So, what is problem solving in a sales context?

To put it simply we solve a problem every time we do something without having prior knowledge of how to do it. The number and complexity of problems in sales and business are more than ever before. 

There are 2 parts to solving a business or sales problem – (i) Define the right problem (ii) Solve that problem

A peek into problem solving tools and strategies

3 commonly used approaches to problem definition are:

• Reframing the problem
• Restating the problem
• Create a problem statement, keeping in mind the elements of a good problem statement

While there are close to 14 standard problem-solving techniques, the following 4 are recurrently used in solving sales problems:

• Analogy (b) Brainstorming (c) Hypothesis testing (d) Root cause analysis

To quickly illustrate with one technique:

Analogy, for example, involves arriving at a solution from previous problem that was successfully solved. This involves carefully taking note of how problems get resolved so that you can anticipate and propose the same solution when a similar problem arises in future. This is a response that is frequently observed in sales champions. 

For instance, let us say your company has been using an inhouse CRM software for the past 3 years. It interfaces with your sales MIS reporting system. Your Sales Head has asked for an additional data point on Customer referral to be captured. The CRM is unable to accommodate it and the concerned support team is not immediately reachable. But then you remember how a similar integration issue was resolved last year. So you are quick to use that experience to solve this problem.

Now suppose, a year later, you are on a Sales Call, with a Prospect who is evaluating options for buying a similar CRM system.  You ask for the specification sheet, and notice that it doesn’t specify if additional fields can be added. You recall your last year experience with your Prospect, and ask ‘what if you want to add more fields? Don’t you think it will be a good idea to include that requirement in your spec sheet?’  Your Prospect thankfully appreciates you for the anticipatory thinking!

So, Problem Solving is a valuable cognitive skill for sales professionals. It is in fact a life skill because a well lived life can be described a series of problems not just intelligently solved but also anticipated well in advance to help you stay prepared. As Theodore Isaac Rubin summed it up humorously “The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem”