Rule 27

Solution Selling May Suffice

Solution selling does not create new value It communicates the value you already offer

Almost every management team that has contemplated offering solutions has had that very long discussion about “what exactly is a solution?” Sixty-six minutes later, everyone looks exasperated and has made no decisions. What’s clear is that you must link your offerings more closely with customers’ business needs. Unfortunately, the team disagrees on what constitutes a solution and how much the company should invest in developing them.

You might not need to build and sell solutions. You may just need to learn solution selling. The term “solution selling” has been overused and misused, so let’s define it. Products, product sales and marketing, solution selling and marketing, and solutions lie along a spectrum of “solutionliness.” That’s a horrible nonword, and I promise never to use it again. It does convey the right sense of a continuum. On one end are products, which supply specific functionality to perform a particular task. Product selling is about features and functions. On the other end are full-fledged solutions (see rule 26) that address a complete business need.

Solution selling is in the middle of our continuum of solutionliness. (Okay, I lied, but this really is the last time.) Solution selling places products or services in the context of customers’ needs and goals. Products are evaluated on the basis of how they contribute to those goals, in addition to how they compare functionally. Solution selling does not require that you provide a complete solution, only that you understand the role your products or services play within one. While solution selling communicates value more effectively and accurately and results in a more consultative sales process, don’t delude yourself or your sales channel into thinking that the same products become more valuable if they are sold differently.

Solution selling is first and foremost about entering your customers’ context. It requires an understanding of what is compelling the purchases. Chances are your customers didn’t decide they need your product for the bragging rights of owning it. Specific people in specific roles, being evaluated against specific metrics, decided they needed to accomplish some objectives. They are considering many different ways to reach their goals. To enter their context, your sales reps will need to understand how the product will be used and what business processes, metrics, and objectives the customers want to effect with the purchase. (See part IV of this book.)

To succeed at solution selling, both sales and marketing teams will need new skills and tactics (rule 39) to articulate your value in ways relevant to the customer, generate the right types of leads, and guide appropriate sales conversations.

Solution marketing differs from product marketing in several ways:

1. Solutions marketers understand what motivates customers to allocate budget for a purchase within the broader business context.
2. Solutions marketing content is focused on the buyer and their objectives, not the product and its features.
3. Solutions-oriented value propositions focus on specific use cases or situations in which the customer is involved.
4. The solutions marketing process and programs provide information or resources that are valuable to the customer.
5. Thought leadership and value creation are critical components of solutions marketing.
6. Solutions marketing and sales activity often involves collaboration with other companies (see broader context in the first bullet).
7. To ensure that all of the above are truly relevant and evolve with the customer, solutions marketing must engage the customer in conversation and dialogue. You’ll also need service offerings— whether internal or through partners—that help integrate the purchase into the broader customer initiative it was meant to support. Though solution selling requires less investment than developing solutions, it’s not free, nor always easy, for sales teams accustomed to selling product features. Training, practice, and strong leadership will be needed to align your organization around the customer needs that are the focus of solution selling.