Consultative selling has been around for quite a while. At least as long as I have been in sales and that’s a long time. I find it a little humorous that current authors, sales gurus, and presidents of sales teams feel they are the originator of this selling style. I also find it a little odd that 70 to 80% of the sales professionals I have come in contact with don’t do it. Why is that? To understand this we need to have a basic understanding of what it is.
Like clockwork, every year, I have this gnawing at my subconscious that I should develop some sort of personal and professional direction for the year. I fret and stew over what these elusive goals should be many times giving up on this endeavor all together in frustration. I’m terrible at setting goals! How about you?
The last time I searched and interviewed for a leadership job I had an interesting experience. In one particular instance the interviews had gone well with the hiring manager hinting to me that it was mine. “When you come aboard Chris, we will need to…“. My inside sources were telling me I had nailed the job as well. At the 11th hour, however, everything went silent. After pushing for information I received the “dear John” letter that I had not received the position. How could this happen?
I really get frustrated over this. They get hired… great looking, educated, and all the potential in the world. Then they start in with the “what’s in it for me” attitude. Everything is about them. There’s no “big picture”. Very little appreciation for others in general and definitely not what anyone has done for them. They critique, critique, critique, and really don’t add any new ideas. Entitlement. I’m not a self-centered sales manager but they make me want to be. Let me give you an example.