Why is it important to distinguish between consultatative selling and selling consultatively?
We would suggest there are at least two reasons. One relates to the just noted language distinction; the other to an important trend in the world of buying. Let’s first look at the language point.
Language. The failure to draw the language distinction becomes important because it can be assumed that a sales model other than the branded one is somehow not as well designed for selling consultatively – and that is clearly not the case. Take, for example, SPIN Selling. The SPIN model for questioning, as well as the other techniques in the program, is fundamental for selling consultatively. We would suggest this is equally true for the best of all the modern day selling models.
In regard to this distinction point, the really important distinction is between all the models that provide help for selling consultatively and those approaches that are mainly about tips, tricks and product pitches. They are not about selling consultatively; they are basically about manipulation.
Buying trends. The second point relates to an important trend in the world of complex sales, and it is the strategic reason for making a big to-do about selling consultatively – customers increasingly value trusted advisors who are subject matter experts and care about them and their business. This means that your sales team will need to be able to sell consultatively at a very high level of competency to meet customer demands and differentiate you in the marketplace.
In other words, you have to be very good at the following:
Consultative Selling Skills. Today, customers have changed dramatically in regard to their expectations of the role of the salesperson. They are not looking for a product facilitator. They want a trusted advisor who can help bring fresh ideas for redefining their business challenges and new insight for formulating innovative solutions. You have to be able to position the value of your solutions and company for being a business partner helping to solve business challenges. This requires competency in at least three consultative selling skill domains:
Fundamental consultative selling skills. These are the competencies that are addressed in those aforementioned programs. They are based on great questioning and active listening skills – the ability to determine fit between the customer’s decision specifications and preferences and your capabilities and emerging skills like working effectively and efficiently as a member of an expert-based team and being able to leverage the new technologies for designing and delivering value-based customer interactions
Second-level product knowledge. First-order product knowledge is all about features and functions. The second order refers to the application of product knowledge to the customer’s business challenges. How do your products individually or collectively solve the problems likely to be encountered by your customer base? How do they impact productivity, risk, expense and revenue? Can you relate a customer story or describe the research that demonstrates your product does what you say it does? And can you fine-tune these narratives based on whether you are talking with a Marketing Manager or Engineer or Chief Information Officer?
Customer knowledge. Today, customers expect salespeople to know more about their company and industry than ever before. They expect salespeople to provide new ideas, imagination, and insights into manufacturing products more quickly, improving product quality, shortening order times, or improving the customer service experience.
Additional Consultative skills. Selling consultatively requires more than selling skills; it requires consulting skills. Here is a short list for the second set of skills:
Subject-matter expertise. If you are selling enterprise software, then you have to understand the technology and applications in order to bring the expertise required to help the customer solve their business challenges.
Business acumen. Being able to integrate a business and economic perspective into customer interactions.
Adaptive thinking. Coming up with creative and innovative solutions that are not rule-based.
Computational thinking. Being able to translate vast amounts of data into useful information.
Transdisciplinary competency. Knowing how to integrate knowledge and concepts across disciplines and areas of expertise.
So draw the distinction between the term consultative selling and the concept of selling consultatively. While it’s easy to learn tips and tricks, it’s extremely difficult to learn to sell consultatively.