Digital age has changed everything including the sales approach. Gone are the times when the salesperson would just ‘Show up and Throw Up’. The salesperson would come talk about the company, its products, functionality, features and benefits. The salesperson would take this approach because this has been the foundation of his knowledge; focus of his training; he has wealth of experience in that; this is where he has interest and this is what leads them to get commission. This approach has a very inward focus. It is all about me, my company and my product.
But times have changed now. Today, the buyer is more aware, more informative, more connected and has less patience for anything that does not interest her. She is looking for a solution to her problem and would like to hear more about that. The salesperson has to be prepared and satisfy the needs of the new buyer in order to have any chance to make sales. The right approach for the salesperson in the digital age would, therefore, be ‘Consultative Approach’. When he meets the prospective buyer, he is expected to be well aware of the buyer’s company, its position in the market, its products, its management structure and the need of the specific product he is offering. Then, only he would be able to make some valuable discussion in the sales meeting.
The salesperson trained for the consultative approach would lead the discussion in the following method:
Value that the product offers
Pain that the product might resolve
Ask qualifying questions
Develop interest
Establish credibility
Answer Objections
Value that the Product Offers: Today’s buyer is not interested in the features and benefits that your product has. She is interested if your offer adds value to her company. The salesperson in the digital age, therefore has to link the features and benefits of his product with the value it can add to the buyer if she decides to buy from you.
Pain that the product might resolve: The salesperson has to focus on what pain the product might resolve for the prospective buyer. He should, at all times, keep in mind that the buyer would only pay in case the product provides a solution to a pain.
Ask qualifying questions: The sales presentation should be structured such that the salesperson asks pertinent questions to probe into the pain points and also to make sure that the buyer is willing and able to pay the price of the product to resolve her pains. Asking the right questions is an art that the salesperson in the digital age should be apt to.
Develop interest: The salesperson might give references to how his product was able to solve the problem of another company in the same industry. He should make sure that the buyer remains involved in the discussion and can see that the seller would resolve her pain
Establish credibility: The salesperson must appear to be completely knowledgeable about not only his product but also about how the buyer is going to use the product. He is also expected to be well aware of the competition and the industry in order to build credibility. The buyer is not just looking for a product/service provider but a trusted advisor.
Answer objections: Objections are not hindrance but are positive signals that the buyer is moving forward and if her objections are satisfactorily answered, she might decide in your favor. The salesperson must, therefore, make sure, he apprehends all possible objections and has complete answers to them.
You can learn more about the right sales approach and other skills required in the digital age by attending the trainings and workshops we offer periodically. Please visit www.salesinstituteofpakistan.com or email us at events@solutions-inc.info to reserve seat.
Kamran Saeed is a sales trainer and consultant. He has over 28 years of sales experience in industries such as IT, engineering, publishing, and event management. He can be reached at kamran.saeed@solutions-inc.info
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