Article Summary:
The best sales people are the ones that have the desire and the ability to determine what the client wants and needs, and the skill to match them with a set of possible solutions.
"What do you want it to do?" That's all he asked...
My wife and I stopped into a car dealership last night to look at cars. We were met by Robert who asked politely if he could help us. After we convinced him that we had no idea what we were looking for and just wanted to wander the lot, he told us to take our time and left us alone. Mistakenly, I thought I had shaken him.
On the way back to our car, Robert appeared again. He asked if we had found anything we liked and again I said that we were just looking and still had no idea whether we wanted an SUV, a minivan or a 4 door. I thought that level of vagueness, which was the actual truth, would end the conversation. Not so.
Robert started in. "I understand your confusion. There is so much to choose from. But just think of it this way...what do you want it to do?" Then he shut up.
Instantly, my wife said it had to carry stuff from the hardware store and be drivable by someone under five feet tall. I insisted that it held 5-6 people and have plenty of luggage room. Within two minutes Robert had gathered every requirement that we had discussed together as we considered a new car.
His next comment was irresistible. He asked, "May I show you a car that fits that description and will absolutely astound you?" How do you say no to someone who has just offered to give you exactly what you wanted and needed? You don't, and that's the point.
I have to admit that I don't find many shining examples of great salesmanship at car dealerships, but Robert was an exception. What he understood was the essence of consultative selling. Be of service, determine the need, and offer informed solutions.
At virtually every other dealership we visited, we were either ignored or greeted by a sales person who was quick to launch into the strengths of their brand without a clue what we were looking for. They could have been replaced with a tape machine that just played over and over.
Most companies spend weeks teaching their new sales people the details of their product or service. They want to create experts who can go out into the world and serve their clients. While that's all well and good, most spend a small fraction of that time teaching their new recruits how to sell those same products or services.
In my experience, there is little correlation between product expertise and sales results. Don't get me wrong, I think product knowledge is critical to success. I just don't see that the ones who know it best are the ones who sell the most. In fact, I often find top sales performers who are adept at leveraging off the knowledge of others because they know they lack some of the depth required to consummate the deal.
The best sales people are the ones that have the desire and the ability to determine what the client wants and needs, and the skill to match them with a set of possible solutions. That's consultative selling.
Stephen Waterhouse is Principal and Founder of Waterhouse Group, a sales training company that helps companies increase their sales and profits. He can be reached at 1-800-57-LEARN or by email.
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