Solution Selling is not dead.
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If you think Solution Selling is about asking a prospect “what keeps him up at night” during your first meeting, then Solution Selling is dead and buried.⚰️ Solution Selling’s reputation was built on deep discovery of needs. And a sometimes heavy-handed questioning technique of aligning the benefits of the proposed solution to those needs. Reductive and unfair. Solution Selling provides a suite of powerful tools that everyone can use. Let’s forget the concept and focus on the content. 🤓🤓.
Sales process: The 5 key components of Solution Selling are eternal. Mapping your customers’ buying process, sales process steps aligned with that buying process, prerequisites and deliverables for each step, sales enablement tools to feed and guide your sales people…and of course an ad ‘hoc management system to monitor the whole. Whatever your specificities and your creativity, checking that these fundamentals are well maintained should be the prerequisite of any sales performance analysis.⭐⭐⭐.
Discovery: in the age of information overload, your customers know everything about you and your offer before they meet you. They expect the same in return from you. Starting a meeting with open-ended questions about their company and personal challenges is the surest way to make a bad first impression😞. This component of Solution Selling has not aged well. Not the tools available in the methodology : list of decision makers , value chainThe tools available in the methodology, benchmark or value proposition – the real thing – were designed for expert discussion, not for selling to dummies. The 9-sided frame remains 🚀🚀the master asset in creating a shared vision with your customers. It just needs to be reshaped.
Control: If you’re talking to prospects who have completed 70% of their buying journey before engaging with you, you may need Challenger Sales. It’s up to you to change the game by prospecting more😉. The greatest business potential lies in latent opportunities. This is where you can create a differentiated vision from the first contact, and this is where Solution Selling makes the difference. Chiseled qualification, closing techniques, attack or defense strategy, value justification and vision reformatting: all this is in Solution Selling and has not aged. already in Solution Selling and has not aged a bit.
Champion: If you are in a transactional and not very strategic business, the champion is the right person to talk to. On the other hand, if you are pushing 6, 7 or 8 figure deals and focusing on a champion to sell for you, good luck! 😣 This is ignoring the way decisions are made and the consensus created in business. Challenger Sales is innovative in the detection of ” mobilizing ” and their coverage. Not revolutionary. In-depth role mapping, analysis of influence networks and internal politics, alignment of communication modes and management by influence : Solution Selling provides a battery of tools and techniques that ensure you leave nothing to chance 😎.
The solution selling equation is simple:
Success = Problem*Power*Value*Vision*Control.
It’s not science, it’s common sense. This is not just for strategic accounts and can be tailored to key accounts in your SMB division. Add a “P” for “Perspective” or a “C” for “Challenge” if you want. But keep your approach simple👌 The latest fad sales method is not the best and there is no better method than the one that works for you. You can put multiple ingredients into it, including those from the good old recipes.
To be continued on Bold & Sharp. Follow us on Bod & Sharp
Think. Good Selling.
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