Select people could be considered problem solvers. This quality describes a person that is good at recognizing problems and coming to a solution in order to have a sensible and mutually beneficial conclusion to that particular problem. These are the people who make the best salespeople. In a previous post, I discussed the old and new models of sales, and how they differ and why only the new model is effective today. The most fundamental difference between these two sales models is that the old model focuses mainly on the salespersons need to sell a product or service, while the new model focuses primarily on the prospects need and how the salesperson can fulfill that need. The new model is only effective today because society has become dormant to traditional salespeople’s pushy old-school tactics. Today a prospect want to see the salesperson actually be concerned about their need, and they like to see the salesperson actually be able to relieve that need. The key to this for the salesperson: being a good problem-solver.
The key tactic to finding the need of a prospect is by uncovering the problem that they have, whatever that may be. Through discovering the problem that the prospect has, it becomes clear for the salesperson how they can (or cannot) help with that problem. This means that salespeople need to understand problems and be able know how to solve them. It also means that salespeople should understand when the problem is out of their control, and there is nothing they can do in order to fix the prospect’s problem. The key to being a good problem solver in sales is through asking the right questions. If a salesperson asks questions about what the prospect needs, rather than telling them what they need, they will come across as someone who is able and willing to take time out of their schedule to actually help the prospect. This all falls under the new model of sales, and is the most effective method to effective sales in the business world we live in today.
BoweryJE22
I agree with you that this is a key characteristic that needs to be had when selling. The old way or just mainly focusing on your product and making that sale will no longer work for this market. Being aware of the issue and doing all that you can to solve the problem is the proven way to work customers!
Nick – you bring up a good point in that we salespeople should really work on problem identification,before problem Solving. Everyone’s got an answer, but perhaps the base question was weak. In-text quote from Pink: “the quality of the question asked is a direct forerunner to the quality of the solution.”