Black Sales Journal

In the 5/12 edition of Black Sales Journal, we examined selling styles and how you need some exposure and experience with all of them to be an accomplished sales professional.  I recognized the importance of this subject and our need to examine some of them in a more in deeply.

If you have used the consultative selling style, you recognize that the strength of this method is the collaboration with the client to determine his/her organization’s needs is time well spent.  It is a time of personal interaction and development.  The fruit of this is a listing of the most important needs of the organization, and a pretty good idea of the priority of these items.

This style allows for relationship development (important and essential for Black sales professionals) as well as a demonstration of your product and industry expertise.

Are You A Problem Solver?

Consultative selling is an art.  It is attempted often, yet should be mastered.

My definition of the consultative selling style is as follows:

“A selling style where the sales professional acts in the role of a consultant, first aiding the buyer in identifying his, or his organizations needs, then recommending the products and services that satisfy those needs.”

The most important aspect of the consultative selling style is problem solving.  Being a problem solver is not necessarily natural, but it is logical.  Recognizing the client’s needs and being able to get agreement on them from the client is ‘job one’.

This means that the sales professional who is adept at this form of selling must exercise the personal skills and industry knowledge to get to the root of the problem, then use the knowledge that has been gained to suggest solutions, which include your organizations products that could solve the problem.

Recognize that if you do not do a thorough review of the problems, needs, and desires of the customer, you will not be able to come up with solid courses of action and products to satisfy the problem.

The consultative seller never suggests a product until knowing that this product will satisfy the need of the customer.  In depth questioning is common in this style of selling. Your objective is to be the expert on your customer, your customers needs, and solutions.

What Are You Adding to the Equation?

Buyers look for problem solvers because that level of consultant to their business adds value.  Think about the fact that there may be very few buyers who have the expertise to think through problems when the products and services have the potential to be very complex.

That is where the sales professional who utilizes consultative selling can come in handy.  Helping the customer understand the most important aspects of his own problem, then solve the problems using an array of solutions and products including some of those of the sales professional’s cadre of products.

If you do this, and do it well, you have enormous value to the customer who wants to do something other than that to make money for his/her organization.

A sales professional can sell “what he/she has” to the customer or be a true business consultant and follow the process of recognizing the wants and needs of the customer, then determining the solutions that make sense.

Remember to always add value to the equation by sorting though the issues to find the problems, and then vetting the solutions well before that presentation of issues and what will make them better.  Your value to the customer will be based on your ability to keep the process focused, and produce a sound “best option” outcome.

When is this a Superior Selling Style?

Consultative selling is extremely effective in the following circumstances?

• The product or service that is involved in the sale is complex potentially including several options.
• The frequency of transaction or purchase is very limited. If your product is purchased on an annual basis, it is a candidate for this style.
• The customer cannot afford to make a mistake on the purchase

So using this as a template, it is simple to realize that the most favorable situation to use this selling is for complex, infrequent, large sales.  When the product or service requires the knowledge and counsel of a professional who is up-to-date on the environment, and product nuances, you need to be there to make it happen.

An Example

I once worked with sales professional who worked with a small to medium business niche.  Working with small manufacturers and contractors he developed a keen sense of their needs, and could begin the relationship learning needs and preferences and quickly move into showing how his product would serve the needs that were developed.

He was the business consultant for those who really could not afford one and he did it efficiently.  He had the largest segment of customers available (small to medium) by segment, and was adept at forming deep relationships only with those who had the highest corresponding revenues.

His process worked so well that he was very successful and wealthy.  Perhaps his only significant problem was that it did not give him the opportunity to develop his other styles as well as he could. His success in the segment did not require them, so when he encountered a buyer that needed a “deep” relationship seller he had limited experience in that realm.  This limited his success as he moved to go upstream to larger clients.

Summary

Master all of the sales styles, and use them as necessary.  Remember always, that the consultative sales style can be used with the other styles.

The true sales professional will work to integrate all styles in their sales lexicon.  When they are all used at the right time, they increase the effectiveness and…income.

We welcome any comments.

Will they toast you when they work for you?

You are the consummate sales professional, your numbers are admirable, and you are able to keep step with the best sales professionals in your organization.  Consistent goal attainment pushes you to the top of the heap and will one day could land you in the management job you covet.

This is an admirable position to be in.  Sales management is a challenging and rewarding position that is often a springboard to higher positions as knowing the customer and sales process is obviously important.

Now here is where it really gets interesting.  Your potential advancement is built on a foundation that includes many inputs and variables, of which your sales numbers is just one aspect.  Getting your numbers turns out to be the price of admission to this party.  Many of the other items can involve some sacrifices.

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

We have had many conversations about the relationships with customers gets you the numbers.  It is important, and you need to know how to go as “deep” as possible with those relationships.

The truth is that there are some relationships that you may have which can hold you back if not treated in the right way.  These affiliations could potentially play against you when it is time to take the step upward.

As sales professional, you will undoubtedly have friends in the sales function that you associate with; this is natural, and expected.  Because of your winning personality you may have a large network of friends and associates, many of them competing with you on a day-to-day basis.  You share information, criticisms, and approvals as well as strategize on ways to approach problems with accounts and sales in general

We often address the concerns about perceptions in BSJ.  This is a little different perception issue. Here is one instance where there can be a perception about the relationships you have and your ability to remain objective if you are given that desired promotion.

What is Desired From the New Manager?

Once again, we are working with a perception.  The concerns are centered on a few important questions:

• Can this individual be objective and avoid favoritism?
• How will this look to the whole sales force?
• Can I trust this individual to manage and develop my sales talent?
• Will this choice positively affect morale?

These questions are important, and the right choice of leader is important.  A manager is a leader, and a selector and developer of talent.  Organizations are looking for someone who pulls people together, and not someone who pulls the organization apart.

Many “potential” managers have deeply invested personal relationships that may have even a worse appearance than is actually true.  I put the word “potential” in quotes because these people may never know that they were selected against because of their relationships.

Sharing and personal closeness look good, and may give the appearance of “esprit de corps”, yet in truth this can be concerning to executive management.  Confidentiality, fairness, and ability to discipline are good examples of activities that must be present when considering a candidate, and these attributes sometimes look in jeopardy when someone has close “friendships” on the sales floor.

Some Actions You Can Take

I don’t think any manager wants you to avoid having relationships, or to attempt to hide them.  The best time to observe these actions is when you start a new position.  No one suggests that you be aloof; yet try operating in this manner:

• Have reasonable relationships. Work is work; “work friends” are just that, “work friends”, they are not integral to your existence.
• Limit the social activities at work.  These activities can showcase your friendships, and can create perceptions about your ability to keep confidences and be fair.
• Mind your own business.  Do not get involved in work gossip or defenses of anyone unless it is ultra-important.  There is no conflict that is calling for your participation.

Your relationships at work obviously exist because of your physical presence.  If you are all about business, much of this will take care of itself.  The best sales professionals recognize that focus is important.  This does not make you boring, or one dimensional, yet it will give the professional appearance that you need to transcend many of the sales professionals that you work with.

The Look of A Manager

Management changes happen for a variety of reasons, and happen suddenly.  These reasons include termination of existing managers, promotions, opening of new territories, retirements, death or disablement, and other reasons.  The company has the opportunity to go outside the company, or hire a manager from within.

Here is where your appearance is important.  If you appear to be too close to the staff that you would potentially be managing, the decision could be against you.  If you appear to be “one of the guys”, you may handicap yourself at this important time as well.

Your best bet is to have relationships with other sales professionals that are professional, amicable, and in some cases even more deep such as mentoring.  If you keep it to this level, you will have the professional appearance and, as was said earlier, will not appear aloof.

The time to think about it is now, not once a potential management position opens.  Give it some consideration.

Be prepared.

We welcome your comments.