Conceptual Selling, Strategic Selling 96a2x

-Swati Gaidhani

Conceptual Selling It focuses on tactical planning.  Requires sales person to understand their customers: 

◦ What they buy? ◦ Why they buy? ◦ How they buy? 

Sales person need to understand the customers; have to identify their problems & then have to use their expertise to develop the solution.

Stages in Conceptual Selling 1. Extracting information 2. Providing information 3. Securing commitment 1. Extracting information : Sales person must understand how the customer thinks.  What is the need of the customer?  Why the customer buy the products? Customer don’t buy the features but always buy the benefits associated with the features of the product.  Functional benefits- Like quality, durability, effectiveness, speed, easiness to use, economic etc. result from material, design of product, other production related decisions.  Psychological benefits- Like recognition / status in some group, reduction of risk, independence, happiness, comfort. These are associated with internal makeup of the customer.

Stages in Conceptual Selling  What features (characteristics) the customer is expecting to be associated with the product?  Which benefits the customer is expecting from the product?  How the product features can offer benefits to the customer?  Why the customer will purchase from us? 2. Providing information :  Inform the customer specialty [ plus points over competitor’s product] of your product/service so that customer will take decision in your favour.  Connect the features & benefits of products to the customer’s needs. 3. Securing commitment :  Correlate features & benefits of the products to the

Strategic Selling As the name suggest, here strategic approach is used to tap the selling opportunity.  Identify sales opportunity. What is the need/ objective of customer ? Multiple Influencers  Identify the key players who can influence decision of purchasing. ◦ Economic buyer - Who has final authority to release the funds. ◦ buyer - Who will be actually using the product. ◦ Technical buyer - Who will use his knowledge to check specifications/ technical aspects of product. ◦ Coach – Who can help sales person in this deal. Then rate their influence level as High, Medium,

Strategic Selling Danger signals: 

While selling to an organisation/ business client, sales person must cross check following◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Is any critical information not been given to the client ? Is there uncertainty about any information given to the client ? Have he missed ing any of the influencer ? Is any influencer new to the job ? Is there possibility of major changes/ restructuring in the customer’s organisation ?

Differentiators: 

Inform your product & companies strengths/ plus points/ competitive advantage over the competitors in the market. [eg. Technical aspects of the product, experience of the Co., policies, existing customer base, training, etc.]

Strategic Selling Customer Response: 

Sales person have to understand the gap between actual need of customer & his desire to purchase the product. He tactfully have to provide solution to the customer to minimise or eliminate this gap so the deal get finalised by the customer.

Results: 

Results may come out as per requirement & say of each influencer in the decision making.

Strategic Selling Customer Response: 

Sales person have to understand the gap between actual need of customer & his desire to purchase the product. He tactfully have to provide solution to the customer to minimise or eliminate this gap so the deal get finalised by the customer.

Results: 

Results may come out as per requirement & say of each influencer in the decision making.



Try to achieve Win-Win situation.

Strategic selling process help sales person to Forecast our business with greater efficacy.  Showcase our speciality/ differentiators as compared to competitors in of products & services.  Implement well planned, structured & consistent process for customer interaction.  Increase the rate of getting the orders & reduce uncertainty.  Minimise sales cycle/ complete the sale in minimum time & efforts. 