There are people who talk about sales as if salespeople still sell like they would have in the 1970s and 80s. Those who believe salespeople are generally pushy, self-oriented, and have no real concern other than winning a deal have never experienced a true hard sale, nor will they have experienced the manipulation and pressure strategies that are long forgotten.
If you want to learn more about these strategies, pick up an early edition of a book called Hardball by Robert Shook. Pillow-soft critics of sales may need a grief counselor and some time to recover from the shock of reading this book.
Shifting Perceptions in Sales
In reality, the average salesperson is quite different from the high-pressure pitcher of the past. The biggest issue for clients today is that most salespeople do not understand the obligations they owe their clients and prospects. Some of the people who write about B2B sales seem to believe their contact isn't seeking the help of an expert and an authority, something we call being One-Up. This frightens the critics, as they have no experience in consultative selling and the counsel, advice, and recommendations the client needs.
The Evolution from Hardball to Consultative Selling
You can tell what kind of clients a person has had by how they talk about selling. Those who have never pursued consultative enterprise deals seem to suggest the contact is supposed to lead the salesperson. This is poor selling, as the salesperson is the expert on the buyer's journey and the better results the client needs, as they are engaged in work every day. The client is making a rare decision they must get right on the first try. The salesperson who is unwilling to consult should sell something with no real consequences for their clients, like a pet rock, and never a strategic outcome for a company that needs to transform their results.
This way-too-soft approach is a dereliction of the salesperson's obligation to their clients.
The Role of Consultative Selling in Modern Business
Imagine you are the CEO of a company. You are struggling to produce the results you need. You and your teams have been working on this problem for a few weeks. One of your vice presidents suggests you reach out to a couple of salespeople who called them earlier in the week.
The Tale of Two Sales Approaches
Imagine you work at a manufacturer and are having problems. The first salesperson is dressed nicely and seems nice enough. After this salesperson warms up with some rapport-building, he asks a question designed to elicit the problem you have and its implications. You ask the salesperson several questions to better understand what you need to do to improve your results, but the salesperson doesn’t seem to have any advice about how to turn things around. You are worried you might lose your larger clients, but you can tell this salesperson seems reluctant to provide any advice about what you should do. You look at the VP who invited the salesperson for a meeting. He shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes. You hope the next salesperson is better.
Consultative Selling in Action
Two days later, the second salesperson shows up for their audition. She is dressed well, and as she sits down, she opens her notebook. You notice she has many bullet points, proving she did the research and the reading to prepare. After introductions, she says, “So, I understand you are having trouble producing the results your clients need. I imagine this is stressful for you and your clients.”
She follows up by saying, “There are generally three reasons you are unable to take care of your clients. It may be your process, it could be the chemicals you are using, or it could be your maintenance.” You ask about the chemicals, and the salesperson responds by asking about the chemicals you use. The chemicals are fine, but we’ll need to look at the chemicals you use during maintenance.
The salesperson says, “Can you have your maintenance person share what they use for maintenance as that might be the source of the issue?” You have someone get the head of production and they explain what chemicals they use. The sales-rep says, “You have two choices. You can replace the production chemicals, or you can change your maintenance chemicals.” Without asking, she says, “If it were me, I would change the maintenance chemicals, because there are several compounds that work with your production chemicals, and those interactions can be difficult to manage. Based on how long you have been using those compounds, you are going to be offline for a full maintenance cycle including your conveyor belts.”
You, the CEO, are happy you found a salesperson with the expertise to tell you what to do to solve your problem.
The Contrast: Traditional Sales Reps versus Consultative Experts
You must have experience to be One-Up. You must learn why your clients fail in all their variations, as well as what works to improve results, as different problems may require different solutions and different advice.
Winning with Consultative Selling
If you want to win deals, especially large, enterprise-level clients, know that your contacts will only buy from a person who knows more about their problem and what they need to do to solve their problem. Increasingly, buyers want advice about their change initiative and how best to go about getting the decision right. You should avoid taking advice that will prevent you from being consultative and telling your client what they need to do to succeed.
Your standard should be the most knowledgeable consultative sales professional. When your client needs help, you should be the first person that comes to mind. They don’t need a poseur who lacks the chops to be able to be invited into the room where decisions are made.
The Real Meaning of Pushiness in Sales
Pushiness is a matter of pressure or manipulation. It is not the product of providing your client with the advice they need, especially when it comes to their buyer’s journey. When deals stall, get stuck, or cause the death of their change initiative, it's often because the salesperson didn’t lead their client down the right path for the contacts and their company.
