What Consultative Selling Really Means and Why It Matters More Than Ever (Ask Jeb)

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Apr 8, 2025

Explore the struggles of selling in an age where buyers believe they know it all. Discover the essence of consultative selling, which focuses on guiding clients to recognize their true challenges. Learn how to foster trust and build relationships instead of just pushing for a sale. This approach emphasizes curiosity, informed questioning, and genuine understanding of client needs—transforming interactions into valuable partnerships. It's about listening more and talking less, ensuring you adapt to the modern sales landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Digital Marketing Distrust

Many unqualified people claim to be digital marketing experts, creating distrust.
Jeb Blount gives an example of how easy it is to portray oneself as a digital marketing expert, even without proper qualifications.

ADVICE

Consultative Selling Process

Consultants should assess, analyze, design, integrate, optimize, and operationalize.
Begin by listening, observing, and asking open-ended questions to identify patterns and root causes of problems.

INSIGHT

Client Awareness

Clients often already know their problems subconsciously.
Consultants guide them to recognize and acknowledge these issues through insightful questions and storytelling, leading to change.

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Sales EQ

How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal

Jeb Blount Jr.

In 'Sales EQ', Jeb Blount emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in sales, highlighting that emotions play a crucial role in decision-making rather than just rational logic. The book explains how top sales performers use four key pillars of Sales EQ: empathy, self-awareness, self-control, and sales drive. It also discusses the alignment of sales, buying, and decision processes, the use of micro-commitments, and the answering of critical questions that stakeholders ask themselves during the sales process. Blount provides practical advice on mastering the psychology of influence and managing emotions to achieve ultra-high sales performance.

Inked

The Ultimate Guide to Powerful Closing and Sales Negotiation Tactics that Unlock YES and Seal the Deal

Jeb Blount

INKED is a sales-specific negotiation primer that addresses the challenges faced by sales professionals in today's market. The book provides strategies, tactics, techniques, and human-influence frameworks to level the playing field against savvy buyers. It emphasizes the importance of emotional discipline, preparation, and understanding power, leverage, and motivation dynamics in negotiations. The book includes actionable advice and real-world examples to help sales professionals improve their closing rates and negotiate more effectively[1][2][5].

Objection

Jeb Blount Jr.

Fanatical Prospecting

The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling

Jeb Blount Jr.

Fanatical Prospecting is a detailed guide that explains the importance and methods of prospecting in sales. The book outlines innovative approaches to prospecting, including the use of social media, telephone, email, text messaging, and cold calling. It emphasizes the need for a balanced prospecting methodology to avoid sales slumps and keep the pipeline full of qualified opportunities. Key concepts include the 30-Day Rule, the Law of Replacement, the Law of Familiarity, the 5 C’s of Social Selling, and various frameworks for effective prospecting. The book is designed to help salespeople, sales leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives improve their sales productivity and grow their income by consistently and effectively prospecting[1][3][5].

Steve from Portland, Oregon, faces and an all-too-common consultative selling dilemma: how to sell to prospects who claim they already know everything, have already “done the research” and question what value he can bring. In this Ask Jeb episode we break down what true consultative selling entails, how to detach from “always be closing,” and why being a genuine expert is more vital now than ever. From Information Scarcity to Information Overload Not long ago, salespeople had the upper hand simply by having more data or insight than their prospects. Today, everyone has a blog, video, or TikTok to help them “figure it out.” This can leave a buyer believing, “I know just as much as you—so why should I trust your approach?” That’s where consultative selling comes in, but only if you do it right. Consultative selling isn’t about showing off your expertise. It’s about guiding the customer to understand the real nature of their problem—often one they didn’t fully realize or that’s more complex than they initially thought. What True Consultative Selling Looks Like Consultants by definition don’t barge in declaring, “Here’s the solution.” They start by asking informed, open-ended questions and listening for patterns. They bring a sense of curiosity—an acknowledgment that they can’t help until they deeply understand the client’s unique environment. Four Steps of a Consultative Approach Assess and Analyze: Listen, observe, and probe with specific questions. Gain clarity on how the business operates and where potential issues lie. Design or Develop Solutions: Tailor ideas or strategies based on the actual problems your client is facing. No cookie-cutter templates here. Integrate and Implement:Work with the client to fold your solution into their workflows. Show them the path forward, not just a list of theoretical bullet points. Optimize and Operationalize: Stay engaged. Help the client refine and sustain the changes for long-term success. The Power of Detaching from the Outcome When you’re obsessed with “the close,” you risk pushing your own agenda rather than uncovering the client’s real challenges. Buyers can smell desperation a mile away. Detachment works with consultative selling because: It builds trust. You’re not rushing to pitch; you’re learning and diagnosing first. It reveals the real issues. Prospects open up more when they sense you’re genuinely trying to see if you can help, not just bulldoze them into a sale. It prevents the “sleazy” vibe. Instead of coming off like yet another sales rep bragging about your knowledge, you show you’re a collaborator ready to craft a solution if—and only if—it fits. Being the Expert Without Acting Like a Know-It-All In today’s age of surplus information, it isn’t enough just to learn a skill once. You have to remain curious and update your knowledge constantly. That’s especially true in fields like digital marketing, sales tech, or AI—areas that can evolve daily. You'll be more credible when you Commit to ongoing learning. Read, watch, and listen to everything you can, including contrary opinions. Embrace nuance. Real expertise means recognizing that not every trend or hack will work for every client. Use informed questions. The best proof of your knowledge is the quality of the questions you ask. Clients can tell when your questions hit the root of their problem. Addressing Distrust in Competitive Industries In spaces like digital marketing, where so many agencies promise miracles, skepticism runs high. By entering a conversation with a consultative mindset, you set yourself apart from the noise: Focus on your prospect’s specific context. Don’t lump them into one-size-fits-all solutions. Acknowledge the client’s prior experiences. They may have been burned by poor service or overhyped promises. Show empathy for their concerns.