes far beyond simple conversion or the need to meet targets. The focus is on ensuring that the customer can make the most of all the features of a product or service.
When the salesperson is able to help the customer understand their real needs, even those they didn't know they had, and focuses their efforts on meeting them, they become a customer consultant.
What characteristics does a consultative salesperson need to have?
A consultative salesperson must be a highly qualified professional with general knowledge and knowledge of the product they are selling. They must always be aware of new developments, seeking detailed information, and have a feeling for understanding people's needs. Another important factor is the ability to engage in dialogue, to obtain information from customers about their needs.
Why should I invest in consultative selling?
Although many people still see value in objective sales, focused on conversion, consultative sales, with their more inclusive characteristics, present a series of benefits, the highlights of which are:
increase in the average ticket, as the customer will be willing to pay a little more for the quality of service;
increase in the product mix — in the quantity of different items or bundled sales;
customer loyalty — who starts to see your company as a partner and not as an intermediary.
What are the steps to making a good consultative sale?
Migrating from a traditional sales model to consultative selling is not an easy task. Creating a predefined roadmap can help during this transition period until there is a true change in organizational culture. See below a step-by-step guide to achieving this goal.
Make a plan
First, find out who your target audience is and define your ideal customer persona. Then, it's time to define your competitive strategy, which could be low cost, niche, differentiation, etc. Only after this definition can the salesperson make the value proposition, whether in B2B or B2C, after all, we are always dealing with people.
To do this, the professional must prepare in advance, researching the market in which the lead operates and the main demands of their company. The salesperson must be prepared to be a leader with decision-makers and stakeholders, knowing how to identify them.
Prepare the approach model
This is the stage in which the sales consultant must present a value proposition to the lead, making clear the benefits and advantages that will meet both demands. At this point, it is important for the salesperson to establish a relationship of trust with the lead, showing that they are focused on much more than conversion and truly want to help the lead solve their problems.
Conduct a customer needs assessment
To identify needs in more depth, the salesperson must ask the customer pertinent questions and, based on the answers, show how their service or product can optimize the productivity of those who purchase them.
Make a presentation and negotiation
When we talk about consultative sales, the important thing is not what you sell, but how you sell it. It is at this stage that the salesperson will make the commercial proposal and begin the negotiation. A high-level negotiation is based on elements such as:
deliver a proposal that meets the lead’s needs;
present solutions to demands that arise during negotiations;
show what’s in your solution that the competition can’t deliver;
use legitimacy criteria;
be clear in communication;
maintain a close relationship with the lead;
make a commitment to carry out what was agreed.
Close the sale
After the negotiation, it is time to close the sale, and follow-up is the key element in this phase. The salesperson still has the chance to add even more value to their business by integrating other products into the final sale, always focusing on improving the customer experience and solving their problems.
To do this, you need to have a feeling to identify the signals that the lead gives during the process. In addition, this stage involves a large set of requirements that are part of the formalization of the sale, such as the payment method , term, price and preparation of the contract. It is at this stage that the lead becomes a customer.
Focus on after-sales
While in traditional sales the salesperson ends the process at the time of conversion, in consultative post-sales the salesperson works on customer loyalty . At this stage, the delivery or implementation process is monitored, complaints are managed, maintenance and support are provided, etc. The relationship with the customer is maintained, so that they will return to do business with the company and promote it spontaneously.
As we have seen, consultative selling is a methodology that brings the salesperson closer to the customer, acting as a partner and not as an intermediary. Intelidata positions itself as a partner to its customers, which are small and medium-sized companies, and offers all the resources for its customers and resellers to be able to offer consultative selling based on data and delivering the best product.