The main problem of sellers

However, in the phrase “consultative sales,” the key word remains “sales.” No matter what you do or how you consult with the client, you still have to make a sale. All this “consulting” is just another way to look for sales opportunities. The entire conversation between the salesperson and the client boils down to the salesperson constantly searching for a window of opportunity to make a sale.

What does a consultant do? A consultant does not look for opportunities to sell. This is a key distinction. A consultant seeks out pain points—sources of problems that they can address. Yes, it may involve the same windows mentioned in the previous paragraph. However, it’s not about…to sell, but about the fact thatresolve

Every client has their own issues. There are always questions that cause them distress. These problems often have multiple layers, and a consultant, rather than a salesperson, is able to dig deep to uncover the root of the issue.

These days it’s considered that to sell well you shouldn’t push products, you should do “consultative selling.” Every salesperson has rushed off to study the subject, they go to trainings where they’re taught to ask the right questions, and they try to apply their new skills.However, in the phrase “consultative selling” the key word is still “selling.” Whatever you do, however you consult the client, you still have to sell. And all this “consulting” is simply one more way of looking for an opportunity to sell. The salesperson’s entire conversation with the client comes down to constantly hunting for a little window he can climb through in order to sell.And what does a consultant do? A consultant isn’t looking for opportunities to sell. That is the key difference. A consultant looks for pain points — the sources of problems he can solve. Yes, these may well be the very same little windows I mentioned in the previous paragraph. But the point isn’t to sell, it’s to solve.Every client has problems. There are always issues that make him suffer. These problems always have several levels, and it is a consultant, not a salesperson, who is able to dig down to the deepest level of the problem.If you sell, say, video surveillance systems, in a conversation with a client, after they express concern about the security of their company’s warehouses, you might immediately offer a solution to their problem. However, that’s not the real issue. It’s a sanitized conclusion, an abstract formulation that gets tossed around in meetings. The real problem may be that the person across the table is personally worried about his own fate as the company’s head of security — a company that is losing money to petty theft and may soon simply decide to leave the market, laying off everyone, including the head of security, who after a “success story” like that will not find a new job at all.That is exactly how a consultant differs from a salesperson. The verbs say it all: “solve” v.s. “sell.” If you say you do consultative selling, start by getting the word “selling” out of your head.

This is exactly where a consultant differs from a salesperson. The essence lies in the verbs: “to solve” vs. “to sell.” If you say you are engaged in consultative selling, start by removing the word “selling” from your mind.