While managing SaaS products, I have come to realize that revenue is generated over the lifetime of a customer and that one cannot go to rest after signing up a new customer. In fact, signing up is only half of the work. The other half is ensuring customers get their desired results and are open to up/cross-upselling.
If customers get the desired outcomes when using a product, they will continue using it, and consequently, cause the business to succeed. This means the success of any business is intertwined with the success of its customers.
Consultative Selling
I describe consultative selling as placing relationships with customers first and selling them products later. The main objective should be to build trust and sympathize with them before offering a solution while also assuring them that their concerns matter to you and that you are genuinely interested in solving them. Amazon tagged this customer obsession
Consultative selling, while interested in hitting revenue targets, aims to do that by helping customers succeed first.
Interestingly, you may not close any more sales after a series of conversations and may even have to point a customer to another business because your business does not offer the solution to their current challenges but by doing this, you would have registered yourself as a trusted advisor and can be guaranteed that whenever these customers have any new challenges, your name will be the first that pops up in their head. This time, you are more likely to sell.
The sales landscape is evolving. Being able to build, manage, and sustain meaningful interpersonal relationships with customers is becoming more essential, making consultative approach one of the best ways to adapt and succeed.
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