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Madeline Boyer is a co-author of Committed Teams: Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance. Boyer is a lecturer at the Wharton School of Business and a senior consultant at Percipient Partners.

Madeline Boyer

May 2016 - TD Magazine

Get the Most Out of Your Team

Sales success starts with understanding—not selling. While many salespeople focus on pitching features or moving quickly to a proposal, those who consistently succeed are the ones who know how to uncover a prospect’s real reasons to buy.This is the heart of consultative selling: the ability to ask insightful questions, listen actively, and identify the business drivers that move a buyer to act. When done well, it transforms the sales process from a transactional exchange into a meaningful conversation rooted in value.Why Consultative Selling Drives Sales SuccessConsultative selling is more than just a sales technique—it’s a core competency that reflects how well a salesperson can create value through discovery. It requires skill in asking meaningful questions, interpreting both verbal and nonverbal signals, and guiding the conversation toward uncovering urgency, need, and impact.Strong consultative sellers don’t jump to a solution. They start by understanding the problem from the buyer’s perspective. This approach:Reduces stalled or indecisive opportunitiesHelps buyers self-identify urgencyDifferentiates sellers in competitive, commoditized marketsWhen a salesperson takes the time to understand the buyer’s world—their challenges, pressures, and desired outcomes—they’re able to position their offering in a way that resonates deeply. This not only builds trust but also increases the likelihood of progressing the deal forward.Organizations that invest in measuring and developing this skill see tangible improvements in performance. Win rates go up. Sales cycles shorten. Forecasts become more reliable because reps are working real opportunities—not hopeful guesses.Despite its importance, data shows that fewer than one in five sellers are truly proficient in consultative selling—highlighting a major area for improvement across most sales teams.Where It Fits in the Broader Skill SetConsultative selling is one of the Tactical Competencies in sales—the observable, coachable skills that help salespeople guide buyers through the sales process. These are the “doing” skills: what a rep says and does in the field to build credibility, diagnose problems, and move deals forward.While many sales training programs attempt to develop consultative behaviors, they often lack a baseline. Without clear measurements, it’s difficult to know who’s already strong, who’s improving, and who’s struggling. And without measurement, managers are left to rely on anecdotal evidence or personality cues rather than data.A rep who’s confident and articulate might seem consultative—but are they truly uncovering the prospect’s underlying business drivers? Are they asking follow-up questions that dig deeper, or are they just moving from script to script?How Do You Know if Your Team Has This Skill?Without structured evaluation, consultative selling often gets misdiagnosed. A rep might appear personable or polished in meetings, but that doesn’t mean they’re uncovering the real issues behind a buying decision.Years of sales performance data show a consistent pattern: top performers routinely uncover deeper buying motives earlier in the process. They’re more likely to ask questions that challenge assumptions, reveal hidden pain points, and reframe the buyer’s perspective. These aren't “soft skills”—they’re measurable behaviors that correlate strongly with win rates, sales velocity, and deal size.The most effective sales teams don’t rely on gut instinct to gauge whether someone is consultative. They use data to understand which reps are driving meaningful conversations—and which ones are simply checking boxes in discovery.Strengthen This Skill, Strengthen Your PipelineDeveloping strong consultative selling skills isn't just about teaching reps to “ask better questions.” It’s about helping them become true advisors—professionals who drive buyer clarity and create momentum.This often requires ongoing coaching, real-time feedback, and an objective view of each rep’s strengths and weaknesses. Sales managers who can identify consultative gaps early are better equipped to coach them and better positioned to build a pipeline full of high-quality, qualified opportunities.To see how consultative selling fits into the larger framework of sales excellence, explore the full set of 21 Core Sales Competencies. It’s a valuable resource for any organization looking to elevate performance through measurable skill development, and a proven foundation for building a high-performing, consultative sales force.

Uncovering a Prospect’s Reasons to Buy

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