If you read the industry publications, you'll see that two terms are ubiquitous: "Consultative Selling" and "Baby Boomers." Let's put them together and see why they are inseparable. In addition, we'll look at how to make the consultative approach work with Boomers.

Consultative Selling

Let's look at a few distinctions – what consultative selling is not:

1. It's not about making a sale. It's about helping the client overcome a problem or achieve a goal. A sale or a continuing relationship might become appropriate, but that's not the purpose.
2. It's not a stock set of questions. The main consultative medium is questions, but a real consultant is an expert at asking follow-up questions – then listening intently to the answers.
3. It's not a presentation. A consultative approach can include a presentation of your advice, but that's one of the very last elements. Think of it as a conversation that you facilitate.

It's About Helping! Consultative selling must be about helping and consulting to identify and solve problems – even if the solution does not include your product. In my office, we often reject the term "consultative selling," and call it the "consultative conversation. " And, we teach our coaching clients how to facilitate the consultative conversation. See the difference?

It's About People! Remember, if it's consultative, it's about people. And, if it's about people, then you need to devote your attention to building trust, otherwise you won't get good answers to your questions.