Five steps to becoming a consultative selling pro

By Amanda L. Cole

CASE STUDY: Take five

Paul Kiewiet, executive director of the Michigan Promotional Products Association (MPPA), shared an example of consultative selling in action. On a visit to a spray paint company, a potential client quietly pointed out a promotional product salesman who he claimed always was pestering him and trying to sell him a coffee mug. "And I just kind of made a note of it," Kiewiet said. "I got thinking about it when I was back at the office and started thinking about the spray paint and its promise that it could dry so quickly that you could put a second coat on in 10 minutes," he continued. "I came up with a promotion 'Take a [spray paint brand] coffee break' and offered, of course, a coffee mug. The client bought 10,000 coffee mugs from me and he never really connected the dots that I just sold him 10,000 coffee mugs."

You may think your sales strategy is flawless, but even seasoned professionals need an occasional boost. This is where consultative selling can help. Consultative selling involves a creative approach designed around the client's needs. To do it right, the salesperson must develop a relationship with the potential client before trying to make a sale.

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Amanda L. Cole Author's page

Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. She was formerly editor-in-chief of special projects for NonProfit PRO's sister publication, Promo Marketing. Contact her at acole@napco.com.

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