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Solution selling was coined by Michael Bosworth,  who documented and analyzed the behaviors of top   sellers at Xerox. His 1994 book “Solution Selling:  Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets”   outlines everything he learned at Xerox, as  well as at his company, Solution Selling®. One of his main arguments is that conventional  sales techniques don’t work when products and   services are: hard to describe, intangible,  expensive and have long sales cycles.   Bosworth argues that conventional sales techniques  can even hinder the success of a sale altogether. “Solution selling is a process to take  the guesswork out of difficult-to-sell,   intangible products, and services.” It’s “a  step-by-step system that ensures a higher rate of   success for salespeople and a higher probability  that the buyer’s expectations will be met.” So, let’s walk through the stages of solution   selling so you can get a grasp  on how the methodology works. Solution-based selling is a practical approach  to sales that can be broken down into six steps. The first step is knowing the ins and outs of the  product and service. The second is identifying   prospect pain points. Next is starting  the selling process through questions.   The fourth step is the education process.  The fifth step is providing value,   and then finally, the last  step is closing the sale. As you can tell, with the  Solution sales technique,   to close deals you must go beyond  talking about features and price points.   You need to create a genuine connection with  your prospect by pinpointing the prospect’s   real-world problem, and explaining how your  product can solve it in the best way possible. To accomplish this, there must be  two variables in the selling process:   customization and integration. For this,  it’s essential that you: build distinctive   solutions and value propositions. Price solutions  around the total business value you’re presenting   and not just flashy features. For example,  consider the service side of the solution. It’s also essential that you align  the entire company with the solution,   and give an end-to-end sales experience,  controlling every aspect of the negotiation. Despite being one of the more  straightforward selling methodologies,   there are still elements you must master  in order to implement solution selling   successfully. So let’s take a closer  look at the steps laid out earlier   and see how you can incorporate them  into your solution selling strategy. First, knowing the ins and  outs of the product and service Without an in-depth knowledge of every  product and service your company offers,   you will be selling blind. More importantly,  it will be impossible for you to know   what product or service is the best  fit for the prospect's pain points. We recommend making an online knowledge  base so comprehensive that you and your   team can find everything you  need to know from reading it. Second, identifying prospect pain points Once you all know your products inside-out,  make sure you do research on a prospect before   picking up the phone. This isn’t telemarketing;  you should already have a rough understanding   of what problems a prospect might  be having before talking to them. Target prospects using a customer persona. Look  back through deals you’ve already closed with   prospects that matched your target customer  persona to find some similarities in the   pain points they were experiencing, and  then prepare a rough plan to solve them. Next, you’ll need to perfect selling questions The next part of Solution sales is arming  your team with the ideal selling questions.   The right questions allow you to  identify a prospect’s problems   quickly, develop a relationship with  them and, ultimately, convert them. Start with open-ended questions like: “Why isn’t your solution  working for you right now?” “What’s holding you back from reaching  your goals or revenue target?” Or “How has your problem  progressed to where it is?” Once the conversation is flowing, ask  them more specific questions, such as: “How do you envision your company  growing over the next 12 months?   How will your needs change for you to get there?” “What solution are you currently  using to address your problem?   Is that solution helping you  to achieve your objective?” Or “Why are you seeking out a  different solution for your problem?” Start qualifying the prospect. A quick  checklist should help you decide whether   a prospect is worth pursuing, or  if your product isn’t the best fit. A list could be as simple as: Does your product or solution  actually solve their pain points? What needs are you addressing with your solution,  and will they solve the problem successfully? And, does the prospect’s company  align with the product or need fit? Moving on to the next step, the education process. It’s here where the solution selling  methodology starts to diverge from   conventional sales methodologies.  You need to give the prospect a   definite ‘light bulb’ reason why  they need your product or service. Connect the dots between their problem and  your company’s solution using a clear selling   point like: A reduction in operating costs. An  example of ROI, backed up with a customer case   study. And the amount of money they will  save compared to their current solution. Next, choose a selling point and build a narrative  around it. Let’s say you want to highlight how   your company’s product will provide an  ROI for the customer. Ask the prospect: “How would implementing these changes  affect your competitiveness in the market?” “If you don’t solve the problem, what kind  of difficulties will you face going forward?” Or “What is likely to happen to your revenue  numbers if you don’t solve the problem?” Next is the fifth step, providing ample value. One of the main reasons solution selling succeeds  is that it revolves around a definite selling   point. Pick a selling point that will resonate  with your prospect and, ultimately, demonstrate   your product’s value through it. Instead of  focusing on your product features or services,   you’ll be highlighting how your company’s  solution will make their problem disappear. You could look through deals  you’ve already closed again   and draw parallels from current customers  to the prospect you’re trying to close. Some questions to ask yourself to  hammer this point home could be: What impact could your product or  service have on the prospect’s budget?   Highlighting what could the  prospect use that money for instead. Could the company’s product or service  save the prospect time? Getting into   specifics about how time equals money  for the prospect and their business. What could your product or service achieve  for the prospect on an emotional level?   Will it make them look good in front  of their boss? Will it help them to   be viewed as important or useful to their team? Remember, prospects are drawn to products that  show both personal as well as business value. Painting a vivid picture here helps the  prospect to imagine a future with your business.   Once the value has been highlighted, all that’s  left to do is the final step, closing the sale Now, you will likely come up against some sales  objections from the prospect. The best way to   overcome them is to compile a list of typical  sales objections you’ve heard in the past   and come up with a plan on how to debunk them. Look at previous lost opportunities, call  transcripts and emails from prospects with   similar profiles and decipher why you  couldn’t overcome the objection before,   and what you should do differently with  this prospect. You could even prepare a   shortlist of 10 to 20 common objections  or even go as far as creating a script. They might already be sold on the solution,  or they may still need a little convincing.   Whatever the situation is here,  make sure you bring it back to   why the prospect needs your product  or service to solve their problem. Solution Selling has paved the way for  other selling approaches in the sales world   like SPIN selling, MEDDIC selling, and Challenger  selling. Want to learn more about different sales   methodologies? Watch the video series on different  sales methodologies or head over to our blog,   where we’ve gone more into detail on popular  sales methodologies. Thanks for watching.