About Solution Selling

Solution Selling® is not defined by what is being sold but by the behaviour and philosophy of the seller or selling team.

Solution Selling® is a buyer-focused process complemented by a set of practical selling tools that help sellers understand why prospects buy and the steps they go through in making a decision.

Buyer focus

Buyers willingly buy when they have and are able to articulate:

Pain: a defined problem or opportunity for which they are responsible

Vision: a clear understanding of how the seller's offering will be used to address the Pain

Transition: an understanding of the tasks or steps needed to bring about the change, often expressed as temporary, short-lived Visions

Value: the value to them of making the change, preferably expressed in money

Power: that he/she or they are empowered to make a commitment and buy

For most buyers this articulation is a journey of discovery. A key selling skill is the ability to lead people and to control the process of discovery and predict the likely selling effort required.

Knowledge and Skills

Outstanding intuitive sellers, we call them Eagles, exhibit an ability to combine four key elements to create and demonstrate buyer focus:

Situation knowledge - an appreciation of how drivers in each industry sector impact and create pressure on the individual performance of key players. For example how mergers and acquisitions create specific difficulties for marketing directors and IT directors. The specific difficulties are referred to as 'Pains'.

Capability knowledge - an insight into how the product or service could be used to address and eliminate the Pains

People skills - of building trust and establishing credibility and so being able to motivate and lead

Selling skills - the ability to plan, monitor, motivate and co-ordinate resources and control a selling campaign

By modelling the way in which Eagles integrate these elements, Solution Selling® provides a template for the delivery of industry and product knowledge that is portable, reusable and low cost.

Process

The Solution Selling® process can be defined by a flowchart that maps the development of Pain, Vision, Transition, Value, Power and overlays the element of Control to mutual benefit. The generic flowchart is often adapted or changed to fit the different categories of revenue.

Forecasting

A result of the Solution Selling® process is a strong forecasting model. The commonest reason why sales management lose their jobs is because of an inability to forecast revenues accurately and reliably, and consistently meet targets. Without accurate forecasts, executive management are unable to plan effectively so sales management are asked to move on.