Consultative Selling II (CSII) is the second step in the consultative selling series with a focus on putting
learned skills into practice with an emphasis on closing technique, quantifying value and proving value
statements. This class uses case 
studies and extensive role playing to reinforce and help participants
master the skills introduced in Consultative Selling I (CSI). Intense attention is given to understanding
and communicating the benefits of specific products in order to sell them more effectively. All the
material is tailored to your bank’s specific marketplace and individual products. Each participant will sell
a real product to the instructor and receive immediate guidance.
This two-day course is designed as the next step for people who have taken the CSI class and anyone
who has responsibility for qualifying prospects or actually selling and supporting the bank’s products and
services. Because of the extensive use of role-play and case-studies, class size is kept intentionally small.
I. Situational Analysis
Brief review of the Consultative Selling I class is conducted and the participants discuss their experiences
in using the new skills learned in that session. Reinforcement, correction and further honing to those
skills is given to each participant.
II. Universal Problem Situations
A review of real-life sales problems that each person is currently experiencing is conducted. In this way
they gain immediate benefit not only from the material taught, but from the problem analysis and
resolution of their current issues. As the instructors use the consultative approach to help the participants
think through their real-life, current problems it reinforces the total experience and helps the participants
to further understand the impact and effectiveness of the diagnostic approach to consultative selling.
III. Classroom Focus on Real Sales Issues
The attendees participate in substantial role playing and receive extensive personal attention during the
two days of the class. The focus is on improving execution of the skills necessary to successfully sell.
Particular emphasis is placed on closing techniques and they will learn a new, highly successful technique
for closing sales of all types. Role-plays are adjusted to match with attendees’ specific marketplaces.
Participants receive direct instruction on improving their product presentation by more effectively matching
product advantages to each prospect’s particular needs.
For the case study exercises the class is divided into teams of three, a “banker,” a “prospect” and an “observer.” The case studies are all drawn from real-life situations and the information given to the banker
and the prospect reflect what the actual participants knew at the time of the real sales call. The banker
must identify the key issues and then resolve them. Not all the problems are keyed to product sales, but
cover a range of issues. This helps the attendees to keep their minds focused sharply focused on what they
are hearing and not on what they assume is the key issue. It also helps them to sharpen their objection
handling skills.
IV. Role playing
Participants take turns individually selling products to the instructors who act as the prospects. This allows
the instructors to construct role playing scenarios that reflect real sales situations and gives the participants
one-on-one instruction. Because the participant chooses the product they want to practice selling to the
instructor they not only gain experience with their sales technique, but receive substantial instruction and
guidance on the product’s advantages.
V. “Selling” with computer demonstrations
Many banks utilize computer-based demos to help show the benefits of their electronic products. This a
high risk activity for the bank because if done poorly you can shatter credibility and dramatically reduce the
chances of a successful sale. Most of the directions that bankers receive from the program designers on
how to use the demo are not well suited for real life selling. We will explain in detail how to use PC based
demos effectively and what to do when they go wrong.
A. What can go wrong
B. How to avoid the common “technical” errors
C. How to actually sell using computer demos
D. What to do when the program will not run or crashes in the middle of a presentation
VI. Summary
Sales calls often fail because the sales person has made assumptions about a product’s benefits. We have
all learned that there are features and benefits. However this simplistic approach ignores the obvious fact
that if the prospect does not find a particular “benefit” to be beneficial then it is simply a product
advantage. This class teaches the participants how to test the benefits to correctly identify which have
value to the prospect. It shows them how to execute a closing technique that can draw upon the obvious
financial benefits of a product, but also how to identify the other “advantages” that can be welded into a
real “benefits” closing. For example, staff reduction, error reduction, freeing up valuable resources for
other important tasks, simply removing a task that the prospect finds tiresome, annoying or high risk.
There is a lot that goes into a good close and while it is one of the most important parts of the whole sales
call it is one on which many sales staff spend the least amount of time. At the close of CSII the
participants will not only have new closing techniques, but they will have tried them and have begun to
build confidence.
