The Death of Consultative Selling? | Consultative Sales Training | Wilson Learning Worldwide
 

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Rumours of the death of consultative selling are premature.

(Novembre 12, 2012)

If you have been following sales training articles and blogs recently, you would think that the role of salesperson as consultant and trusted advisor is dead. These articles suggest that the ideal salesperson acts as if customers are wrong about their "real" problems and challenges customers about their knowledge and assumptions.

Now, it is true that a sales consultant should challenge a customer’s assumptions or facts when they may be wrong. But the effective consultant understands the difference between customers who need their assumptions challenged and those who are knowledgeable about their needs. While understanding strategy and challenging customers’ assumptions is critical, this is not a “style” of selling that has replaced the role of salesperson as consultant.

Having effective consulting skills is essential for selling today. Sales consultants provide added value by understanding the customer's business, industry and competitive landscape. They discover how the selling organisation can play a strategic role in the customer’s business, are able to communicate credibly with the customer’s senior executives and push back when the customer makes incorrect assumptions or reaches inaccurate conclusions. Effective sales consultants discern what influences the customer’s buying behaviours, anticipate those needs and respond strategically. Consultants understand how the customer uses their product or service over time and establish profitable associations between and within the buying and selling organisations. In this context, the salesperson becomes a business consultant, promoting the business objectives of the customer, providing innovative ideas and solutions and challenging the customer to think differently when needed.

How do you add consultant skills to your sales force? Read how in 3 Strategies for Peak Sales Performance.

About the Author
Michael Leimbach

Michael Leimbach

Michael Leimbach, Ph.D., est Vice President of Global Research and Design chez Wilson Learning Worldwide. Avec plus de 25 ans d’expérience à son actif, Dr. Leimbach dirige la recherche et la conception des outils de diagnostic, d’apprentissage et d’amélioration de la performance de Wilson Learning. Dr. Leimbach a effectué des travaux de recherche importants dans les domaines de la vente, du leadership et de l’efficacité organisationnelle, et a développé les modèles de retour sur investissement et d’évaluation d’impact. Dr. Leimbach a également agi en tant que consultant auprès de nombreuses organisations clientes internationales, est membre du comité de rédaction de la revue professionnelle ADHR, et occupe un rôle de leadership au sein du comité technique ISO TC232: Standards for Learning Service Providers. Dr. Leimbach est co-auteur de quatre ouvrages, a publié de nombreux articles professionnels et intervient fréquemment lors de conférences nationales et internationales.

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