Sales Brew: Qualities of a Consultative Seller

In honor of President’s Day, I can think of some quotes that most American’s will remember:

• Fourscore and Seven years ago…
• We have nothing to fear, but fear itself
• Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country
• Gorbachev, tear down this wall
• Americans are dreamers too

These were bold statements, spoken with passion. They rallied the American people and stirred the audience who heard them. Some of those same traits are evident in a consultative salesperson.

If the questions you ask don’t stir something in your prospect, then your success will be limited, and you will encounter too many missed opportunities. If you choose to believe that people buy emotionally and justify logically, then it would make sense to structure your questions accordingly. Take people on emotional journeys by asking:

• Suppose it’s now six months down the road and the challenge we’ve been discussing has been fixed, how would that impact you and your company?
• I’m just wondering, given the severity of your current situation, how much longer can you tolerate it?
• I can’t help but wonder, if you are able to hit 17% growth this year, how that would help you achieve your goal of retiring in five years?

Facts and figures justify decisions. The emotional link of our solution will help win the day. As you pre-call plan, look at the questions you have written down. Do the answers generate information or do they generate information, which fuels your prospect’s emotions?

The other trait of a great consultative salesperson is their ability to listen and listen with ease. Can you let silence do some of the work? Let the air fill with silence after your prospect or client answers your question. I’ve seen great questions get ruined because the salesperson was too quick to speak. Let silence be your friend and work for you.

Someone needs what you do, go find them by asking great questions and listen like a professional.