Aggressive sales tactics are one of the main reasons why many customers exit at the last stage. As per stats, just 23% of customers believe that brands always prioritize buyers, signifying a huge gap between customer expectations and current sales practices. That’s why more and more companies are switching to consultative selling nowadays.
But how do you sell without creating a feeling of ‘being sold’? Check out what is consultative selling and learn the five main principles of the consultative sales process.
Also Read: 7 Strong Ways To Increase Value of Your Customers
What is consultative sales?
Consultative sales, also known as solution-based selling, is a type of selling method that is focused on customers’ pain points and recommends products or services to resolve them. It is an empathetic approach to selling that creates a relationship with your customers to improve their value beyond merely pushing any product.
5 Strong Principles For Consultative Selling
The basic idea behind consultative selling is understanding your customers’ needs and addressing them through your products. Here are some principles to guide you throughout the process:
1. Research
Not all leads will be sales. And that’s where the need for a filtering system comes in the consultative selling process. Analyzing customer behaviour is the best way to find the most interested customers. It not only raises your conversion rates but will also improve user trust. Above all, it makes your company a credible solution provider that can address a customer’s pains.
If you are trying out inbound marketing, you may have tons of data about customers through websites, social media pages, apps, etc. Most probably, customers’ needs and preferences can be found in the content they consume.
2. Ask
Data analytics obviously have limitations in a consultative sales approach. After a certain point, you must step out and ask open-ended questions to understand what the prospect needs. Remember, the main aim is to make the customers spill the beans out. Therefore, you must not ask questions with yes or no answers. Instead, ask questions about what, who, where, and how to allow them to speak to the maximum. Try to uncover these answers to your questions:
- Goal of the prospect
- Plan to reach the goal
- Pain points or obstacles to reaching the goal
- Timeline to achieve the goal
- Budget of the prospect
3. Active Listening
Active listening skills are as critical as communication skills for a sales executive with a consultative approach. Make sure that the customer has enough space to explain their problem, but be prepared with the answers. And it’s not just about the words. You must look out for more to understand customer behavior analysis:
- Body language and emotions
- Tone of speaking
- Choice of words
You can document the conversation on paper to ensure that all points are noted. Always keep in mind that the ultimate aim of a sales conversation is to sketch a picture of the pain points of the customer in your mind to find a solution.
4. Teach
Now, it’s time to use your research analytics in the consultative sales process. You must pave the path for the customers to achieve their goals, addressing how to tackle the obstacles. Remember, the teaching process is just for explaining the solution and not for your product solely. At the same time, you must not overburden the customer with a bunch of information.
Consider quoting an example of how you helped a client in the same industry. This way, customers will trust you as a subject matter expert.
5. Qualify
Last but not least, you must pick the interested prospects from the consultative selling process. A qualified lead is one that has a problem, challenge, timeline, and budget to invest in your product. Stop pursuing the unqualified leads right now and add them to the database to re-target them once they are all set. After closing such leads, transfer them smoothly to the customer service section along with in-depth reports of their needs and preferences.
Conclusion
Data management and analytics serve as the backbone of all consultative sales methods. And that’s exactly where you need Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
Onstro CRM is a business software solution that helps you to have a data-driven consultative sales approach. It acts as an all-in-one data powerhouse that stores all your client’s information, from the initial point of contact to closing, on a single platform. You can maintain and use such in-depth user insights to deliver a personalized experience. Contact us now!
