Does Solution Selling matter for sales effectiveness?

Does Solution Selling matter for sales effectiveness?

It is no surprise that selling techniques are dynamic and they unfold themselves with new, collective and modern methods to suit current trends. Not long back, product selling was a fast-selling approach, but within a few years, it had to shed its skin to present itself in the new avatar called solution selling. As solution selling became widespread, many companies began describing their offerings as solutions. The product or services you were selling was the solution to the client's challenges. Now even the solution selling has taken a backseat. However, not many organizations have moved past this definition, so most salespeople still gear towards the 'talking brochure' approach, and lead procurement provides little or no value.

Solution Selling

So, has solution selling become obsolete?

Many sales professionals cling to the pitch-present-close mode, they prattle about capabilities, features, and benefits without understanding the buyers' needs. On the other hand, buyers nowadays don't rely on sales professionals to state their needs. Owing to increasingly sophisticated procurement teams and armed with troves of data, they can readily define a solution for themselves, and the solution offered by the sales people serves more of an annoyance than assets.

Companies need to convey to customers that they can add Value to their buying process, Traditional sales representatives could be at a distinct disadvantage in the current scenario; however, if they abandon much of conventional wisdom thought in a sales organization, they could be flourishing in the group of high performers. For that, they need to redefine what good selling might look like. This paradigm shift may not only communicate how great their solutions are but also become a part of the solution.

This select group beckons you with a competitive edge by providing more significant emphasis on buyers' responses, enhanced visibility of buyers' behaviour that indicate buying intent, critical skill sets to engage, and recommend next steps based on buyers' persona.

Also, these sales professionals don't just sell more effectively—they sell differently. This doesn't include improving how they currently sell; it involves altogether changing their psyche about how they sell. To accomplish solution selling as a sales effectiveness, organizations fundamentally need to rethink the training and support provided to their sales people.

solution selling

How should sales leaders help sales people to be a part of solution selling?

  • Get much involved with the customer to innovate:

    Listening and inquiry skills are of utmost importance when you shift your focus from product to part of the solution. Armed with insights, sales professionals should spearhead innovation by introducing themselves in the markets, analyzing the loopholes, and researching new capabilities to fill the chasm, curating specific individual needs and not industry-specific needs. This shall help commit to project sales targets and double their success rate for upcoming projects.

  • Maximize sales time for salespeople

    With advanced technology and digital channels all along with the organization, salespeople need not spend their precious time doing unproductive chores like answering customer requests, orchestrating internal activities, addressing grievances, or reinventing the process for every new pitch. Smart leaders avoid this by adopting interactive software consoles for sales operation and customer support. They should strive to hone professional sales skills by encouraging role plays or actual selling interaction with customers. They should also engage sales reps by injecting business acumen and shaping their product knowledge that improves overall efficiency and pivot their expertise in reigning customers to make buying decisions easier. This will also help sales reps to do what they do best: sell.

  • Quantify each sale in terms of customer value and long term profitability:

    To get more deals, reps must provide Value through each solution, selling calls, and profitability for the company. Keeping in mind the digital fundamentals, they should maximize their efforts by showing customers how they can achieve important things, offering at a reduced cost, and optimizing solutions that can provide Value For customers for a longer time.

    All this equates to a salesperson needing a broader business knowledge base, more overall industry expertise, and more excellent analytical capabilities that probably don't scream that you care more about earning more money than finding a solution to your prospective problem.

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Is solution selling- a solution for your sales approach?

To win today's market, you need to blend your solution selling into various value-driven and proactive elements at all costs.

  • Solution with insight selling

    Conventional selling emphasizes the product and service as a solution. However, they are not the solution until a customer stipulates that buying will generate an outcome. Hence, solution selling with insight selling is meant to challenge the buyers by changing their perspective and pushing them strategically out of their preconceived notions by offering value-pumping content. Instead of asking them repeated questions and hunting for hooks, prepare yourself to be an indispensable product for your prospect.

  • Create Value for your prospects

    After determining customers' problems that need to be solved, the next step is to not leapfrog about your product feature but wait for an opportunity and create Value through your offerings. Collaborate and collateral with the buyers, helping them course the vision chart of a more promising future and productivity. Stun them with new information and challenge them with unique questions. Interrogate them about the goals and challenges they face while accomplishing them. Or what are their strengths and weaknesses and help them to utilize them respectively in solving their problems. As you offer active listening to their concerns, provide them valuable suggestions and your product solution that will amp up the prospect situation. Value-based selling is a game of patience and trust-building but is worth it in the long run.

  • Focus on the business outcome

    When the focus is shifted from product features to significant business contexts, it makes your offering more relevant. When you connect your product/service offering with the business strategies, it becomes a part of the solution rather than a contribution to your sales pitch. It helps sellers to also align with client vision rather than rely solely on technical aspects. Many companies aspire to move to business outcome strategies. However, only a few get it right. Upgrading organizational capabilities, improving representative skills, and allowing more time are some of the findings that can meet the customer needs and serve as a business outcome.

  • Dedicate more time to customer interactions

    Despite the strategies involved for sales representatives to spend more time with customers, it has not gained enough momentum, and their efforts are also overlooked. Even the best rep needs enough time in front of customers to produce remarkable results. To uncover the obstacles and offer them sufficient time, they need to focus on Value-based selling rather than non-sales activities. Salespeople need to curtail down time spent on sales pitches. They can do so by using easy-to-use tools like presentation modules, solution configuration, and CRM software. Make customer interaction more enjoyable by carrying out effective campaigns or riveting activities inside the prospectus chamber, making the interaction more impactful.

  • Success will not come by selling different things but by selling differently.

    When you scramble to chase different products/ services for a single prospect, there are many hurdles and failures but success. By curating customized selling techniques and sales pitches, it is explicitly clear how the offering improves client conditions and helps them meet their objective. It also takes strategic initiative at the executive level for solution selling to become a reality within your sales process.

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Final Takeaway:

Utilizing a solution-based sales approach extends the Value delivered by your product by satisfying both needs and expectations of the buyer. The solution doesn't work as a separate entity but combines products, services, and possible additions. Also, a salesperson alone cannot work in today's sales environment. Today, buyers are the ones who will be determining the ideal solution for them.

If you and your company want to increase your market share and uplift your bottom line, a shift to solution selling is essential. Take a look at your current sales approach and see where you can present solutions rather than a list of features. It won't cut it to give your salespeople some training and tell them to talk about solutions.

Effectively working together with your sales team and strategizing how customers may view your product concerning their problems will take your sales to the next level.

Connect with ChalkWalk Consulting team that can help you save precious time managing your territories and allow you with ample opportunities to develop solutions for your prospects in a very scientific way. Write to us on info@chalkwalkconsulting.com

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