Are you ready to see dramatic changes in your ROI? Are you tired of talking to people who don’t want to talk to you, in an effort to qualify candidates for sales? If so, it’s time you updated your selling strategy and started using the consultative sales pitch methodology.
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Trade in Traditional Product-Centric Approaches for Modern Consultative Methodology
The history of sales has been paved with the product-centric method, in which you try to sell your product/service to practically anyone and everyone. Modern technology has dramatically changed the way that effective marketing and sales are done, however. Today’s sales force is focused on value sales; which requires the consultative method to achieve.
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Qualify Your Leads with Research Before Reaching Out to Potential Clients
Pre-qualifying your potential clients before you make contact is a critical part of consultative sales pitching. If you don’t vet customers, you’ll waste a lot of time and irritate a lot of uninterested people. Pre-qualification has been made quite simple by modern tech that collects and translates data into useful information about a client’s habits, finances, interest in a product, etc.
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Build Your Consultative Sales Pitch
It takes a lot more thought and work to keep a conversation focused on a prospective buyer and make a value sale. To prepare for your pitch, you need to have a well-written sales script that is flexible and addresses any potential objections or problems you may encounter during your call.
An easy and effective way to do this is to work your way backward. Develop your sales script in the following manner-
- Create a list of product/service benefits
- Identify common problems the above benefits could alleviate
- Articulate a qualifying inquiry
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Reach Out and Establish a Trusting Relationship with Potential Buyers
Now is the time to put your consultative sales pitch to work. The qualifiers that you developed previously can now be used to assist you in asking the most prudent, relevant, and important questions.
Ex. If you’re selling farm equipment some appropriate qualifiers could include-
- How many acres are you responsible for maintaining?
- What crops are you most interested in increasing the production of?
- What livestock do you care for? Are their accommodations adequate?
- Is your establishment certified Organic?
Keep in mind that the majority of these initial conversations should be spent actively listening, not speaking. You’ll ask your qualifying questions, communicate why you want to make this sale to them in particular, and make sure that you understand the client’s pain points. Clients respond to authenticity, so practicing your active listening skills is an important part of an effective sales strategy.
Here are a few tips to increase not only your authenticity but your information retention rate as well-
- Stay focused (don’t allow yourself any distractions such as food, videos, games, fidget toys, etc.)
- Paraphrase any major relevant points you hear, and repeat it to the client to ensure that you have it right.
- Don’t interrupt a client while they are speaking or try to rush things along by making pre-emptive assumptions.
- Take detailed and organized notes that you can refer back to easily.
- Have appropriate, leading, follow-through questions ready. Try to make them open-ended, as opposed to a “yes” or “no” set up.
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Follow Through with Clients and Finalize Your Sales
Closing doesn’t always happen in just one conversation. Particularly in B2B sales. That’s what you’re preparing for with a consultative sales pitch, however.
Many clients will need time to consult their team or their other options before making a final purchase. You don’t want to rush clients at the last minute, or you’ll just undo all of the work that you’ve already put into the making that value sale. You do want to stay in contact, however, and engage with them in ways that show that you listened to their needs and interests.
A few modern spins on the classic follow-up-
- You could send them an article or series of links that relate directly to one of their pain points or interests that you discussed in the initial consultation sales call.
- You could give the client some leading options. This gives clients some control in the matter of how and when you contact them for closing while maintaining your control of the overall timeline of your sale.
- At the summation of your initial consultative cold-call, make an appointment to go into a further conversation at their convenience rather than yours.
Your ROI will soar with the use of the consultative sales pitch. So settle in for some research, some qualifying questions, and a lot of listening. You’re sure to start seeing real results in practically no time at all; as potential clients begin to open up and make the product pitch for you!
