The new consultative selling

Top Down Selling
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]

Over the last several years, there has been a quiet explosion of numerous new technology companies being born, from SF downstream to NYC. Especially with the advent of SaaS technologies, many of these firms are quickly funding, and entering their respective markets, at an alarming rate. Added to that, many traditional software companies have moved their platforms over to SaaS, and now run at the same elevated velocity as their counterparts or competitors.

The new found choices in SaaS, with brilliant leadership, is very exciting. There is a heightened sense of energy in this space, which eclipses traditional software technology plays from the previous ten years. As these new firms move off of the early adopter phase, they now require steady streams of Enterprise revenues. To get there, they look for a well proven, sales methodology to help fuel their growth. It has to help ensure competent hires, realistic ramp times, even pipeline builds and conversions, and all at reasonable hiring and training costs. It has to service Inside Reps, Account manager and of course Enterprise Account Executives. It was Consultative Selling.

“Consultative Selling” has been around since the 70’s. In the 80’s, it came to be known as an arduous sales process, which converted the traditional product-focused Sales Rep, into a needs-based, customer-centric expert. It made the Sales Reps more a student of their customer, where they used artful questioning (among many other tactics), to help guide the deal forward to a close (simply put).

All things equal, this is still a fantastic way to sell. But alas, with all forms and sizes of “customers”, who have access to massive amounts of information, in real-time, and with the spigot always on; the sales process or game has radically changed. There are leading business research firms and industry experts today, stating that with this information flow, the B2B buyers do NOT require the help of a Sales Rep for approximately 60-70% of the sales cycle. This gives the Sales Rep only 30% of the time for initial engagement, discovery, presentation, negotiation, and most likely, a RFP. With dramatically shorter selling times, and highly-educated and sophisticated buyers, I see the need for upgrading our selling skills once again.

This brings me to that “upgraded” approach, or now called “The “Challenger Sale”. Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson, who wrote the book, presents the key attributes of a Challenger Sales person as someone who:

Challengers teach their customers. They focus the sales conversation not on features and benefits but on insight, bringing a unique (and typically provocative) perspective on the customer’s business.

Challengers tailor their sales message to the customer They have a finely tuned sense of individual customer objectives and value drivers and use this knowledge to effectively position their sales pitch to different types of customer stakeholders within the organization.

Challengers take control of the sale. While not aggressive, they are certainly assertive. They are comfortable with tension and are unlikely to acquiesce to every customer demand.

With so many sales processes and methodologies still out there, and more coming down the pike, beyond Consultative, I personally find The Challenger Sale well poised for selling into 2015 and beyond. It’s not getting easier for those of us in our trade. Having improved tools that help us do our job better, faster, and at a more enjoyable rate, has my vote. So, take a few minutes, and read the following link, and see for yourself, if this make sense for how, and why, you sell.

Have a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2015!

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
The new consultative selling

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to top