Solution selling is a type and style of

sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

and selling methodology. Solution selling has a

salesperson Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

or sales team use a

sales process Sales process engineering is the systematic design of sales processes done in order to make sales more effective and efficient.. It can be applied in functions including sales, marketing, and customer service. History As early as 1900–1915, ...

that is a problem-led (rather than product-led) approach to determine if and how a change in a product could bring specific improvements that are desired by the customer. The term "solution" implies that the proposed new product produces improved outcomes and successfully resolves the customer problem. Business-to-business sales (B2B) organizations are more likely to use solution selling and similar sales methodologies.

Origins of solution selling and terminology

Frank Watts developed the sales process dubbed "solution selling" in 1975. Watts perfected his method at

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. He began teaching solution selling as an independent consultant in 1982. He presented his sales process as a one-day workshop to

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in 1982. By 1983 ''

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'' magazine would portray solution selling as "an unmistakable trend in the distribution of systems-related products". In a 1984 account Dick Heiser could look back to IBM's pre-1975 "solution sale" methodology. Mike Bosworth founded a

sales training Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

organization known as Solution Selling in 1983, based on his experiences at Xerox Corporation (the Huthwaite International SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff) selling pilot project) and began licensing affiliates in 1988. With intellectual-property contributions from his

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, Bosworth's methodology continued to evolve through the years. He sold the intellectual property in 1999 to one of his original affiliates, Keith M. Eades. While 'solution selling' has become a generic term in many sales and selling organizations, Solution Selling as a brand denotes distinct characteristics.

Solution selling in management contexts

The advent of solution selling may have an impact on

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s and on organization practices. Eades and Kear discuss solution-centric organizations and the focal role of solution sales in such environments. Robert J Calvin compares some of the financial implications of various type of sales: transactional sales, value-added sales, solution sales, and feature/benefit sales. Robert L Jolles proposed that, among managers and salespeople, a chosen solution is not always the best solution.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solution Selling Business-to-business Selling techniques

Origins of solution selling and terminology

Solution selling in management contexts

See also

References