Consultative Sales and Selling

Course Outcomes

This web-based consultative service and sales training course will:

• Explore the idea of trust and its importance in building relationships with customers and clients.
• Discuss customer journeys and the value of defining them.
• Offer suggestions for building rapport.
• Suggest methods for asking questions and uncovering what is important to customers.
• Provide ideas for servicing and selling to different types of customers.
• Listen actively and reflectively.
• Use creative problem solving to overcome objections.
• Create a sales and service plan for different customer groups.
• Provide participants with tools to better understand their customer base and where they should allocate their time.

Course Overview

Great service and sales cannot consistently happen without planning and effort. Those interacting with customers must ask the right questions, listen for answers, and offer solutions that meet needs and solve problems. In other words, they must have their ducks in a row. This virtual classroom series is designed for people who wish to strengthen their relationships with clients and customers, improve service, and increase sales. The program comprises six 90-minute to 2-hour sessions and is facilitated using the Adobe Connect virtual training platform. The course includes a pre-training assignment and homework between sessions. Ideally, the sessions are scheduled and delivered every one to three weeks.

Session One: Trust and Consultative Service and Sales

In preparation for this session, participants will answer several pre-work questions. They will also complete a trust inventory.

The course begins with a discussion about trust and its paramount importance in consultative service and selling. We will examine David Maister’s trust equation and the conditions that must exist for trust to occur between two parties. Next, we will discuss consultative selling and service and how they differ from order taking. In addition, we will look at customer segments and the journey each follows through the service and sales process.

Segment Modules

• Understanding the Importance of Trust
• Recognizing What Trust Does and Doesn’t Look Like
• Exploring How Consultative Service and Sales Are Different
• Articulating Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
• Plotting Customer Journeys and Identifying Touch Points That Make a Difference

Homework

• Diagram your current processes: inbound sales, outbound sales, inbound service, and outbound service.
• Complete a communication styles profile.

Session Two: Rapport Building and Questioning Skills

Session two of the program focuses on building rapport and asking the right questions. During this part of the course, we will explore the importance of identifying the information that is important to learn about each customer. We will also share techniques for connecting with customers, recognizing people styles, asking for information in such a way that it does not appear intrusive, and creating a customer profile.

Segment Modules

• Defining What You Want to Know
• Exploring People Styles
• Building Rapport
• Asking for Information Without Being Pushy
• Building a People Profile

Homework

• Create a people profile template and list of questions to ask prospects and customers.
• Complete the listening styles profile.

Session Three: Listening and Credibility

The next program segment takes a deep dive into listening and how strong listening skills can build credibility. We will look at the behaviors good listeners exhibit and how to listen actively and reflectively. We will also explore techniques for overcoming barriers to strong listening and the importance of hearing what isn’t said.

Segment Modules

• Knowing the Value of Listening
• Being a Good Listener
• Overcoming Barriers to Good Listening
• Using Active and Reflective Listening
• Listening for What Is Not Said

Homework

• Compile a list of reasons why people object and a sale does not close.

Session Four: Steps for Addressing Objections

Strong salespeople know the importance of creative problem solving when overcoming objections and getting to a “yes” about which both parties can be happy. This session explores the ins and out of objections and techniques for getting to an agreement. In this part of the course, we will discuss the importance of keeping track of the process, systems for tracking negotiations, methods for working through problems, and plans for following up when a deal gets away.

Segment Modules

• Understanding Why People Object
• Reading Tells
• Keeping Track of Progress
• Asking “What If” Questions and Other Solutions for Solving Problems
• Following Up When You Don’t Get the Sale

Homework

• Identify the types of interactions you find difficult.
• Complete a conflict resolution profile.

Session Five: Difficult Situations and Challenging Interactions

Whether it’s getting past a gatekeeper to talk to the right person or handling an unhappy customer, consultative sales and service people know how to manage difficult situations and challenging interactions. Sometimes problems arise because of something a service provider does or fails to do. In other instances, discord is rooted on the customer’s side. Regardless of where it starts, providers need to understand their responsibilities to resolve problems and what they can and can’t control. This session addresses service recovery, conflict resolution, and skills for resolving issues.

Segment Modules

• Recognizing What Makes People “Difficult”
• Understanding Your Conflict Resolution Style
• Knowing What You Can and Can’t Control
• Deescalating Heated Conversations
• Solving Problems and Providing Service Recovery

Homework

• Describe how you currently plan your day and allocate time to different activities.

Session Six: Retention and Service Strategies

Customers don’t come from the same mold, and they don’t necessarily want or need the same things. Nevertheless, many businesses practice a one-size-fits-all approach. Consequently, they don’t service or sell as efficiently or as effectively as they could. In this final session, we will explore the importance of goal setting, planning, and following different strategies for different customer segments. Using Business Training Works’ strategic-thinking tool, Lenses: Gaining Focus and Seeing New Perspectives,^TM participants will identify where they should focus their time. In this segment, we will also discuss the importance of defining the ideal customer profile and looking for other customers who meet the criteria. Finally, we’ll discuss the value of tracking activities and measuring results for the purpose of making adjustments.

Segment Modules

• Considering the Customer Landscape Through Three Lenses
  • Profitability and Volume
  • Profitability and Ease of Service
  • Power and Interest
• Crafting a Contact Plan for Different Client Segments
• Creating the Ideal Client Profile
• Allocating Time
• Tracking Activities and Measuring Results