Consultative Selling

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I hear this term more often than I care to admit.  So many companies and Sales Managers tell me "We have a consultative sales approach."  "We want our people to really take more of a consultative approach"  The funny thing is that so few of the sales managers saying this actually know what that means.  I'm not saying that you have to have been a consultant to sell like one, but you have to understand what and how people want to buy.  They do not want to be sold and they are tired of the old way of selling.  Andrew Sobel said it best in his book "Making Rain"

"In today's markets, you win by assiduously building relationships with clients , being willing to stick with them over the long term, and adding value every step of the way.  Golf and Lunch are nice, but they no longer represent real value to clients - they can get these from anyone."

In today's market, I believe that the real consultative sales person will have the lowest expense account on the team.  Bringing value to a meeting may mean a Latte or Coffee from Starbuck's, but a nice lunch or dinner only adds a dimension of Dis-trust to the equation.  If you can afford to buy a nice dinner, round of golf, or fancy lunch... what does that say about 1) your prices, and 2) your business acumen. 

In this economy, showing value is about understanding their business and the business challenges that they face. Once you understand that, you work diligently WITH them to help them solve these issues.  This will win more sales than any lunch or golf game.

So... What is your plan to know as much about your targets and key accounts as possible?