Mastering the Complex Sale

Selling: The Eras

Within the past 50 to 60 years, selling has passed through three eras:

• The script era - During the 1950s, the salesperson worked on techniques to manipulate the customer into doing what the salesperson wanted done. Sales training focused on making the case, parrying the objections and going for the close. Except in telemarketing and used cars sales, this approach to selling is virtually extinct.
• The problem solver era - In the 1970s, sales training materials began to emphasize listening, building confidence and developing a relationship. Instead of a manipulative persuader, the salesperson became a problem solver. This approach to selling survived and laid the foundation of much of contemporary selling strategy. But it was only a beginning. Because many sales people now practice it, it isn’t a differentiating approach in itself. Moreover, its emphasis on asking questions and listening for answers implicitly assumes that customers really know what they need. That isn’t always true. Many problems are so complex that customers don’t understand them.
• The consultant era - In this era, our contemporary era, the salesperson brings the...