Solution Selling Is Not Dead
Since the 1970’s, Xerox and IBM fueled a point of view that the best salespeople frame their solution in the context of a need. Thought leaders such as Mike Bosworth, Neil Rackham and Percy Whiting have advocated a consultative framework for selling that led with questions in order to establish a business and emotional case for a prospect to take action.
Today, organizations such as CEB are winning converts to the view that solution selling is dead. They say that buyers today usually establish requirements, research options and set price expectations before initiating a sales conversation. They advise salespeople, therefore, to disrupt established thinking and coach people on how to buy. This new approach is pragmatic and aligns with the availability of information and tendency to RFP. However, it’s only half right.
Last week, we met a senior leader with budget authority in a large corporation. She knows our industry well and has met our competitors. In fact, a marketing poster from our biggest competitor hung on her office wall. She initially acted smart, aloof and clear about her needs. Despite her well-informed confidence, we built rapport, generated new interest and have a clear next step. What moved her disposition toward us was a blend of human relations principles, traditional solution selling and today’s en vogue insight selling approach.
1. Human Connection. Throughout the meeting, we appreciated this leader for her strengths. A few times, we deviated from our conversation to specifically affirm her positive qualities with clear evidence to show we were sincere. Meanwhile, we maintained warm, appropriate smiles and we tried to play ourselves down, not up. We just tried to be… human.
2. Thoughtful Questions. Some have said that “probing for pain” simply uncovers established demand, which results in a price war. By her positive reactions, though, it was clear our questions added value. Several times she said, “Good question,” or “I hadn’t thought of that.” Her world is constantly changing and she doesn’t have enough time to make sense of it all. Today, most people need help thinking. The problem isn’t with solution selling… it’s the failure to ask thought-provoking questions and really listen.
3. Point of View. We carefully provided research and insight to this leader for three reasons. First, it generated new thinking that our questions alone would not produce. Second, she appreciated information from an outside source that could be used later to substantiate her own opinions. Finally, adding value developed our brand as a thought leader. Our insights were designed to disrupt established thinking and emerge new demand, which affirms the CEB approach.
When you aren’t good at solution selling, it’s convenient to say it’s dead. Sales excellence today is more than simply replacing the old model with the new. It’s mastering every evolution of sales best practices – from human relations to consultative questioning to insight selling.
How would you assess your current sales strengths and opportunities?
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