Most of us who were trained in sales since the 1970’s were taught the principles of “consultative selling.” However, the consultative selling skills of listening, relationship building, product knowledge, and implementation of incremental recommendations are no longer sufficient for reaching executive-level buyers.
Below is an article I wrote for Middle Market Executive on why middle market companies need to ditch consultative selling. Perhaps you will decide that your company needs to ditch consultative selling as well
“Ditch Consultative Selling If You Want to Reach Executive Decision Makers”
The conspiracy to keep sales people away from executive decision-makers by trapping them in purchasing processes conducted by non-executive gatekeepers is real. You are not imagining it. Organizations continue to seek efficiency through automating and regulating the buying process, which is code for “kicking sales people out of the picture.” This is evident in the trend of companies standardizing the buying process to the point that a spreadsheet or technology often replaces the need for a sales consultant. In fact, Gartner estimates that by 2020, customers will manage 85 percent of their purchasing transactions without talking to a human.
See more at: http://middlemarketexecutive.com/middle-market-companies-need-ditch-consultative-selling/
Want to learn more about how to grow in this new era of sales? Download a FREE chapter of the upcoming book: Life After the Death of Selling: How to Thrive in the New Era of Sales.
