Why do so many business owners believe that they can just wing it when it comes to sales? If you asked them if they have a procedure for reconciling the checking account they will pull out a very fine looking form (double sided) with three pages of instruction on how to perform the reconciliation. These same businesses will hire a new salesperson, give them a trunk full of literature (nice color stuff with lots of features and benefits) and send them down the road to be successful. Two weeks later the business owner is complaining that salesperson must be lazy or not a good salesperson and is ready to terminate them to find the next victim.

Features and benefits may have been the "magic" when selling to the past generation. The new generation is all about getting information and making informed decisions. Observe the amount of information they have from the internet (no discussion about the veracity of the information out there). They would rather have a consultant providing information and options rather than a salesperson pushing an cramming a solution down their throats.

In reality, the consultative sale has been the most powerful for many years (even the last generations). Effective consultative sales are based on a system. The system requires that the salesperson act like a consultant, from the first word until the sale is closed. The system, when designed and tailored to the specific industry, creates an interaction between the prospect and consultant that provides structure and a clear path for both. Having a clear path allows for a more open and truthful information exchange.

As a professional business coach who uses such a system, the sale is more concerned with making sure there is a good fit (prospect and product or service), that there is a budget, the decision maker(s) is (are) present and a clear next step. Generally, when a prospect is asked, "What do you think the next step should be?" they are asking about how soon we can get started, and I haven't done a dog and pony show. There is a quicker path to a true "no" and to a "yes".

Where are you on sales training?