The Guide to Transitioning Your Team to Be Sustainable Resources

PEOPLE. PERFORMANCE. PROFITABILITY.

The Guide to Transitioning Your Team to Be Sustainable Resources
Moving from “Transactional Persuaders” to “Consultative Resources”
By: Jerry Scher, Principal

Watch A Falling Star Contents

Watch A Falling Star . . . . . 1
As the superstar sales person for his company two years running, John
had developed a strong book of business. His forecasts were reliable. Role of the Sales Person
He continued to add clients while retaining his existing ones. His sales Continues to Evolve . . . . . 2
manager regularly sang his praises. Everything was humming along.
Transactional vs Consultative
Then, in less than sixty seconds, John’s world dramatically changed. Selling . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Transition Your Team . . . . . 5
As he signed into the guest log to see Charles, the purchasing manager
of his top client, Martha, the receptionist asked if he had time for a quick Selling is a Process, Not
chat with the CEO that day. “The CEO? What on earth did the CEO want an Event . . . . . . . . . . 6
from him?” John thought. Traits of a “Consultative
Resource” . . . . . . . . . 6
“Sure,” John replied, somewhat anxious. “Should I wait here or shall I go
on back to see Charles?” Where to Go From Here?. . . 7

About the Author . . . . . . 8
“Why don’t you wait here. Charles is no longer employed here. Our new
purchasing manager is Suzanne Smith. Have you by chance met Suzanne
on your prior visits?” asked Martha.

John barely heard the part about Suzanne. He was reeling. His only real
relationship at the company was gone. He had no clue who Suzanne was.
And, the CEO wanted to speak with him. All of this with no warning! What
was happening here? And, what would happen to the substantial order
Charles was to sign today? He was counting on that order to make his
numbers this quarter – without it he would surely come up substantially
short.

His only shot at saving this critical order was to meet with the CEO! A
purchasing manager was one thing, but meeting with a C-level person was
quite another. John was completely out of his comfort zone. “What on
earth could they possibly have in common or talk about?” he thought. He
knew nothing about the CEO and had never done any real research about
him. He had relied solely on Charles for information about the company.

He was totally unprepared for this. John sat quietly in the reception area,
his butterflies multiplying and his heart pounding harder and harder…

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As you can tell, John’s relationship with Charles had been very
“transactional.” Charles always knew what he needed to order.
Occasionally John would tell Charles of a new product, and then leave him
some literature. John had not developed other relationships there. He had
not even given it thought. Why bother since he and Charles had such a
good arrangement?

Perhaps John’s story sounds a bit too familiar?

The Role of the Sales Person Continues to Evolve The ability of sales people
The role of the sales person continues to evolve in most industries and trained as “transactional
rightfully so. Chances are you’ve noticed that your clients are far more persuaders” to confer with
demanding today. It’s not just about quality, service, delivery and/or price these C-level decision
demands anymore. Now they want to know things like how you’ll help makers and business/
them achieve their future plans and profit goals. Maybe they’re asking marketing executives is
about your green/sustainable business strategies and solutions you can seriously being tested. Clearly
offer to them to help them achieve their sustainability goals. The list of many sales people are well
new questions goes on and on. outside their comfort zone.
Some simply can’t make the
More and more these questions are coming from the C-level decision stretch.
makers and those responsible for the long term strategy for their company
(the “profit” managers) and less from the purchasing department (the
“cost” managers). The ability of sales people trained as “transactional
persuaders” to confer with these C-level decision makers and business/
marketing executives is seriously being tested. Clearly many sales people
are well outside their comfort zone. Some simply can’t make the stretch.

Transactional sales won’t disappear any time soon, nor should they. There
is still room for great transactional sales people and there is substantial
transactional business that can and must continue to be done. However,
consider the value of that business and how much of what the sales
person handles can be turned over to an inside sales person, project
manager or even web based technology. If the client knows exactly what
they want and you are able to maintain business relationships without an
expensive sales person in the equation, there are a variety of other ways
to retain the existing business as well as further develop future business
opportunities.

So, how should you go about determining if you need to invest
in transitioning your sales team (or at least select members) to a
consultative selling approach?

Start by considering these questions:

▲▲What do our clients look for in a sales representative? (If you don’t
know, now would be a good time to start asking.)


▲▲How complex is our typical sale?

▲▲Has our sales cycle become more complex than in the past?

▲▲Who is really making the buying decisions? Has that changed in
the recent past?

▲▲Are there new “green” supply chain requirements entering the
purchasing decision?

▲▲Who do your sales representatives call on and what are the
relationships? (How deep are they in each account? One person or
many people, across levels – including the C-level.)
▲▲Who else in your organization is involved in the overall sales and
account management process?

▲▲What type of marketing is proving most effective for your company
in communicating with clients and prospects? Transactional sales people
tend to focus on their
After answering these questions and considering the ways you conduct product, not on their
business, let’s not abandon a successful transactional approach; just client’s business. They are
apply it differently. In the meantime, we must reconsider the role those responsible for identifying
highly professional sales people can play in business development and prospects and telling their
prepare them to deepen the multilevel relationships required in this company story.
rapidly changing business environment.
Consultative sales people
focus primarily on the client
Transactional versus Consultative Selling and their business issues.
They develop multilevel
Transactional sales people tend to focus on their product, not on their relationships including
client’s business. They are responsible for identifying prospects and procurement, production,
telling their company story. In the past they were the primary source of middle management and the
information for the client about product/solutions that were available. In C-level positions.
fact, many clients looked forward to meeting with sales people because
they were the only source of industry knowledge. Today, especially with
the pervasive use of internet technology, clients are far better informed
and in many cases have more information than the sales people calling on
them. Why? Most likely they’ve researched similar products from other
companies. Unfortunately, most transactional sales people only know
about their own products.

A client searching for a solution to a problem can do their own research
and by the time the sales person shows up at their door, they are fully
aware of the choices available to them. In other words, clients already
know what they need and where they can get it. The sales person must
present their solution(s) and then persuade the client that theirs is the
best choice. The focus is clearly on product, price and performance and
the differentiation must come from the systems in place to satisfy issues


Transitioning
Your Sales Approach

Transactional Model Consultative Model

Product is Commodity Client Focus
Product is Understood Business Needs Assessment
Buyers Know What They Want Focus Financial Implications
Consumable – Repeat Business Complex Sales Process
Price and Performance Business Growth Issues
Delivery and Invoicing Value Provided Beyond the Product

Consumer Multiple Levels
Procurement Decision Makers & Influencers
Seen as Source of Product Relationships Seen As Trusted Advisor
Cost Manager-Limited Authority Profit Managers with Authority

Establish Relationships Strong Communicator –
Product Expert Interview and Listen
Features-Benefits Presentation
Skills Analytical Problem Solver
Great Persuader Application of Financial Implications
Facilitate Transaction Facilitate Implementation
Sell as Part of a Team


Is Consultative
Selling Right For
Your Company?

▲▲ Do you want your
of quality and delivery, along with the company’s ability to manage the sales people to be
transactional experience. The selling relationship is at the procurement viewed as intruders
level and that’s where the relationships are developed and maintained. or trusted business
advisors?
Once the business is established, the management of these transactions
can be handled by non-direct sales people. In fact, utilization of an ▲▲ Are they capable,
e-commerce model might work very effectively and be far more cost with additional training
effective. So, you can see why it is extremely important that you carefully if needed, of dealing
define the role of the direct sales person as well as cost justify their with multiple levels
involvement. within the client’s
business?
Consultative sales people focus primarily on the client and their business
▲▲ Do you know
issues. They develop multilevel relationships including procurement,
what your client’s
production, middle management and the C-level positions. Their primary
expectations are of your
responsibility is to engage these contacts in extensive dialogue, carefully
sales staff?
diagnose the current business issues that are “keeping them awake at
night,” offer a range of solutions and orchestrate the resources of both ▲▲ Does your company
companies to resolve the agreed upon issues. have the core
competencies required
They must focus on the clients’ business challenges and should be seen as to go beyond being a
a partner in their efforts to achieve their business goals. They should be transactional supplier?
capable of analyzing the client’s Long Term Value (LTV) to their company
and position themselves and their company as a highly valued supplier. ▲▲ Are your sales
The ability to build lasting relationships enables them to strategically people focused on
position your company as a “trusted business advisor” – far beyond themselves, getting
“vendor” status. the order and
commission or are
they studying their
Transition Your Team From Being “Transactional client’s business and
Persuaders” to “Consultative Resources” industry and searching
for ways to add value
It is increasingly clear that e-commerce will replace a larger segment of that differentiates
the transactional business in which so many companies are engaged. themselves and your
Furthermore, with other client-facing employees playing a more critical company? (And, are
role in business retention and client satisfaction, the direct sales person’s they rewarded for the
role in transactional business is diminishing. latter?)

As a result of consolidations within many industries, the intensification of ▲▲ Do you have a clear
competition and availability of new products and technologies, the sales understanding of your
process across most industries is becoming more complex. company’s business
relationship goals,
For example, selling commercial printing is no longer just a function of acceptable margins and
establishing a relationship with the print buyer and responding to their a concise go-to-market
requests for quotes. Companies are entering into bundling programs and strategy regarding
searching for assistance in executing a sustainable green printing strategy. everyone involved in
Critical decisions are being moved up the ladder to higher level managers the selling process?
and most transactional sales people do not relate effectively at that level.


Companies continue to analyze their business relationships and reduce the
number of vendors with which they choose to do business. The partners
they select for their future must bring a great deal more to the table and
a true consultative sales professional must be able to strategically position
your company to be taken seriously. This will happen only when real value
is added beyond the product.

Selling is a Process, Not an Event
A consultative sales strategy requires a higher degree of competence. To More often than not,
begin with, sales professionals must have a strong knowledge of business people are hired based
management, not just your product line. They must be truly capable of on eligibility and fired
focusing on the client’s business and willing to study the industries to based on suitability.
which they are selling. They must have a thorough knowledge of your Most companies look at
company’s core competencies and how these competencies link to their a resume, get references
clients’ businesses. In fact, one way of looking at them is they must be and then interview – and
a businessperson ﬁrst, involved in selling with impressive interpersonal hire or promote based on
communication skills. They must understand that selling is a process, not eligibility. Few take the
an event and be able to function as a business advisor and an orchestrator. time to objectively evaluate
candidates (for hire or
Traits of a “Consultative Resource” promotion) for suitability. It
is imperative to look beyond
Behavioral traits that demonstrate an individual’s suitability as a can the person do the job,
consultative sales professional include a blend of the following: and look at will they do the
job, and do it well…
Wants Challenge Wants to Lead Takes Initiative
Diplomatic and Frank Persistent Authoritative
Enthusiastic Optimistic Helpful
Empathetic Influencing Analytical
Self Acceptance Enlists Cooperation Planner
Precise Handles Conflict Systematic
Open to Feedback Self Improvement Handles Stress

The skills that you should look for when evaluating a candidate’s eligibility
for a consultative sales position are as follows:

▲▲The ability to ask questions and comfortably engage people in
dialogue

▲▲A working knowledge of the consultative sales process

▲▲A clear understanding of the strategies of value added selling

▲▲Experience and comfort calling on all levels of a client, including
C-level contacts



▲▲Strong negotiating skills (with the client and on behalf of the
client)

▲▲The ability to work around the politics in an organization (yours
and that of the client) Start with a full, objective
evaluation of your current
Transitioning a sales team from a transactional sales approach to a team. Yes, objective
consultative sales strategy requires careful planning, evaluation of evaluations are hard to
your existing sales professionals and a strategic approach to identifying, come by. That’s why we
recruiting and training new talent for your organization. use a proven tool for the
You not only need the right strategy, you need the right people carrying job.
it out.

Where to Go From Here?
Not sure if your sales team has the right people with the right skills or
potential? If you said “yes,” you’re not alone. As a matter of fact, it’s a very
common problem.

A coach knows that to win a national championship, the team must be
well balanced, great players recruited, skills carefully taught and everyone
individually coached to bring out their best come game time. Your optimal
sales team really isn’t any different.

Start with a full, objective evaluation of your current team. Yes, objective
evaluations are hard to come by. That’s why we use a proven tool for the
job. The Harrison Assessment™ (HA) is simple to administer and delivers
insightful, powerful results. This tool, used for these purposes, will help
you accomplish two things. One, a better understanding of how well your
sales team members match up to the suitability traits already discussed
in this paper. And, using the same data gathered already, generate a
recommended coaching program, individualized for each person you
decide to retain on your “consultative” team.

Once you understand who you want to keep on your “consultative” team,
you must train and coach them so they can excel. The HA results for each
person, along with some insights from our team gleaned from discussions
with you, can help you clearly identify the training and coaching needed.
Yes, it really can be that simple.

If you’d like to learn more about our “jump start” program designed to
help you build your dream team, we’re happy to talk with you about it.



About the Author

Jerry Scher - Founder and Principal at Peak Focus

Jerry is well known as a business builder, c-level executive, conference speaker, trainer,
facilitator, coach, entrepreneur, and mentor. Regardless of the title, the end result is
the same–Jerry makes the people around him significantly more successful through
his ability to simplify the complex, ask the right questions, and develop appropriate
solutions to keep businesses and individuals moving forward.

About Peak Focus


Peak Focus gives you the tools to grow, develop and strengthen your team. With a mix of resources that
we’ve created ourselves, as well as several powerful tools we’ve carefully assessed and believe in, we
combine our passion and experience to guide companies and individuals toward optimized performance.
Select your team members with confidence, help your key players develop their soft skills, and learn how
to coach your entire team more effectively by engaging the experts at Peak Focus.

For more information and access to free resources, please visit our website at www.peakfocuscoach.com.

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The Guide to Transitioning Your Team to Be Sustainable Resources

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