How to Use Conceptual Selling to Improve Sales Team Performance

Sales processes are unable to be effectively executed or organized without a sales methodology to follow. There are several different sales methodologies out there today, and each has its pros and cons to consider. As you will learn, most of the methods available focus on customer-centric selling in an attempt to better meet customer demands and provide a better sales experience. 

Conceptual selling is a popular methodology used by businesses that want something simple, but effective, to help drive sales and get the sales team to recognize what matters in completing a deal or transaction. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the details of conceptual selling, including what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to improve the performance of your sales team. 

What is conceptual selling?

The idea of conceptual selling is based on a very simple principle: customers don’t buy products/services; they buy brands and concepts. Therefore, if your entire sales methodology is focused on that perfect sales pitch, you’re not going to get results. Instead, you should be looking for a way to understand your prospects and figure out why they might need your product or service. 

There are five categories of questions that sales teams can use to elicit this information from their customers and potential leads, helping them to better understand what people need. Only then can they tailor their efforts to get the best outcomes. 

The questions 

Conceptual selling questions fall into five main categories:

• Confirmation questions (affirming information)
• Discovery questions seeking new information
• Attitude questions to provide understanding
• Commitment questions 
• “Basic issue” questions, such as potential problems or pain points

The focus, as you can see, is on listening to the customer and finding their pain points. This allows business owners and sales team leaders to deliver an effective process for executing better interactions with customers. The focus is on the buying journey and the reasons behind customer actions. 

The benefits of conceptual selling 

Conceptual selling is a methodology that helps in several ways. In addition to focusing on the customers’ needs, it allows your team to align the sales process with the decision-making process of the customer and learn what buying criteria people have. You will also learn about their motivations and the level of commitment that they have before you even begin to explain to them what it is that your product or service can do. 

Other benefits include:

• Being able to differentiate your customers and leads based on strengths and needs
• Finding your competitive position in the market
• Discovering how probable the sale is
• Learning the buying motivations of customer reps and others
• Being able to deliver a more customized experience 
• Shortened sales cycles
• Long-lasting customer relationships
• Improving the value of deals
• Building a productive sales team

Like many sales methodologies, this one focuses on making sure that the customers’ needs are understood and that your team can empathize with people. This helps the product or service sell itself, making the transaction a byproduct of effective listening and customer service. 

Conceptual selling also helps with your own sales team’s pain points, including:

• Assessment of meetings
• Weak or limited accuracy in sales forecasting
• A lack of KPIs 
• Lack of product/service knowledge
• Customer POV differentiation
• Not paying attention 

That last one is important—so many sales reps get it wrong because they get lost in focusing on their script, or what they’re going to say to the customer. If they instead step back and actively listen, they will gain all the insight that they need and then be able to respond accordingly. It’s about teaching your team to listen to hear people, not just to respond. 

Tips for success with conceptual selling

To be successful with conceptual selling, you have to know how to employ it effectively. Once you have mastered it, create a training program that delivers for your sales team so that you can pass the skills along. Here are some other tips to help you succeed with conceptual selling. 

Focus on the concept, not the sale

Remember, this method believes that people buy based on the solution, not the actual product or service itself. Therefore, you need to focus on the concept, or the issue that the prospect is facing, to show them what you’re selling can help address those pain points and alleviate their concerns. 

Acknowledge the buying process, too

Too often, sales teams get focused on the sales process because that is what helps them close the deal. However, it’s important for them to also focus on the buying process, and perhaps even more so. Conceptual selling requires you to put these processes on the same level and give them the appropriate attention. This will ensure that you can better handle customer needs. 

Everyone wins 

The priority is removed in this selling methodology. Rather than prioritizing the close, it focuses on making sure that the customer gets what they need to resolve their issues. You can use this sales methodology to allow both the customer and your organization to “win” by working together. 

Customized pitches are a must 

You can no longer use a single, scripted sales pitch to get results. Of course, whether that worked much at all is still up for debate, but it’s definitely no longer useful. Today, every customer has different pain points and concerns. That’s why active listening is needed to customize pitches to align with the prospect’s needs. Or even better, you could ditch the “pitch” entirely and just have a conversation—that’s the ultimate goal of conceptual selling: a conversation about what people need.

While you’re selling, who’s handling the busy work?

As you get better at conceptual selling, the leads are going to increase. Are you prepared? With a 24/7 answering service like the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you can guarantee that you’ll never miss a lead. Plus, you can spend more time with your customers while we handle things like appointment scheduling, lead intake, and support for outreach campaigns. Schedule a consultation to learn more or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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