Consultative selling
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Consultative selling emphasizes customer needs and meeting those needs with solutions combining products and/or services. A consultative salesperson typically provides detailed instruction or advice on which solution best meets these needs. During the prospecting phase of selling, where a customers needs and wants are examined, the salesperson pays close attention to economical and high-quality solutions for the customer, ideally making sure the prospect receives more value from the product or service they have purchased than they have paid to ensure a positive return on investment (ROI).
For example, a consultative salesperson sells wireless service and technology to corporations and government agencies. They set up meetings with clients to determine their needs. The problem is that due to a merger, the organization has two separate computer networks in separate office buildings, and replacing them with a single network is too expensive. The salesperson proposes joining the networks wirelessly using services and products they offer. This solution is an economical alternative. The buyer knows that this purchase of services and products is a good investment, and that the consultative sales team will provide tech support and answer questions for months or years to come.
Responding to the expectations of the prospective buyer is the essence of providing consultation based selling. The Seller must generally posses a broad and current knowledge of market offerings, and be able to direct the prospective buyer in an appropriate direction.
