BY Jessica Helinski
Improve the customer experience by embracing consultative skills when selling. Doing so helps sellers connect with and impress modern buyers.
Today, many buyers educate themselves long before working with a vendor. SalesFuel reports that specifically, 42% conducted online research prior to meeting with vendors/suppliers.
Industry professionals believe there are multiple reasons for this, including distrust of sellers. KC Tveit is one of them.
“They suspect sales organizations are more concerned with closing the deal than solving their problem,” she writes.
This is where consultative selling can help.
Why are consultative skills valuable?
Sellers can gain buyers’ trust and take on that research workload by positioning themselves as consultants.
Consultative selling is a sales approach that involves first learning as much as possible about a prospect. First understand their needs and position yourself as their guide. Then use knowledge and resources to select the best solution.
The ultimate key, though, is not to persuade the buyer but to advise them. Your expert guidance should naturally lead them to choose your solution.
As SalesFuel’s Tim Londergan points out, “More than ever, buyers are searching for trusted partners.”
Consultative selling positions you as that trusted partner.
Specific skills for consultative selling
If you want to adopt this sales approach, you must optimize your listening abilities. Your pre-call research can only do so much. Same for question-asking. Sellers must actually listen to the responses to get the information needed to consult.
Anthony Iannarino explains that particularly, listening with interest, helps sellers fully gather all of the necessary knowledge.
“Diagnose the client’s challenges and learn what you need to be able to provide your counsel, advice, and recommendations.”
And be sure to take detailed notes of what you’re hearing. Your memory may not be as reliable as you think it is, especially regarding details. And take time to repeat back what you’ve heard before noting it. This ensures you’ve heard, and comprehend, correctly.
Take a look at these tips for improving your active listening skills.
Confidence matters
Confidence is a consultative skill that sellers may not realize can help them. It’s important, if you’re acting as a knowledgeable guide, that you are confident in that guidance. Sellers will notice if you don’t fully stand by your solution as the best option.
And, there may be times that a seller doesn’t have the right information. Or they don’t quite understand the root of a pain point. Sellers must have enough confidence to challenge the buyer, explains Close CEO Steli Efti.
“Know when to challenge a customer’s way of thinking,” he writes.
“This will prove your value as a trusted advisor, and show them what they actually need to succeed.”
While confidence does come naturally to some, it’s also a skill that you can cultivate. With some thought and guidance, you can boost your confidence. Check out this advice to help you grow and express your confidence when selling.
Rapport-building skills are vital
Developing strong connections with buyers is one of the most important consultative skills. Today’s buyers want to work with sellers who are likable and friendly, according to SalesFuel research. They also seek vendors who care about them and their business.
Like confidence, rapport-building isn’t always a natural skill. But it, too, can be developed. Uncovering commonalities is a great place to begin. Find one or two things that you have in common with a prospect. Note points to bring up for discussion and kickstart a connection.
Another basic way to encourage rapport is to be mindful of body language. Maintaining eye contact, nodding and smiling are simple ways to nurture engagement. Mirroring is also another body language technique that can help prospects feel closer to you.
Using these consultative skills and incorporating them into your strategy will pay off. And to further advance your consultative selling strategy, take a look at this post.
Photo by The Jopwell Collection
