Misc. Ramblings: The Challenge of Consultative eSelling – Part 1

This is not intended to be an exhaustive essay on the history or components of consultative selling. My goal is to address the challenges of this effective sales model in the virtual medium; it is hard enough face to face to make it work.

The assumptions you must operate under:
1. You are hired to be fired!? In other words, your job is not to tell them what they want to hear, your job is to tell them what they need to hear. If you are selling expertise, then you must be brave enough to risk losing the sale. They have staff on salary to reinforce their opinions.

2. Usually, you are being presented with both the problem and a solution. If you accept this as truth, it becomes a relationship sale. Clients typically do not have a handle on the real situation because of issues beyond this commentary. They need the expertise you bring plus a new and unbiased set of eyes to move upstream until the real source of the pain is identified.

3. The essence of consultative selling is collaboratively assessing and diagnosing the situation. The sale is really made when you and the client become convinced that the true problem has been identified. Solutions now become simple.

4. Argue against your own interest!? First, your analysis must be independent of recommendations otherwise, it is tainted. The client must believe that the results represent the truth without agenda. If your work can achieve this end, sufficient credibility exists to compete for the next stage in the sale. Also, if you are not the best provider – pass it up and/or help them find someone else. Delivering where you are incompetent is a recipe for death (margins and reputation).

One note on item 4. If you consistently find you lack the right deliverable, one of two problems exists.

Problem One: wrong value chain. Your target accounts do not fit the offer and the solution is to revise your marketing campaign – continue to micro segment until a fit exist.

Problem Two: Your offer (products & services) lack the breath or depth to service these clients, the solution is to build these deliverables and improve the offer.

Now for the online challenge, without an ongoing relationship where clients know you, questioning their decisions will lead to the end of the opportunity. You must create the perception of credibility and integrity; you mean them no harm and are their number one advocate.

Next Step – Building a Relationship that allows for truth.