Moving from Product Selling to Solution Selling

Overview/Description
 Where do you start to develop a consultative sales relationship when there isn't a well-defined purchasing channel for the product or service you're trying to sell? Just getting your foot in the door isn't enough. First, you must understand the decision-making process and recognize appropriate selling strategies for each phase of the process. Then, you must identify key points of influence and strategies for creating wins for each influencer. This course will help you to become a problem solver for clients rather than a product promoter. It will help you recognize each role you'll assume during the sales process, and how these roles influence each stage of the buy decision. It will help you recognize key influencers in the complex sales characteristic of large organizations. Finally, it will help you develop win strategies for each key influencer.

Target Audience
 Sales professionals at all levels, sales managers, sales team leaders, executives who wish to target the sales function for higher performance

Expected Duration
2.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

The Essential Role of Solution Selling

  • recognize the importance of solution selling in the spread of new technologies and services.
  • sequence the steps in the adoption of new technologies.
  • match the early steps in the technology-adoption process with descriptions of the salesperson's role for each step.
  • match the final steps in the technology-adoption process with descriptions of the salesperson's role for each step.

    • The Decision-making Process

  • recognize the importance of matching the selling process to the decision-making process.
  • sequence the phases of the purchasing decision.
  • distinguish between situations exemplifying needs and situations exemplifying problems.
  • distinguish among the types of questions used by sales consultants.

    • Identifying Points of Influence

  • recognize the importance of developing selling relationships for delivering wins.
  • match the key influencers of buy decisions with their roles.
  • select descriptions illustrating the results produced by a product or service solution.
  • identify the characteristics that distinguish wins from results.

    • Sell Solutions, Not Products

  • recognize the value of solution-selling for large-account sales.
  • select situations for which solution selling is more appropriate than traditional selling.
  • identify the reasons it is important to maintain an account focus.
  • identify the key elements that must be considered in analyzing each account's current position.

    • Course Number: SALE0141