Unique Demands on Salesperson
in Problem-Solving Sales

Complexity of the business relationship is a function of three parameters. Given below are two ends of spectrum on each of these three factors.

1. Product being sold:
   - One end of the spectrum is “stand-alone standard product”. Other end is the “system selling”.
2. Support needs of customer:
   - Aftersales support for 6 to 12 months at one end of the spectrum and … Design advice, participation in evaluation of alternatives, continued relationship after sales or even partner status at the other end of spectrum.
3. Width of contact:
   - Only a few (2 or 3) people from either side involved in the sales process …. Many more.

If the selling is more like first part of statements (see Point A in the graphic below) then it is a standard sales situation. If it is the other end of spectrum (see Point B in the graphic below) then it is problem solving sales.

Two dimensions of problem solving sales

An important part of this type of business relationship is the forming, short-listing and fine-tuning of your solution in terms of its technical aspects. While formal technical qualifications are useful, you may find in practice that many successful salespeople without a technical education are excellent problem solving salespeople thanks to their experience and application orientation. This is because in solution selling the solution has to be right on three counts as below and only one of the three can be somewhat aided by basic technical qualification:

1. Solution has to be functionally right. It should do the work it is meant to do. That depends on whether or not technical aspects are proper.
2. Solution should be attractive for customer in relation with his various possible buying motives e.g. cost, other working methods, acceptance by workers/ operators, aesthetics.
3. Solution should be right from our point of view – should be possible to deliver!

The Y axis

The level of problem solving effort can range on a 1 to 5 scale for various types of selling, as seen in the graphic above. Here are some illustrative examples:

1. 1 - Plain vanilla products with nothing out of ordinary e.g. a shrink wrapped software.
2. 2 - Combination of standard product. Responsibility of combining is that of customer.
3. 3 - System Integrators – supplier designs and executes the combination.
4. 4 - Tailored solutions.
5. 5 - Solution developed on drawing board with equal participation from customer’s side.

The X axis

By dimension of selling is meant how do you form and present our package as benefits to the customer so that the customer sees how our product and service can meet his requirements. Salesperson’s job is to prove to the customer that we can meet his requirements better than competitor or better than status quo. Salesperson must also find all objections to solution and handle them fully systematically.
That is the X axis. The level of sales efforts can range from nil (monopoly or captive sales) to fierce competition from many players on a scale of 1 to 5.

Significance of ‘Dimensions’

Deals in problem solving sales necessarily follow a long sales cycle. One of the two dimensions will be more urgent at various points on the timeline as deal progresses. THE KEY IS TO REALIZE WHERE THE DEAL IS AT PRESENT and accordingly focus the efforts on X dimension or Y dimension. That is what Vice President Sales meant in problem 3. Of course the other dimension also needs to be taken care of while focusing on one of them.

A particular project deal may begin at Point A in above diagram and in the best scenario case move to B and then to the position C. But rarely if ever the deal will move smoothly like this. Some other routes are shown, as in A > D > C | A > G > C | A > F > C | A > E > C. The paths shown here are illustrative. There could be many more ways of going from A to C.