Solutions sales and the idea of "you" not "me"

A few years ago I was in China meeting a customer from semi-conductor business. Local sales people had warmed up the customer to the idea that they should switch to us - and buy our solution. Now it was my turn to convince customer from the benefits they would receive.

After the meeting local sales manager asked from me: "Mikko, how on earth you were able to meet and discuss with the customer without talking about price and yet convince the customer when discussions so far has been around price. That was amazing."

So what happened in the meeting. Very simple thing which is much bigger than just a sales trick and is known to all solutions sales professionals. You were not trying to sell but get the customer to buy. You take the customer as your starting point not what you sell. You listen and again listen the customer and your answers and proof points are drawn from customer's business. You even try to mimic same words that customer is able to understand the benefits you want them to buy. As a side comment I have no industry background or any experience related to semi-conductors.

Majority of companies are making statements that they are now a days offering solutions. Concept of solution has also been redefined by many companies - same old product is now called a solution or one cannot be anymore in service business so it is called solutions business. Sooner or later someone needs to create a new word to describe real solutions - solid integration of products, services and human skills/knowhow which take care of partially or totally selected processes from customer's business. Results customer can measure with own metrics: less associated work, time spent, costs, better performance, etc. At least so it is defined in my vocabulary.

This trend has created an enormous business for sales training. After the training you are fully equipped solutions sales professional because you know all the tools and tricks. Or are you? Herb Gelleger (founder of Southwest Airlines) once said: hire people based on attitude not skills - attitude cannot be changed but skills can be trained.

Attitude and mindset - Genuine interest to understand customer's business model, value creation processes, pain points, business values and how the solution fits to different just listed business environments. Genuine passion to put this into action through sales process phases what should be more like called "getting to buy and use our solution today and tomorrow -process". As a name already too long but someone will most likely come up a better name.

Why is this so difficult to many? Of course sales metrics and compensation structure have their share. Could it be that we as individuals in general like to talk about me not you, we define a great conversation based on our own airtime in the discussion not others, we are stuck to selling and pushing something... in general we have traditionally been and rewarded for self-centric behavior.

In solutions business and sales one needs be "you" not "me" centric. Most interesting is that many current business and marketing trends require "you" centric mindset. Just as an example think social media.