Page 71 - Consultative Selling

CHALLENGES IN CONSULTATIVE SELLING

Consultative sales process calls for putting yourself into customer’s
shoes and understanding his problems, needs and expectations to
be able to design and build a solution that meets with all of the

requirements and expectations of the customer. A consultative
salesman plays the role of a consultant to the customer rather than a
salesman who is just selling his product.

The consultative sales process differs from the traditional sales process in
many ways. The salesman gets an in depth knowledge of the customer’s

business as well as a fair understanding of the customer, his business
environment etc. Selling to the customer using consultative sales process
calls for building and managing a relationship with the customer. In the

process of managing the relationship, the consultative salesman has got to
learn to understand and manage the emotions of the customer too.

In most cases, the customers actions and reactions to buying turns out to be
a mixture of practical need based as well as emotional decision. Human
emotions always play an important role in every activity and this holds good

in the case of consultative sales process too.

Closing the sales process after sales presentation and negotiations calls for
obtaining the customer’s commitment or confirmation to purchase from you.
This critical phase needs to be developed and managed carefully by the

salesman. You will have taken time to discuss the solution proposed with
your customer, answered every question, handled every objection and
managed every concern expressed by the customer and reached a

consensus with the customer with regard to your solution. The customer
will go through the negotiations stage too with expert handling and guiding
by you the sales manager. However when it comes to making that

commitment, most customers tend to postpone or take a back seat.

Consultative Selling - A new
2/5/2019 71
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