You've likely heard all the clichés and stereotypes about sales reps. Many people don't have the best feelings about salespeople. Whether it's a feeling of distrust or a flat-out refusal to hear run-of-the-mill sales pitches, it's not always easy to close deals using old-school sales strategies.
Modern clients are more competent and a touch more jaded. It's not enough to sing your product's praises. To close deals, your reps need to connect with customers and focus on their distinct needs. That's where solution selling comes in.
Solution selling is a method that shifts the focus of a pitch. Instead of selling a product, you're selling a solution to a prospect's needs. It's about building trust, being empathetic, and providing a practical recommendation.
Product Selling vs Solution Selling
The end goal is the same, but there are many differences between product selling and solution selling. The former is the epitome of product pushing and is why many people distrust sales representatives. Older sales methodologies prioritized the deliverable and nothing else. Back then, that was all you needed! But modern prospects are more informed and can easily compare options on their own time. It's not enough to highlight a product's features and hope prospects buy in. Now, you must focus on the goals you can help them achieve and the problems you can help them solve.
That's what solution selling is all about. It's reframing the pitch to focus on what your offering can do to alleviate the unique issues your customer faces. What is solution selling if not a lesson in understanding and empathy? By taking this approach, your reps can suggest products without seeming like all they care about is the sale. Think of it as consultative selling. Your salespeople are finding the solutions, building trust, and creating more than surface-level connections.
Examples of the Customer Solutioning Process
Transitioning to a customer-focused methodology can be challenging if your sales team only has experience highlighting your company's products and nothing else. It requires reps to take a closer look at a prospect's needs and gather as much information as possible to develop a holistic strategy that convinces them to close a deal. Here are a few steps your team can take to put customer solutioning to good use.
Research the Customer’s Goals and Needs
The first step in the solution-focused sales process is identical to what your reps would do in a traditional sales scenario. It all begins with research. But in this case, the research should revolve around the customer's needs and goals. The objective is to understand the types of challenges a buyer has. What roadblocks are they dealing with, and how does your product or service fit into the equation?
A lot of this information can be prepared before you ever make a sales call. But there's always the opportunity to expand on that knowledge with a discovery call.
Understand Their Problems and Pain Points
After understanding a prospect's goals, you can identify pain points. What's stopping the potential customer from bringing those plans to fruition? What are the constant pain points preventing them from reaching a new level of success?
The definition of customer solutioning is figuring out what they need to achieve their happy ending. A big part of that is learning how to identify the unique challenges they face.
Be Prepared with Real, Valuable Solutions
Here's where solution selling stands out. The goal isn't to gather knowledge about pain points and blindly recommend your product as the resolution. Customers see right through that tactic. If you cannot connect the dots, what's the point in even attempting this technique?
The key here is to provide an honest, actionable solution. This strategy succeeds because it highlights the ROI of your product or service. You must demonstrate the true value of what you're selling and draw that connection to how it solves the customer's problem.
Demonstrate Your Understanding and Build Trust
Above all else, your reps need to demonstrate empathy. That's the definition of solution selling. It's about showing that you understand the prospect's needs. You're not just listening and waiting for the opportunity to make a pitch. You empathize and fully comprehend the magnitude of the challenges.
Success with this technique hinges on a rep's ability to gain trust. For example, a lead isn't going to buy what your team's selling if they come off as disinterested or uncaring. In fact, a lack of understanding will only turn leads away, driving them to your competitors.
Sell Positive Outcomes, Not the Product
The definition of solution selling is in its name. It's selling the solution, not the product! The goal is to demonstrate how your goods or services solve the pain points. Reps can mirror the customer's language, highlight relevant use cases similar to their situation, and show how effective the solution is. It's about driving that point home and recommending the right products. When your reps do that, they go from being another salesperson to becoming a trusted consultant committed to handling the needs of a prospect.
Avoid the classic sales approach and those cliché pitches. Modern buyers are more cunning, and listing off product features won't cut it. You must focus on the prospect's problem and the best way to solve it, using your products to get better results.
Elevate Your Sales Strategy with the Flockjay Platform
There's a lot to gain from concentrating on a prospect's needs. No one likes to feel like they're going through the usual song and dance of a sales pitch. Solution sales is a better approach because it makes your potential buyers feel seen, heard, and supported. It doesn't matter if you're working with decision makers for a B2B client or trying to find the right solution to every consumer's individual needs. This strategy works.
When you're ready to put solution selling into action, check out Flockjay. Flockjay is a comprehensive sales platform that empowers your team to reach its full potential. With features like peer-to-peer learning, flexible training systems, and easy-to-access sales scripts, your reps will have everything they need to master the art of solution selling.
