Empower Your Small Business with a Consultative Selling Model for Small Businesses

How to create outlook signature

whether you have a multi-stage or a one visit sales model you should have a consult in place on which to base your interactions on consultative selling is all about pulling out the requirements from your customer and acting as an expert in your field recommending suitable solutions specifically for their needs and once as an expert it requires you to have your finger on the pulse not only on the pulse of your customer's needs but also on the pulse of your industry that's where you can demonstrate a real differentiation from the competition you can actually use the acronym Post to base your consultative selling interactions on in order to make sure that your sales interactions and meetings are productive and focused on solutions selling and adding value is useful to use some sort of model or approach to remember the main steps you should take posts will achieve just that it stands for position understand leverage solution and evolve let's take a closer look at each one starting with position now with an initial meeting the customer can be a little unsure as to what is going to happen he or she may not understand how you your product or company can help them so right up front you must establish an overall objective for the meeting or interaction you need to show the value of the interaction and establish a basis for trust your goal for this stage is to build your credibility by taking charge of the interaction and to set the expectations for the meeting the U stands for understand is vital that you understand the needs of the customer and you should achieve this by asking questions to learn about the customers business situation problems and needs that doesn't mean that you interrogate them the questions should be conversational remember this is a discussion and because it's a two-way conversation you can also provide information to the customer as well who is learning about you at the same time your goal for this stage is to mutually define the customers needs the L stands for leverage you need the customer to take action and they will only do this if they have a full appreciation of the impacts of the problems they are facing or if they do nothing and take no action therefore you have to build some leverage you have to build some pain your customer may only perceive a partial problem not being aware of the impact or consequences of either a need or a solution your job as an expert is to make sure that they fully understand the situation and the impacts you achieve this by involving the customer in exploring the impact of both needs and solutions are using questions that enable the customer to understand your goal for this stage is to explore problems and create urgency when appropriate the S is for solution so you've set the scene you have on earth the needs and wants of the buyer and you've discussed the impacts now it's the time for you to present your solution at this stage your customer has a high level of understanding about their needs but it's not aware of the benefits of your product or solution so you need to discuss the pros and cons of available options and decide on the best solution you need to focus on the benefits of the solution rather than the features and concentrate on building value throughout this stage linking back what your solution does to address and alleviate their needs also think about the common objections that you receive and build them into your presentation is best if you can handle objections yourself without your customer even bringing them up for example if you always receive price objections because they are the highest in the industry then focus on this don't shy away from it when presenting your solution explain in detail why you are the most expensive and again link it back to their needs as the only possible solution that they should consider overall your goal at this is to gain customer acceptance by involving them in solution decision-making and finally the e stands for evolve at the end of each interaction you need to move the sale forward in some way now that could be seeking commitment for an order the arrangement of an additional meeting to discuss your proposal or to ask the customer what the next steps are either way you need to progress the sale both parties need to leave the interaction with knowing exactly what has happened and what needs to happen next your goal at this stage is to gain the customers commitment to an action so there you have the model position understand leverage solution and evolve follow this as a framework for your interactions and you'll soon find that you're having far better and more productive sales meetings with your customers