Digital Sales Training Blog

I talk to thousands of sales managers and their teams every year who bring up consultative selling, usually in this context: “Our sale is a little unusual. We do consultative selling.” I nod knowingly even though I want to challenge them by asking: “Really? You do consultative selling? As opposed to what, non-consultative selling? What would that be? What sales team believes they are doing non-consultative selling?” I say this jokingly because consultative selling is the only way to sell. The problem is that very few people really agree on what it is or what they need to do to incorporate consultative selling into their approach and sales process.

Being a sales professional has changed drastically over the years. From product focused selling and limited buyer touch points to solution-based selling and personalized buying journeys, the sales landscape has evolved. What does that mean for salespeople in 2020 and beyond? It means that sales professionals must become agile and adaptable. It’s not enough to have effective selling skills. Sales pros need the ability to assess a sales situation and then apply the right skill, at the right time, with the right decision-maker. On top of that, sales professionals must have the ability to seamlessly transition from one skill to another.

High-performing athletes, whether football, baseball, golf, tennis, swimming, etc. share common qualities and traits.

A healthy sales pipeline means you have the right balance of opportunities at every stage. A sales pipeline stage represents each step a prospect takes through your sales process, from becoming a lead to becoming a customer. But it all starts with a first appointment. It is the foundation to building a solid pipeline.

Video is such a powerful and dynamic medium for communication.

Sales requires constant communication. You’re either writing an email, crafting a proposal or sales presentation, gathering information over the phone, asking questions during a meeting, listening to a client’s feedback, and the list goes on. Salespeople have to be expert communicators. This is especially true since the buying process has changed. Buyers are more informed, which gives them more power. In fact, according to an Accenture study, 94% of B2B buyers say they actually conduct online research before making a buying decision. And guess what? A report from Forrester stated that 59% of buyers prefer to do research online instead of consulting a sales professional because they believe that salespeople are likely to push their agenda rather than focusing on solving the problem.