I started my professional career as an engineer at Hills Brothers Coffee. Twelve years later I left and went into sales for a small distributor. My boss sent me to the Dale Carnegie Sales School. Those old enough remember back then it was “features and benefits.” That worked and I made a living.

In 1994, as a manufacturers’ rep, I signed an agreement with a new principal. They required all of their manufacturers’ reps to go through a consultative selling course. Even though they paid my
expenses, I went dragging my heels. I sold for over 20 years, I was a pro, and nobody could teach me how to sell.

Wrong! In four days, I bought into the consultative selling approach, hook, line and sinker. I significantly changed how I worked with customers.
I no longer “sold” them anything. I helped them solve problems. If I successfully solved their problems, I earned commissions. Not only that, but the customers came back to me when they needed my help solving new problems. I earned more commissions.

I felt far more comfortable and confident in this new role as a problem solver. Sales grew significantly. I realized that my line card had to represent companies that enhanced my reputation as a problem solver. I avoided those that turned me into a problem creator. Those principals who enhanced my problem solving reputation worked with their reps as partners. We worked as a team. We trusted each other and our customers trusted us.

Consultative selling requires hard work and dedication but is well worth the effort. You develop a sense of purpose that feels great. That sense of purpose has to be genuine; customers spot a phony a mile away. You earn their trust and you never let them down.

The number of manufacturers’ reps I speak with who never took any formal sales training never ceases to amaze me. Find someone in your area that offers a consultative course and sign up. You will not regret the decision. You are never too old to learn. I thank that principal for making me and their other reps take the course. They invested quite a bit in this program but they reaped a huge return.

Ironically, as I write this editorial, I saw an article on page 10 by Tom Wentz of Corporate Performance Systems, Inc. Turns out, he taught the consultative selling course I attended 16 years ago.