In the third post of this series, we learned that because the anonymous buyer has self-educated before engaging with sales, their knowledge is more advanced than in years past. As a result, today’s buyers expect consultative and technology-enabled salespeople. Simply put, the transition from digital research to human interaction must be seamless and provide the same value.

Core Attributes of the Consultant Seller

In this fourth post, we explore six core attributes that define the modern B2B consultant seller:

1. Shares Insights

Educational and expert advice is valued by buyers and stands out from the less valuable content or an inbox of generic email and voicemails that prospects receive when sales blindly request meetings. The lone-wolf, phone-pounding salesperson of the past now partners with marketing, support, and field services to learn high-value insights. You gain trust through education and being consultative in your communications. While awards, events, and news are often socialized, think from the prospect’s perspective of what is insightful for them.

2. Digital Adeptness

Digital adeptness is essential for sharing high-value insights across multiple channels and leveraging sales automation tools that provide baseline digital signals and intelligence. The linear sales path is now a mapping of digital signals to analyze and make decisions for account planning and mapping. The infamous ‘ah-ha’ moment for a prospect is likely to happen visually online as they educate themselves.

3. Leverages Analytics

The anonymous buyer is likely to engage with rich online content 8 to 12 times before initiating a sales engagement. Marketing and inside sales should provide educational content to increase these online touch points and enable continuous monitoring and analytics of the non-linear buyer journey into sales engagement. Qualified prospects expect to be found by vendors based on their online actions, but they do not want to be bombarded with excessive emails and programmed voicemails.

4. Storytelling Mastery

Being able to communicate with confidence in the subject matter is crucial to ensure that the transition from digital to human interaction is seamless and matches the buyer’s knowledge level. Techniques like whiteboarding can facilitate the sales process, but a basic solution overview should be available as a short video on your website. Because the buyer is well down the knowledge path at your first meeting, it is imperative to quickly and concisely communicate why your solution is unique, how it has helped others, and expected results.

5. Empathic Partner

Demonstrating an understanding of a prospect’s environment, challenges, and communication needs is essential.  Being a good listener and providing insightful value builds trust for long-term customer relationships. Recognize that automation is taking over commodity and basic sales positions. What is left will be high-value consultative selling built around empathy and trust.

6. Collaborative Mindset

A consultative seller adopts a collaborative approach to create solutions with customers as sales processes often go beyond the sale itself into customer enablement, training, and services. Teamwork is enhanced and barriers are broken down both through the use of collaboration tools and services and the mapping of all prospect and customer touch points to understand the complete experience.

Summary

The sales profile of the past to open doors, leverage product expertise, and overcome objections has changed. Modern sales teams must not only understand their products or services but also possess deep knowledge of their customer's business. This enables them to share relevant insights, educate, and provide genuine value.

The next blog in this series will look at the other side of the Empowered B2B Buyer and the impact of extended nurturing cycles.

The CyberEdge Advantage

Today’s buyers expect more than a pitch—they expect insight. That’s why modern B2B sellers need content that educates, builds trust, and supports a consultative sales approach. CyberEdge brings deep cybersecurity expertise to every content strategy, helping your sales and marketing teams deliver the kind of value today’s anonymous buyers are looking for. From white papers and eBooks to webinars and sales enablement tools, we help you reach the right buyers with the right message—at the right time. Contact us today for a personalized consultation and take the guesswork out of lead generation.