Consultative Selling: 5 Tips to Improve Customer Service

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Have you ever heard of Consultative Selling? It is a process in which the sales representative works to diagnose and understand the needs of each customer in order to offer the best solution. The goal is to bring seller and buyer closer together, building bridges of trust and credibility for your company.

When shopping, you've probably had doubts – whether about the model of an electronic device, which version of a service will best meet your expectations, etc. At this point, having the support of a consultant is essential, right?

This is what a survey released by the consultancy firm rcs database in November 2020 showed. For 94% of Brazilian consumers, good service is essential during the shopping experience. The survey, which interviewed 2,600 people, also indicated which criteria are taken into consideration when evaluating customers. They were:

Possibility of being heard by an attendant (96.7%);

Receive clear explanations about your questions (96.5%);

Salesperson shows clarity about advantages and disadvantages of a product/service (94.3%);

Agility in resolving doubts and problems (91.3%);

Receive relevant suggestions about what is being sought (73.3%).

In this way, customer service is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition. Below, we explain more about Consultative Selling and how you can apply it to your business culture!


Benefits of Consultative Selling

Having a customer who is dissatisfied with a purchase or service contract made at your establishment can cause incalculable losses. In the same way that a loyal customer can bring more opportunities to your business through word of mouth, an unhappy customer can drive away even those who are already your customers through negative reviews.

Providing consultative service is more than just presenting products and services: it is understanding your role in solving your customer's problems. In this partnership, both parties win: the company, by having a competitive edge to win over and retain customers, and the customer, who has access to items that are truly suited to their needs and investment capacity.

How to apply Consultative Selling to your business

Some say that consultative selling is a model that works best in B2B transactions (between companies or industries). Or in those focused on the end consumer (B2C), which involve higher average ticket prices. This is because, in both cases, the customer needs access to various types of information and support until closing the deal. These are predominantly rational purchases, which involve a lot of research until finding the ideal product/service.

But make no mistake! Advisory services can be applied to any company, regardless of its segment or size. We live in a time of increasingly informed and demanding consumers who want to invest their money safely. Therefore, being prepared to offer them the best experience is essential!

Did you like the model and want to start using it in your company? We have listed the 5 main tips below:

1. Know your customer:

The first step in providing good consultative service is to know the target audience you will be communicating with. The goal is to understand which products/services are most appropriate for your client's needs at the time and, therefore, offer personalized solutions.

Ideally, you should keep a database of your customers, with updated contacts and purchase history with your company, for example. To facilitate the process of analyzing and managing information, you can invest in a CRM ( Customer Relationship Management ) system. With it, you can segment contacts and carry out targeted marketing campaigns for each group, among other benefits. Learn more about CRM in this article.