It's All About the People
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Selling Solutions
"Most people do not like to feel 'sold,'" agrees Michael T. Bosworth, author of Solution Selling. "It makes them feel manipulated or taken advantage of." Rather than trying to unload your product on a wary buyer, Bosworth recommends seeing yourself as a "buying facilitator."
Cultivate a collaborative relationship with the prospective buyer by focusing on value over product. Value, which includes the service, training, consultation and any other perks that accompany your product, is what sells. It offers buyers solutions that are sensitive to their wants and needs, exceeding the intrinsic value of the product.
Selling solutions also facilitates an ongoing relationship with the customer. "Salespeople who are good enough to facilitate the buying process rarely have to close," Bosworth insists. "The buyer volunteers to buy."
