Becoming a trusted advisor in sales is the foundation of long-lasting and profitable customer relationships.
A trusted advisor is a strategic partner who offers advice on industry trends, competitors, and solutions. They help customers navigate challenges rather than serving as a vendor that’s focused solely on product features.
Think about your customers and what it’s like to be them for a moment.
- How busy are they right now?
- What kind of budgetary pressure are they under?
- What kind of relationship are they looking for from your team?
- In short, what do they want from your sales professionals?
Now think about every member of your sales team. How well do they provide what customers are looking for? Do they have the emotional intelligence to differentiate themselves? Do prospects and customers perceive them as valuable strategic resources or business experts? Or as merely vendors?
Most buyers want more than access to your company’s products and/or services. They’re interested in hearing expert opinions and industry insight that may guide them as they make business decisions.
Ideally, they want to work with a professional who can serve as a trusted advisor.
There are plenty of things a sales professional can do to position themselves as a strategic resource. It takes time and effort, but the payoff is worth the investment, especially when done consistently.
6 Sales Skills for Trusted Advisors
There are six ways to see if customers view your sales professionals as vendors or strategic resources. Walk your team through this list and review the results with each seller individually.
Then ask each to choose one or two tactics to focus on. Once those skills have been improved, work on the next until everyone on your team moves from “vendor” to “trusted advisor.”
1. Access
Do your customers’ executives seek out your sellers for advice and insight, or do they work mostly with lower-level decision-makers?
2. Discovery
Are your sellers asking consultative, probing questions to add value, or are they making cookie-cutter presentations followed by a few yes/no questions so they can provide a quote?
3. Managing Objections
Do your sellers anticipate customer objections and come prepared with a solution, or does pushback take them by surprise?
4. Follow Up
Do your sellers strive to ensure customer satisfaction throughout the process or just check the standard boxes?
5. Communication
Can your sellers identify and adapt to customer behavior styles, or do they struggle to make high-quality connections with all the stakeholders in the customer’s organization?
6. Positioning
Do your sellers have a professional presence on social media, especially LinkedIn? Do they share relevant articles and trends with prospects and customers, or do they just send an occasional email?
How Sales Leaders Can Improve Trusted Advisor Positioning
Focusing on a sales professional’s positioning is important, but did you know that 70% of B2B buyers conduct research before reaching out to a seller?
This means three out of four prospects make their first impression based on information they find, not on your sales professional. They could be visiting your website, but they may also be asking their network about your company.
As a sales leader, you need to demonstrate the strategic advisor role to your customers and your sellers. Be intentional about exemplifying behaviors that build trust with your customers. You want “value” to be one of the words they use when asked to give a reference.
Your team will learn from your example. When it’s time for them to make a first impression with a prospect, they’ll confirm what the customer is already expecting: This person is here to serve.
Learn how IMPACT Selling® sales team training can turn your sellers into trusted advisors.
