About Your Business
Ignite Selling Productivity by Using a Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method
by Dan Coleman
One of the most effective ways for sales professionals to ignite selling productivity is to use a Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method. In using a Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method, the sales professional looks at interests and needs through the lens of the customer, and not through a self-serving lens.
In order to view interests and needs through the lens of the customer you first have to develop a Creative-Problem-Solving Attitude. This customer focused attitude is defined through the following statements:
- I am here to solve a customer need, problem, or opportunity versus I must make a sale
- I have an interest in developing rapport, trust, and relationships with customers
- I ask pertinent questions, listen to, and am genuinely interested in what the customer says
- I proactively answer customer questions, and provide information about my company, products, and services
- I respectfully respond to customer objections, generate ideas, and recommend solutions
- I am patient, honest, & sincere
With a solid Customer-Problem-Solving Attitude firmly anchored, the sales professional can then ignite their selling performance by using a Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method.
What is a Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method? A Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method is defined as a set of steps to take to look at the interests and needs of a customer in order to solve a need, problem, or opportunity. These steps consist of:
Step 1: Opening the discussion and building rapport
Step 2: Discovering and defining the customer interests and needs
Step 3: Generating ideas to address the customer interests and needs – and recommending a solution
Step 4: Gaining customer agreement to move forward
You will ignite your selling productivity by developing a Creative-Problem-Solving Attitude, and applying a consistent, repeatable Creative-Problem-Solving Selling Method. Furthermore, you will find your work to be far more satisfying and rewarding because you naturally look at issues and needs through the lens of the customer – and by so doing, you better understand their needs, generate more ideas, consistently make better recommendations, and as a result… Ignite Your Selling Performance!
Stay tuned for the next edition of the PartnerShip Connection where we will discuss these steps more in-depth and discuss how to implement them.
Dan Coleman, the founder and president of Excelsior Learning, has a B.S. from State University of New York and is currently working on a M.A. in Creative Studies at Buffalo State College. He is consistently praised by his clients as a highly knowledgeable and energizing trainer who brings fresh content, practical tools, and unique experiential learning methods to deliver training that works. For more information visit www.excelsior-learning.com. Contact Dan by email at dancoleman@excelsior-learning.com or by phone at 330-284-5446.
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Welcome to the 1st edition of The PartnerShip Connection. The staff here at PartnerShip understands that every business – in every industry – has two priorities at the top of its list:
1. Sell more product or services
2. Lower overall operating expenses