Don’t assume, ask questions
The minute an amateur sales person hears a customer’s problem which they probably have heard many times before, they assume they understand the customer’s problem and immediately start to solve it by demonstrating their know-how, their features and their benefits.
Unfortunately, the customer obtains your expertise for free and the sales person winds up not really understanding the customer’s real motivations for making a commitment to buy. Sometimes the salesperson ends up devoting substantial time to detailing the solution in a design or a proposal, only to have the prospect go into deep cover, never be heard from again.
So how do avoid giving free consulting? Demonstrate your competence with the questions you ask. Bring a natural curiosity to the conversation, and ask open ended questions. Use active listening to encourage your prospect to share their beliefs about how they view their problem and your solution. Help them identify the root cause of their problems so you aren’t just dealing with the symptoms.
One of the most powerful techniques for building credibility without giving away too much is called third-party stories. Describe a situation that you’ve dealt with in the past – tell a story from your customer’s point of view, then ask your prospect if their situation is at all like the one you described. Once they confirm their problem is similar, you can share how you helped that particular customer – without prescribing that this is the solution for your prospect.
The hardest part about not giving free consulting is that your prospects will often press you to do it. It’s much easier in the moment to just tell them what you think you can do for them, and go into the features and benefits you provide. The problem is that this doesn’t help you get the sale. The next time your prospect asks you for free consulting, plant your feet and gently suggest that you need more information about their situation before you can suggest how you would specifically approach solving their problem.
