The Art of Consultative Selling | The Discovery Phase of Selling | Sales Training China
Just as your physician might ask you to take a series of tests during your annual physical, a solid business professional will diagnose carefully before prescribing. A “business physical” might cover all aspects of a business: environmental, regulatory, tax, financial, personnel, legal, management, and strategy. The Financial Physical process consists of four activities: preparation, the prospect meeting, needs assessment, and presentation. The first three steps are all part of a “discovery” phase of selling.
Preparation
The first activity involves gathering data and preplanning the meeting. Several tools may be used to assist this effort, including the annual financial operations review and other industry and functional checklists. It is imperative that the team understands how the prospect makes money and what the key ingredients are for success. This requires an understanding of the business and the industry.
The Prospect Meeting
The initial meeting should include members of the service team and other specialists who will be involved in the on-site part of the business physical. Because the business physical can take up to three days and requires some intrusiveness, the primary goal of this meeting should be to make the people whose work you will be interrupting believe in the value of the physical. The secondary goal is to create a plan for locating and assembling the information you will need to make meaningful recommendations.
Needs Assessment
The focus of the need assessment should be on key ingredients for this prospect’s success and your ability to provide assistance in achieving it. You need to have a thorough discussion with the prospect about current issues and problems.
Presentation
Once the prospective client’s problems and needs have been identified, you are ready to make recommendations. There may or may not be actions that your firm can take to remedy problems you identify. Don’t force your services. The generation of goodwill now could reap unforeseen future benefits.
