Three Key Consultative Sales Skills
While there are many consultative sales skills and techniques required to be successful, top quartile sales reps consistently excel in three key consultative selling areas.
- Sales Call Planning. Average salespeople fail to invest the time required to properly prepare for a client sales call. Many prepare just minutes before and fail to set clear call objectives. Successful consultative sales reps spend the time to research the company and the buyer and to set crystal clear call objectives with specific milestones and metrics.
- Asking Effective Questions. Underperforming salespeople also ask the wrong questions at the wrong time. Effective sales questions build trust, provide insights, show experience, uncover important goals/problems/needs, and move the sale forward to clear next steps. Poor sales questions increase client resistance, create objections, and fail to differentiate from the competition.
- Sales Presentation Skills. Thoughtful sales call planning and good sales questions can be wasted if your sales team cannot effectively articulate how to solve their clients’ most pressing problems. If you want to win, stay away from “death by PowerPoint,” "winging it," and focusing on yourself or your company. Focus on creating clear and compelling client-centric messages that are linked to what your client needs and cares most about.
