Stage One – The “Product Pitch”. This focused on the product, and usually ended up with salespeople making promises which were not really valid. Undoubtedly this was the genesis of the negative image of salespeople. The pitch was usually canned, seldom customer-centric, and often stretched the truth.

Stage Two – The “Hard Sell”. It was somewhat more sophisticated than the product pitch, but not much better. It was still manipulative, and often put buyers in the position of making a decision before they were really ready. The hard sell was all about pressure, and getting a buying decision.

Stage Three – Relationship Selling. Selling finally began to get positive reviews when “Relationship Selling” came onto the scene. It was as if some bright sales professionals finally got the idea to be nice to people. The dividends received were enormous. But the focus was still about ways to increase sales.

Stage Four – The “Needs-Analysis Selling Era” This emerged in the late seventies. Customers appreciated the approach because it was about them, not about a product or service. Needs-analysis is the diagnostic stage of the sale, where salespeople devote effort to the uncovering buyer motivations. It enabled salespeople to craft solutions which prospects wanted.

Stage Five – “Symbiotic Selling”. The implication now is that salespeople have a symbiotic relationship with their customers – both parties need, and work with each other, to achieve common goals. It is the most authentic form of a win-win sales relationship. For it to work however, salespeople need to devote energy, and thought, to creative solutions that the customer will genuinely value.

If companies are still using any of the first two stages they are looking for trouble. The three later stages work in concert with each other for great sales results. All three are important and should be focused on for maximum results.