Consultative Selling – the Key to Customer Retention and Growth

When a potential customer walks into your shop and requests product X do you happily process their request or are you prepared to offer product Y and Z too?  Do you take the time to inquire about how the product is going to be used, what impact the customer is trying to make, or what they hope the end result will be?  When we get busy it is far too easy to become an order taker, but with a little consultative selling you can quickly become a partner in your clients’ success.

Often, your clients are trying to build brand identity or highlight a specific value proposition for their customers.  They are looking for new ways to implement their business strategy, so they are open to learning. When you offer to educate the customer on how their business strategy translates into new or alternative product opportunities, you are helping them solve their problems, so they come to trust you and value your opinion.

Here at Beacon Graphics, the value we bring to our clients is not only providing a one stop shopping experience, but also to make sure they have the right product for the job.  We’re fortunate to have several industry professionals on staff which allows us to provide an application based approach to ensuring our clients have what they need to be successful.  This might mean suggesting a similar but better suited product for the specific task at hand; it also might mean identifying product extensions or design suggestions.  In a highly competitive marketplace, this approach can make the difference between a one-time customer and a long term partnership.

Take the time to practice consultative selling, not just profit selling.  Your customers will thank you for it…time after time.