Consultative Selling

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Every B2B deal is a risk transfer. The buyer hands over money, time, and reputation. In return, they get a promise. The seller who feels safest wins. Not the best pitcher. Not the loudest voice. The lowest-risk option.

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What most sales teams get wrong

I’ve worked with hundreds of sales professionals. Most know their product cold. The technical skills are there. The problem is almost never skill. It’s three gaps.

Presence. They’re invisible to the people who matter. The right buyers never see them. You can’t win a deal you’re not part of.

Method. They rely on volume and luck. More calls. More emails. Spray and pray. It worked ten years ago. It doesn’t work now.

Timing. They pitch before they’ve earned the right to. Before the buyer trusts them enough to listen. That’s not selling. That’s interrupting.

What I’ve found is simple. When two sellers offer similar solutions, the one who feels less risky wins. Always.

SPARC: a system, not a guess

Most salespeople treat LinkedIn like a lottery ticket. Post when they remember. Connect when they feel like it. Hope something sticks. That’s not a strategy. That’s wishful thinking.

I developed SPARC to turn random activity into a repeatable process. Five steps that build on each other.

Spot. Define your ideal buyer precisely. Set up alerts. Find the people already showing intent. Stop guessing and start knowing.

Position. Build a profile that communicates value in seconds. Create content that proves you understand their world. Not thought leadership for ego. Proof you get their problems.

Access. Warm up relationships before you need them. Engage with prospects’ content. Add something useful. Be a familiar name, not a cold stranger with an ask.

Reinforce. Stay visible through the buying process. Share relevant insights at every touchpoint. When they’re ready to decide, you’re already top of mind.

Convert. Recognize buying signals. Move from peer to partner without damaging trust. The deal closes itself because the risk already feels low.

The numbers: 76% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn to research vendors. Social sellers are 51% more likely to hit targets. They create 45% more opportunities.

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