Consultative Sales Excellence : Rules of the Road

Success in sales is about having the right mindset

Talk too much

Talk about themselves way too much

Don’t know my business

Don’t understand my customers

Don’t know their own products & services

Don’t tell the truth

Don’t deliver on their promises

Only worried about their commission

Can’t prove their value

WASTE MY TIME!

2

The Goal: Trusted Advisor

• See themselves as a “professional” and selling as a “craft”

• Asks superb questions

• Listens attentively – takes great notes

• Understands their customer’s business

• Understand their customer’s customers

• Is an expert on their products & services

• Is customer focused – not “closing” focused

• Tells the 100% truth at ALL times

• Keeps their promises

• Can clearly demonstrate superior value

• Never wastes a client’s time 2

Trusted AdvisorPerceived Value

LOW / NO

MEDIUM

TRUSTED ADVISOR

2

Competence

RespectDis-trust

Affection TRUST

HIGH

LOW

LOW HIGH

Concern

The 4 Cs of TRUST

3

The Mantra of the Trusted Advisor

I am good at what I do…and I do it because I care about you.

Technique is NOTHING…

Intent is EVERYTHING!!

3

Let me make this VERY simple…

• Sales results are directly proportional to the number of well-planned and professional sales calls made to Key Decision Makers at highly targeted prospect accounts.

NITB

Exact Right Solution

4

No Guessing!

Read page 4

Clarifying expectations is critical…

OPUD vs. UPOD

NITB

Forget about your company, products and services…

FearlessFlexible

Fun

5

Slow Down for Yellow Lights

6

Lose Early

6

Follow the ORDER

• Opportunity• Resources• Decision Making Process• Exact Right Solution• Relationship

7

Handling Objections

NITB

Workshop

What are the top 3 objectionsthat you get most often?

Go to page 26 at the end of the

workbook

Expert Questioning

Back to Page 9

How to ask better questions

Cushions: In order for me to help you…

Conditions: I was looking at your website and noticed that…

Limiting: What are your top three most important…

Expansion: Can you share with me everything…

Clarifying: What, specifically did you mean by…

Perception Checking: Does that sound OK?

Relationship: Are you comfortable?

Hot Words: anger, frustration, concern, worry…

Please read pages 9 - 14

S.C.C.C.S.

Create a GapCurrent State vs. Desired State

Amplify CostsMoney – Time – Resources - PeoplePositive - Negative / More – LessBusiness / Personal

Build a Solution Theirs first – Yours last

15

The SCCCS Model

Please study the chart on page 16

Situation Questions

17

What are the main challenges your customers face?

18 & 19

Top 3 Challenges questions?

How can you AMPLIFY the costs?

Positive / NegativeMore /Less

Business / PersonalMoney

ResourcesTime

PeopleCustomers

OpportunitiesRisk

StressSuccess

HappinessAchievement

LossFailure

20

Customer Needs Questions

23

A review of the process: Page 24

How do we make sure the client knows where to go?

CustomizedNeeds Analysis

Agenda

Floating Lotus SpaNeeds Analysis Meeting

1. Current State of Business / Practice

2. Vision of Desired Future (1-3 years)

3. Opportunities / Challenges

4. Potential Impacts

5. Possible Solutions

6. Potential Offerings

See the example on page 25

Summary

• Be a Trusted Advisor• Ask don’t Tell• Technique is Nothing• The 4 Cs of Trust• Exact Right Solution• Forget about Your Company• Slow Down for Yellow Lights• Handling Objections• No Guessing• Gap Cost Solution• SCCCS Questioning model• Needs Analysis Agenda

What did I miss?????

My Favorite Sales Books

“SPIN Selling” by Neil Rackham

“Consultative Selling” by Mack Hanan

“Changing The Game” by Larry Wilson

“Integrity Selling” by Ron Willingham

“Relationship Selling” by Jim Cathcart