Jill Konrath has some excellent advice this morning:
Why You Must Assume - Even Though You've Been Told It's Something You Should Never Do
Don't get me wrong! I love being a consultative seller. It's literally a part of my sales DNA. But a few years ago, I discovered that "being consultative" didn't convince decision makers that it was worth their valuable time to meet with me.
To show you what I mean, let me take you into their world and put you center stage as the designated future customer.
You're busy working at your desk - and have been since 7 a.m. this morning. The phone rings. You glance at the clock and see that it's 2:57 p.m. You can't believe that it's so late already. Your "to do" list is longer now that it was when you started.
But you're expecting a very important call at the top of the hour so, without even a glance at the originating number, you pick it up.
"Yet you have the audacity to request a meeting with me when you can't even give me a valid business reason for doing so?"
"You just don't get it!" you say emphatically as you slam down the phone, disgusted with another so-called 'consultative salesperson.' As far as you're concerned, all they're doing is wasting your valuable time without offering anything in return.
What just happened here? It's the end of a consultative sales era as we know it. Prospective customers simply don't have time for it today.
Instead, they need you to be assumptive! That's right. You need to assume - even though you were trained that to do so was to make an ASS-out-of-U-and-ME.
In short, you need to demonstrate expertise right up front in order to earn the right to be consultative.
So how should you approach a prospective customer? How about something like this:
"We've been able to trim their expenses by up to 22.7% in the first year. If you're like other CFOs, you're looking for dollars everywhere in your budget. Let's set up a time to see how we can cut your costs in this area. Sound good?"
Feels completely different, right? You'll get appointments - not brush-offs - when you start assuming.
To be effective in today's crazy business environment, you need to be assumptive to demonstrate your value. Yes, you have to spend time doing research up front. Yes, you need to craft a personalized message.
But that's what it takes to get in the door. And after that, you can put your consultative sales skills to good use.
Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and association events. Sphere: Related Content
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