Professionals Recommend, They Don’t Sell | Professional Selling Skills
Consultative professionals create an integrated relationship between their firm and the prospect. Before solving problems, consultants provide a thorough cost-benefit analysis. They create a relationship of trust, support for the prospect’s goals, and information sharing that will promote success for the client.
Most of us have a variety of services we want to sell. When we approach a prospect with the notion that we will sell a specific service, we are approaching the situation like a seller of products rather than as a consultative professional. Consultants deal with clients’ needs and wants. Consultants think long-term and view the big picture.
Recommend What Benefits the Client
During the discovery phase of selling, you may have uncovered hundreds of problems. Many of the problems you discover will not justify solutions. For example, I worked with a large equipment dealer with millions of dollars invested in inventory. I immediately thought about an inventory control system my firm had expertise in providing. However, I learned that the equipment manufacturer held 90% of the dealer’s inventory, shipped directly to the end-user, and kept accurate records for finished goods, shipping, billing, and inventory turnover. My systems provided some benefits the manufacturer’s system did not. But the cost/benefit of selling my inventory system did not provide a good investment for the client. Had I approached this prospect with this system, he may have listened out of courtesy, but he would have concluded quickly that I was interested in the sale for me, not him.
Sharing your conclusion with the prospect can build credibility. If you say, “John, when I first saw your operation, I thought we might have an inventory control system for you that has helped a lot of my other clients. But your current system is working great—it just wouldn’t make financial sense for you to change.” This lets the prospect know that you have considered this aspect of their business, that you have a product you could try to sell, and that you don’t try to sell products that don’t make financial sense.
Cost/Benefits for the Client
On the other hand, when you place a quality service in front of a client that solves a costly problem, sometimes you don’t have to ask for the sale. The client asks you.
The real key to discovering needs is to understand the value of solving a problem. If a problem can be solved for 10% of the cost, it is likely a need. If a problem is causing other problems, which in their totality is huge, fixing the root problem may very well represent a need.
Conclusion
The consultative professional thinks past the services sale to the needs of the client and to the long-term relationship.
