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Are You Consulting or Selling?

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Tues, 8/5/2014

It is so easy to fall back into bad habits and just want to sell your prospects, without asking questions. You know what I mean. You start the meeting wanting to learn about their needs and the minute they say something that attaches to your products, you want to switch the conversation and tell them everything about your products and/or services. Don’t do it. Just DON’T!

Chances are you set up the meeting by telling them that you can only provide a proposal if you know more about their needs. If you switch mid-meeting you are going back on your word, and you will instantly lose all credibility. You’ve got to bite the bullet (or your bottom lip) if you just don’t have any control. Over time you will learn to maintain control, which will allow you to sustain your credibility.

This isn’t easy because you may have waited months for this all important meeting with this top prospective client. All the more reason to get control of yourself and be the consultant you know you need to be. Take notes, think of follow up questions, be sincere in your responses. The result will be a chance to present a proposal based on the needs you discovered.

If you continue to do this process month after month, year after year, you will eventually not have to even think twice about the best way to proceed with clients in your initial meetings.

What are your challenges when it comes to consultative sales? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time...