In the 1980s, sales trainers and authors introduced the concept of consulta- tive selling. Essentially, customers want you to solve problems for them, not
130
‘‘sell’’ them. Good salespeople aren’t peddlers or hucksters; they’re sales ‘‘consultants’’ who work closely with customers, helping them fulfill their needs.
Suddenly salespeople in all fields stopped referring to themselves as salespeople and began calling themselves consultants. People who sold fi- nancial services, for example, began putting such impressive-sounding titles as ‘‘financial planner’’ or ‘‘financial counselor’’ on their business cards. The consultative salespeople even developed a slogan—‘‘Solve, don’t sell’’—to push their approach to sales.
Much of the consultative approach to selling is valid. However, in one respect, the consultative selling gurus and disciples went overboard. Some did so much free ‘‘consulting’’ before they were retained by the prospect that they ended up giving away their services, removing the need for the prospect to hire them.
The successful salesperson today practices what I call ‘‘modified consul- tative selling.’’ That is, we selectively consult with prospects on their prob- lems during the initial meeting. We give enough information to convince prospects that we are experts who can help them—but without giving away so much that they can solve the problem themselves and without our help.
For instance, let’s say you run a graphic design studio. A prospect asks, ‘‘Is there any way to design a brochure that features all six products but could be easily updated if one of the products changes?’’
Because you know the answer, your tendency might be to dash off a sketch or fold together a dummy out of scrap paper to show how it’s done. Have you sold effectively? No, because the prospect now knows the answer, and can take your solution to his current graphic designer or staff artist or, if the prospect is cheap, directly to a printer.
Instead, you should say, ‘‘Yes, that’s a requirement we’ve handled in the past for other customers, and when we’re further into the design process, we’ll present some options that would work with your particular product.’’ This answer indicates that you are the designer who understands and can solve the problem, but makes it necessary for the prospect to hire you (and not someone else) to get this solution.
131 tive selling you act like the problem-solving genius at the initial meeting, do everything you can for prospects, and they will hire you out of gratitude and because you’re so impressive.
On the other hand, with a modified consultative selling approach, you act like the knowledgeable problem solver at the initial meeting, do and say things that convince customers you indeed know the answers, but you don’t give the answers away right there. Instead, you disclose just enough informa- tion so that customers perceive the need to hire you to get the solution or results they desire.
Be a ‘‘sales consultant,’’ by all means, but don’t give away the store. Say and do things that demonstrate your abilities and create (rather than eliminate) the need for your services.
A T T R A C T I O N P R I N C I P L E 1 4 :
Don’t respond instantly to everything that’s asked or said the instant the other person says it. Think about it first.
Because you are busy and time pressured, you may be in too much of a hurry to get issues resolved and move on to closing the sale. There can be a benefit to not responding instantly to everything that’s said or happens. For instance, if there’s an awkward silence in a negotiation of debate, the first person who talks usually loses. Kurt, an industrial chemist, smokes a pipe because it gives him an edge in these awkward silences. He fiddles with this pipe, puffing away, while the other person has nothing to occupy his hands. ‘‘The other party gives up and invariably speaks first,’’ says Kurt.
I am constantly asked by salespeople for advice on how to respond to the questions, ‘‘What do you charge?’’ or ‘‘What does it cost?’’ The worst mistake you can make is to assume that you have to give an answer on the spot. You don’t.
When someone gets to price and asks me ‘‘What does it cost?’’, I re- spond by first asking them a lot of questions, the purpose of which (I ex-
132
plain) is to gather the information I need to prepare an accurate estimate. After I am done, I say, ‘‘I have what I need. Let me go away, work up an estimate, and we will get back to you with it within 24 hours.’’
Only once did a customer press me for an immediate price quotation, and I buckled under the pressure, blurting out a figure that was way lower than I should have charged. Unfortunately, it was a monthly fee, and I ended up living with it for several years. Fortunately, when the customer was acquired by another company, the new owner canceled the contract, and I was finally freed of my obligation.