Consultative-Based Selling

Many of the sales tactics used to sell products in the past will not work on the Internet today. If you study the anatomy of an Internet sale, you would find a dramatic difference from the off-line process of 20 years ago. These tactics will not work as well on the Internet today as they did off-line in the past. The reason is with enormous amount of information available on the Internet. The sales process has been transformed from a product-orientated sale to a consultative-based presentation. Let us examine why the process has changed. The two components leading to this change are customers and the Internet.

The Customer: The customer is the driving force behind any fundamental change in the way the products are sold. The most dominant force affecting customer demand is the staggering amount of information available.

Individuals of today are inundated with more information in a day than their grandparents were in a lifetime. People can get information from television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet.

Before the 1970’s, the average individual was unaware of the many different types of products and services available. Competition was not a fierce as it is today. As a result, many people only purchased what they where familiar with. However, in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, global competition began to increase. No longer could American, German or British dominate the world marketplace and command any price. These are years of stiff competition from Japanese and/or Asian competitors.

Beginning in the 1990’s, individuals have turned from buying pure products to buying consultative-based products. The underlying force for this change may be linked to two factors: the huge amount of information available and the Internet explosion.

Many individuals don’t take the time to sort through the mountain of information available, or ever imagined they could have access to so much information. With multiple information sources, people are demanding consultative-based guidance to ensure proper knowledge with the least amount of time and money wasted.

The Internet: Until recently, the Internet was mainly used for research purposes. However, with the explosion of Internet related companies that focus has shifted to selling products rather providing access to research information.

ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) are sprouting like weeds to capitalize on this increasing demand. In addition, hundreds of companies are created daily to supply information and products to millions of individuals online.

With these changes, how can you build a solid long-term Internet business? Here are several suggestions:

1. Be willing to spend the necessary time to educate your clients about their choices.

2. Provide competitor analysis on all of your products. This will prove you are supplying unbiased information on your product line. In addition, if you don’t supply unbiased analysis your customers will leave your site to locate this information somewhere else. If they leave, they may never come back.

3. Implement sales incentives for your customers. Encourage them to buy your product today. When they buy your product, you have just created a profitable relationship.

4. Keep up-to-date on changes in your industry. This will permit you to offer new and innovative solutions to your client’s.

In reality, operating an Internet business is simple, but it is not easy. It is simple because individuals want people whom they trust will do the best for them and their families. If an individual finds such a site, they will not lured away to your competitors easily. Do whatever it takes to become this professional in your client’s eyes.

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