Opening
The opening stage involves meeting the customer and provides you with an opportunity to position yourself and your company.

Investigating
The investigating stage focuses on asking questions that will help you to determine the client's problems so that you can understand his / her needs and concerns.

Demonstrating capability
This stage gives you the opportunity to explain how you and your products can benefit your client.

Obtaining commitment
A successful outcome requires obtaining commitment from your client. 

Each of the above stages is important - but special attention should be paid to the investigating stage. The Consultative Method offers a unique questioning technique for this.