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- CONSULTATIVE SELLING: WHAT ABOUT 360 DEGREE FEEDBACK?
- INNOVATIVE TEAM SELLING: ERIC BARON’S LATEST BOOK – EFFECTIVE TEAM SELLING STRATEGIES TO WIN NEW BUSINESS
- CONSULTATIVE SELLING: MAKING FEEDBACK WORK
- CONSULTATIVE SELLING: WHEN THE CLIENT’S “YES” IS AN “INTERIM CLOSE”
- CONSULTATIVE SELLING: “HEADLINING”
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Questioning Skills
INNOVATIVE TEAM SELLING: ERIC BARON’S LATEST BOOK – EFFECTIVE TEAM SELLING STRATEGIES TO WIN NEW BUSINESS
Innovative Team Selling represents the culmination of what The Baron Group has learned through its research and facilitation to course participants for over 30 years. The book focuses on the three key aspects of team selling:
- Leveraging internal resources to identify innovative solutions for clients.
- Making outstanding joint or team calls when interacting with clients.
- Managing the team selling process on a day to day basis.
Innovative Team Selling portrays a challenging team sales opportunity. You will enjoy reading and learning about Sam Jamison. Sam works with a cross functional team to attempt to win a large piece of business that they thought was beyond their reach. Ultimately, they were successful because they used the skills, techniques and principles associated with Innovative Team Selling.
Click on the book cover to purchase Innovative Team Selling online.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: MAKING FEEDBACK WORK
Generally, it’s fair to suggest that all business feedback is beneficial, in that it lets one party know what the other party is thinking— whether those thoughts are positive or negative. Clearly, one of the biggest threats the consultative salesperson could face in his/her client relationships is ignorance— our ignorance of the client’s needs, and his/her ignorance of what we can do to help. Let’s examine some elements of exchanging client/salesperson feedback that improve mutual understanding.
First, feedback’s cardinal rule: Solicited feedback trumps unsolicited feedback every time. When we invite our client’s feedback, she/he feels encouraged to be forthright and complete. When the client asks us for feedback, we have an opportunity to be forthright, too (in a respectful, professional and decorous manner, of course). Solicited feedback is usually superior in quality and is almost always heard more receptively.
Five feedback rules-of-the-road:
- Always ask for feedback with a neutral question— avoiding the implication that we’re expecting a negative response. Examples: “How does that sound?” “How are we doing?” rather than, “Do you see any problems?” “Are we missing the boat here?” etc. Note that positive implications should be avoided, too— “Sounds right, doesn’t it?” is a transparently leading statement, not a question that seeks information.
- Typically, we should respond to client feedback with at least one question. First, our question(s) signal our genuine interest in understanding what he/she means and feels. Second, it’s very unlikely that we’ll fully understand the initial feedback without some elaboration or clarification. Third, immediately responding with our point of view risks it sounding like a rebuttal, or implies that our opinion is more important than the client’s. Value feedback, and draw it out!
- In presentation situations where premature, unsolicited client feedback greatly interferes with our proposal, it’s fair to ask permission to defer elaboration until a more appropriate time. Make a (conspicuous) written note of the feedback remark, promise to get back to it later— and always deliver on that promise. (Also see our March 5 blog, “Giving Instructions Upward.”)
- Again, beware of “offering” unsolicited feedback, which is often interpreted as an unwelcome, unexpected criticism or complaint, even if intended as a helpful suggestion. A tip: if we ask the client for feedback on our performance, it may trigger his/her request for reciprocal feedback from us. Grasp that golden opportunity ever so gently and constructively.
- When business necessities dictate that we absolutely, positively must offer the client unsolicited feedback: always stress the benefit to the client resulting from accepting our feedback and behaving accordingly. Focusing on the client-benefit directs our perspective, too, as our personal needs rightly take a backseat to meeting the client’s needs.
Bi-directional feedback is the bedrock of good relationships and successful business communications. We should invite feedback often and accept it readily; offer it sensitively and selflessly; and nurture it as the foundation of our counsel and performance.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: SEEKING CONFIRMATION
An unfortunate reality of all client/salesperson conversations is that opportunities for major misunderstanding arise often. If we’re lucky, we’ll recognize our confusion and ask for clarification. The biggest threats are the undetected misunderstandings— often the birthplace of disagreement and rejected proposals. Beyond maximizing our listening skills, what can we do to nip potential misunderstandings in the bud?
The key concept here is seeking confirmation; four important examples:
- Confirming Our Review of Needs as Understood: Arguably the “granddaddy” of consultative selling confirmation situations, here’s where we play back the client needs we (think we) heard during the meeting’s situation analysis phase. If there ever was a place where we have to get it right, this is it: our subsequent recommendations will be tied to demonstrating how our product/service meets these perceived needs. Replay the client’s needs thoroughly— then ask if we got them right and got them all.
- Confirming the Agenda and Available Time: These are presumably not miscommunication problems; surprises here usually result from the (client’s) circumstances or needs having changed since we earlier agreed on the meeting’s agenda and length. The benefits of our understanding the new situation— and being able to adapt the meeting content and timing accordingly— are obvious. Ask the client straightforwardly if our agreed-upon agenda and meeting length are still valid.
- Confirming Our Paraphrase of the Client’s Objection: This third step of the Objection Resolution process “reframes” the objection as an unfulfilled client need, and defines a task that we’ll need to accomplish for our recommendation to be accepted. Since our paraphrase opens a new pathway by turning the objection into an objective, it’s necessary to get client confirmation that he/she agrees that our proposed task is the way forward.
- Confirming the sale, itself: our February 5 blog on “Closing” describes a technique for confirming the client’s readiness to buy without pressuring him/her, or resorting to artificial closing “gambits.” After the client’s objections to our recommendation, if any, have been fully resolved, we voluntarily ask if she/he needs to discuss anything else. If the answer is, “no,” we can fairly assume that the client has approved our proposal. This “assumptive close” confirmation tool is uniquely comfortable for both of us.
Although these four applications are especially important, there are many other salesperson/client dialog situations where a confirmation question or statement can be beneficial. When it comes to confirming mutual understanding, “more is more”; we should ask for repetition or clarification often— and always, if we have the slightest doubt.
Importantly, we can improve the client’s understanding of us by replaying what we’ve heard— an irresistible invitation to correct us and, therefore, to get it right. (Could we occasionally ask the client to paraphrase what we’ve said, when full understanding is crucial?)
One of the most important selling skills is knowing when and how to “seek confirmation” in our client dialogs.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: THOUGHTS ON RAISING OUR PRICE (BESIDES, “UGH”)
Certainly, one of the toughest client conversations the consultative salesperson will ever face is announcing a price increase. In most business “conflict resolution” situations, we’re offering a benefit (our product or service), but the client perceives a problem. Here, we’re offering no (new) benefit, and actually contributing a perceived problem— the higher cost. Our best possible outcome is to mitigate the client’s discomfort, rather than add tangible new value. How do we approach this daunting situation?
By the way, it might help a lot if we could offer any new benefit (e.g., a small service upgrade) along with the price increase. While it wouldn’t rationalize the new price— we’d explain that openly to the client— it could make the proposition more palatable psychologically. Some suggestions on positioning the price increase:
Exhibit the courage of our convictions. We have the same right our clients do: to charge an appropriate price in order to make a fair profit. (Our client knows this, too, although her/his fantasy would be to receive our product/service for free.) We’re not ashamed or defensive about the new pricing— but we sure are caring and understanding about the difficult situation it could create for the client. (How would we feel in their shoes?)
Be open about our own contributions to this situation. For example, should we have done this sooner— when it would have cost less? Taking legitimate responsibility shows our character, courage, professionalism and commitment to the client. Be careful to avoid “playing the victim card” by blaming our management; we’re all in this together.
Probe the client consequences thoroughly. If there ever was a situation where we need to perform in-depth questioning to uncover the client’s job-related and personal needs, this is it! Find out what challenges the client anticipates when he/she has to bring our price increase back to the office. What will she/he have to do and handle? At the least, we can be empathetic; at best, maybe we can mitigate or share some of the consequences. (An example: maybe we should explain the issues to higher-ups.) Yes, it takes a lot of will power to pursue this unpleasant conversation diligently.
Our message, on the bottom line: we’re on your side, we’d like to help and we value the relationship above all— despite the fact that we’ve had to institute a potentially problematical price increase.
Some consultants and selling skills trainers envision a “trusted advisor bank” in which each benefit we provide our client is a “deposit.” By building a substantial “balance” over time, we can sustain an occasional “withdrawal”— perhaps an error we make or a deadline we miss. Our price increase may be perceived as a big withdrawal, but our honor, expertise, commitment and empathy remain intact. We need to have the courage and sensitivity to demonstrate that, and to count on it to weather this storm.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: THE “JOHARI WINDOW” ILLUMINATES CLIENT NEEDS
The Johari Window, created by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in 1955, is a simple and powerful tool used to improve self-awareness and mutual understanding among individuals and groups. Its research technique compares and contrasts how a person sees himself/herself, versus how others see her/him. For the consultative salesperson, applying Johari to understanding client needs can be an instructive, even insightful experience. The Johari Window is comprised of four quadrants:
Open (“Arena”): This quadrant represents those personal traits that both the individual and others are aware of. Hidden (“Façade”): These are the personal traits that the person is aware of, but that others are unaware of (either because the traits aren’t conspicuous, or are being intentionally camouflaged). Blind Spot: These are personal traits that the person is unaware of, but that others can see. Unknown: These are personal traits the subject might or might not have; either way, neither he/she nor others can see them. (As such, this “potential” quadrant is typically less often addressable and actionable than the other three.)
Now, let’s substitute the phrase “client needs” for “personal traits,” and revisit Johari’s three most relevant quadrants:
Open client needs are the “easy ones,” because they’re readily recognizable to both the client and the salesperson. Indeed, if the salesperson somehow fails to spot and service all of the “open” quadrant needs, she/he risks under-serving the client (and might even lose the business to a competitor who does see these needs, and alerts our client to them).
Blind Spot client needs can be detected by thoughtful, in-depth questioning and brought to the client’s attention. This is a conspicuous example of “adding value”— and the client is sure to appreciate a salesperson who brings solutions to threats and problems he/she didn’t even know were there in the first place. On rare occasions, the salesperson may be so exceptionally knowledgeable, insightful and imaginative that she/he will discover an obscure, latent client need that probably belongs in the Unknown quadrant.
Hidden client needs are especially challenging: he/she is reluctant to volunteer certain needs to the salesperson. Examples of why this can happen: the client may feel responsible for contributing to the problem, or be concerned about the risks in trying to solve it, or be embarrassed by some aspect of his/her personal or job situation, etc. (Be empathetic; we all have such issues!) The consultative salesperson who can sensitively and supportively uncover and meet hidden needs may be forging the strongest client relationship of all.
Here’s where process enters the picture. Because client needs may be dispersed throughout all four Johari quadrants, only a rigorous, systematic, consciously (and sensitively) applied process can hope to uncover them fully and accurately. This process will necessarily emphasize questioning and listening skills— the core tools that bring needs to the surface— and it’s called, “Consultative Selling Skills.”
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: THINKING “SELFISHLY” ABOUT ISSUE RESOLUTION
Our last three blogs explored key elements of the issue resolution process. As usual, we focused on discovering and meeting our client’s needs. Now, let’s put it all into a sequence— with special emphasis on how it benefits the consultative salesperson. The Issue Resolution Sequence:
1- Acknowledge the Objection. This first step is a “climate-setter.” What it says about us: it signals the client that we won’t respond aggressively or defensively, leap to a rebuttal and try to win a (polite) argument. We respect the client’s right to object, and believe that the issue is worth pursuing. For example: responding to the objection, “It costs too much,” with the acknowledgement, “Everybody’s especially cost-conscious these days…” sends those signals in three seconds! What it does for us: our relaxed client will answer our questions more forthrightly. (Click here for acknowledgment techniques.)
2- Ask for Elaboration. What it says about us: our thoughtful, in-depth questioning process reassures the client that we really are trying to fully understand her/his objection— not just listening halfheartedly while waiting for our chance to talk. What it does for us: Examining the objection in detail enables us to discern the underlying client need(s) which we’ll need to satisfy en route to a mutually acceptable solution. (Click here for the first of four questioning-technique blogs.)
3- Paraphrase the Objection as a Need. An example: the objection, “It’s too expensive,” might be paraphrased as, “If I understand you correctly, you need to be confident that our program is cost-effective.” What it says about us: Needs are more deep-seated than solutions; connecting with the client at this level is more powerful and strategic— casting us as true consultative salespeople. What it does for us: This step (often called, “reframing”) is our opportunity to assume leadership in this dialog. Make sure the client genuinely confirms our understanding of her/his need; if not, we risk misleading both of us as we move toward addressing the need. (Click here for reframing techniques.)
4- Address the Need. Now’s our chance to do what we enjoy most: presenting our product/service as the solution. What it says about us: We’re more than pure, theoretical consultants; we also offer the product/services that will actually solve the client’s problem. What it does for us: If we accomplished the first three steps well, we should successfully make the sale here.
5- Invite Others. Now, we pointedly ask if there are any additional client comments, questions, or subjects for further discussion. (Don’t use negative, suggestive words like “objections,” “concerns,” or “problems.”) What it says about us: this step is courageous and client-focused— the ultimate proof that we’re not just there to use our selling skills on them. What it does for us: it might reveal a latent client concern we’ll need to address: better now than later.
In a nutshell: the 5-step issue resolution process makes sure we get our win in the “win-win” outcome.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: CLOSING THE SALE
Our last two blogs discussed issue resolution, first, stressing the basic concept— identifying and satisfying the client’s underlying need (rather than rebutting the objection) . Next, we explored the “reframing“ technique— where the salesperson paraphrases the objection as its underlying need, and gets client confirmation before going on to address it. This week, we’ll examine closing the sale: its basic process is essentially the same, whether or not the client has raised objections to our recommendation.
Countless selling skills books have been written about the art of closing the sale. Many of them treat closing as stand-alone, memorized and rehearsed techniques or devices— connectable to but distinct from this particular client’s needs and business situation. (Even so, in certain situations, they can sometimes work.)
The Baron Group believes that the closure should be a natural, follow-on outcome from the client/salesperson dialog which preceded it.
- If the client had no objections or reservations of any kind about our recommendation, isn’t it fair to assume that he/she is ready to commit?
- If the client did have objections that were genuinely and completely resolved, the consultative salesperson then gives him/her an opportunity to volunteer other concerns— the “Asking For Others” step. If none is forthcoming, isn’t it now fair to assume that she/he is ready to commit?
This process is call an “assumptive close,” because the salesperson’s “due diligence” in the previous needs-analysis and/or objection resolution gives him/her every right to believe that the client wants to buy. (If the salesperson isn’t reasonably confident, then ethical issues enter the picture and, pragmatically, the likelihood of closing the sale greatly decreases, too.)
The beauty of the assumptive close is that it takes the pressure off both the salesperson and the client.
- Often, even the confident salesperson feels the pressure of asking for the big “yes,” fearing rejection, or looking too aggressive, or an unwelcome and surprising negative response.
- Sometimes, even a client who is fully ready to buy can be anxious about saying the words that confirm commitment and launch the project— especially if it’s a big, costly undertaking.
The assumptive close either softens the question, or avoids asking it entirely. Here are just a few examples of assumptive closure statements and questions; some are more direct than others. “Sounds like we’re ready to proceed.” “Are we ready to move forward?” “Here’s what we need to do to make it happen.” “What’s the next step to get things started?” “ “Are you comfortable with pursuing this?” “We’re eager to start the process…” etc.
In the rare event that the client unexpectedly does push back, it’s time for (more?) issue resolution: explore the details of the objection, determine the underlying need and paraphrase it to the client’s satisfaction; address it, and move to closure again. Just make sure that closing isn’t any harder than it has to be.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: REFRAMING CLIENT OBJECTIONS
The turning point in resolving client objections is paraphrasing the objection as a need— the need which the client feels wasn’t successfully addressed by our recommendation. Once that need is uncovered and agreed upon, we’re in a position to move toward a solution, without having to argue about the original objection. (For a conceptual overview, please refer to last week’s blog, “Understanding Issue Resolution,” directly below.) Now, let’s examine the technique of “reframing” an objection.
Never forget that we’re not ready to reframe until we’ve questioned the client to identify, accurately and in detail, the need that our presentation somehow missed. (In theory, if our previous needs-analysis and subsequent recommendation had been perfect, the client wouldn’t have raised an objection in the first place. Unfortunately, reality rarely goes that well.) For more on questioning techniques, please review, “Questioning Skills- Part 3.”
When we’ve nailed that unfulfilled need, it’s time to offer a reframe: where we “turn an objection into an objective”— a goal to be reached, a task to be accomplished— rather than debating a perceived obstacle. Again, “Here’s why it won’t fly” becomes “Here’s what we need to do to make it fly.”
The exact phraseology of the reframe isn’t critical, but it is important to always include two elements in any reframing statement:
- Always use an “I message”— explicitly taking responsibility for the fact that we’re paraphrasing the client’s objection when we reframe it as the underlying need. This makes it easy for the client to disagree with or change our reframe to his/her own liking. (If necessary, we can try another reframe.)
- Always end the reframe by asking for confirmation that the client accepts it. If the client genuinely agrees, we didn’t just “put words in her/his mouth.” (Note that reframing is therefore a transparent, client-centered, non-manipulative process.) Further, our next step will be addressing that need— so we have to get it right!
Here is a generic reframe format, in which “……..” represents the client’s unfulfilled need: “If I understand you correctly, you need to …….. Is that correct?”
Now, let’s flesh out a typical reframing situation. The original client objection is, “It’ll be too much hassle.” Our follow-up questioning reveals the client’s worry that our proposal will add excessive workload on his/her staff. Our reframe might be, “If I understand you correctly, you need to feel confident that your staff can comfortably handle our proposed process. Is that correct?”
How we next address the confirmed need will depend on whether or not our current recommendation does or doesn’t actually fulfill it. Often, addressing the need is surprisingly easy, now that we know precisely what we have to accomplish.
Like most new selling skills, reframing takes practice to become comfortable and feel natural. It’s effectiveness in issue resolution makes it more than worth the consultative salesperson’s effort.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: UNDERSTANDING ISSUE RESOLUTION
The first stepping stone in every pathway toward issue resolution is establishing something on which both the objector and resolver do agree. That might seem like a daunting quest, yet the truly consultative salesperson should know where and how to look for that foundation— regardless of the specifics of the objection. This week’s blog describes a philosophy underlying successful issue resolution; next week, we’ll tackle the techniques that walk the client and salesperson down that pathway together.
One area of agreement we must always share with our clients is their need(s). The client agrees because they’re his/her needs (duh); the salesperson agrees because she/he has to! Make no mistake: you can deny solutions, but you can’t deny needs.
- An example: Your client wants to cut your fees by 20 percent (a solution) in order to demonstrate his/her value to the organization (a need). You may be able to substitute another solution, e.g., an innovative, quick revenue-generating program that will also add value. What you can’t do is ignore the client’s desire to add value (the underlying need). Indeed, why even try?
Here’s the concept that powers our issue-resolution approach: every objection is actually an unfulfilled need. Something in what we said— or didn’t say— caused the client to perceive, rightly or wrongly, that we couldn’t solve the problem or reach the target. Our fundamental challenge is to identify the need(s), not to “overcome” the objection(s).
“Turn an objection into an objective.” Those two words differ only in their last two letters, but what a difference that is. An objection is an obstacle, a potential show-stopper— perhaps just one disagreement among scores of (implicit) agreements, yet capable of killing the deal. An objective is a goal, a task to be accomplished; merely establishing an objective implicitly signals that a solution is at least possible. “Here’s why it won’t fly” becomes “Here’s what we need to do to make it fly.” Note that the objection, itself, hasn’t actually been overcome; in fact, it’s been abandoned.
Clearly, that’s a much more enjoyable, collegial, potentially productive conversation than arguing over a point of difference. (If the disagreement was heated, you can virtually feel the meeting climate change, as salesperson and client metaphorically move over to the same side of the table when they arrive at a mutually appropriate objective.)
The process we’ll be dissecting next week begins by questioning the client to define, in detail, the need(s) that our recommendation failed to address to his/her satisfaction. The critically important next step is called “reframing;” here, we paraphrase the objection as a need which— if the client agrees— sets the stage for moving toward a solution. This is a very powerful tool in every consultative selling skills tool box.
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CONSULTATIVE SELLING: WHEN CLIENT “DISCRETION” IS JUST WHAT THE SALESPERSON DOESN’T NEED
In client needs analysis, the sales team understandably expects the client to volunteer his/her most important and urgent needs first; after all, the things that matter most become top-of-mind, dominant thoughts. Yet research shows that clients will often purposely hold back the key issues— delaying them in their dialog— an obvious threat to mutual understanding and optimal client service.
It’s called “discretionary disclosure,” and it works like this. Both in business and social situations, adults often resist the urge to blurt out their most pressing thoughts and feelings because of anxiety about the response they’ll receive in return. Will the listener be understanding, supportive and empathetic, or will he/she be disinterested, distant, and unsympathetic? Faced with such uncertainties, the speaker may “test the waters” by leading with less important issues— withholding the “big stuff” until the climate feels right.
Applied in a business context, it can cause the salesperson to undervalue or completely miss the client’s most important needs. Here are three ways to avert this impediment to our client understanding and selling skills:
- Listen equally carefully to all our client’s needs— not just the ones she/he reveals early on in the dialog. Because of discretionary disclosure, the most important issues may only be broached later, when the client has become comfortable with our receptivity and responsiveness. Admittedly, paying full attention throughout the entire needs-analysis discussion is a formidable challenge to our listening skills. (Also see Listening, Part 1 and Part 2 for techniques to meet this challenge.)
- When playing back the client needs at the end of our situation analysis, we shouldn’t be reluctant to ask the client to prioritize and rank the importance of the needs we’ve discovered. Now that everything’s out on the table (and we’ve been supportive and understanding in receiving it), there’s no longer any reason for the client to be reticent about telling us, straight out, which things matter most.
- If the client habitually “saves the best for last,” it’s a sign that we need to redouble our efforts to reduce the anxiety and perceived risk that the questioning process can create in the client’s mind. What can we say and do in every client conversation to make this clear: the sole purpose of our questions is to understand the client and his/her issues well enough to be able to produce effective, on-target advice and recommendations? (For more selling skills technique in this area, see our December 26 and December 18 blogs, directly below.)
In summary: the sales team should never make assumptions about which needs matter most to our clients. Listen carefully to it all; ask the client to rank and prioritize the needs; and do everything we can to build our client’s trust— so that he/she won’t have to resort to “discretionary disclosure.”
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