2. SPIN: BEST CONSULTATIVE SELLING
The most tested sales questioning technique
• Based on massive research conducted on over 35,000 sales calls
• Initial companies were Xerox and IBM
• 17% increase on sales after their SPIN Selling implementation
• 90% of Fortune 500 companies follow this model for their sales
force
What is SPIN exactly?
● A method for salespeople to ask a potential buyer questions in
order to expose their problems and then develop a tailored
solution
3. VISUAL-META & SPIN SELLING
Sales environment has evolved over the years, adapt
yourself
• Customers understanding of the product vs. their problems were
understood
• People buy when the pain of the problem is greater than the cost
of the solution
• The opening: gain the buyer's agreement to ask questions, to
establish a buyer-centered purpose and communicate who you are
and why you are there
• Customers will only be motivated to buy something if they identify
there’s a need
5. SITUATION QUESTIONS
Seek for information that will help you understand your customer´s
context
Definition Finding out facts about the buyer's current situation.
Examples
Are you getting enough clicks to generate your targeted
revenue?
Are you satisfied with the current conversion rate?
Impact Finding a specific piece of information for data gathering.
Advice
Do not ask too many of them, they will just bore the prospect.
Do research in advance of the conversation. The more
Situation questions in a call, the less likelihood of success. Ask
Situation questions economically.
6. PROBLEM QUESTIONS
Definition Finding about problems, difficulties and dissatisfaction.
Examples
How does a less satisfactory conversion rate affect your
business?
Do you foresee challenges associated with your vision this
year?
Why is it such a big challenge for you?
Impact
More powerful than Situation questions.
Most people ask more Problem questions as they become
more experienced.
Advice
Think of your products and services in terms of problems they
solve, not details or characteristics. Follow-up with questions
that ask more detail about the problem.
Uncover opportunities and your prospect's pain
7. IMPLICATION QUESTIONS
Definition
Asking about the consequences or effects. Implication
Questions discuss the effects of the problem, and develop the
seriousness of the problem to increase the buyer's motivation
to change.
Examples
Does the current visibility issues affect the profitability of the
platform?
What's the worst thing that can happen if the vision is not met
because of these challenges?
With low visibility, I assume that it affects the profitability as
well?
Impact
These are the most powerful of all the questions, because
they help the buyer see that the problem is big enough to
justify the cost, they induce and build pain
Advice
Always make sure that you link your Implication questions to
other parts of the conversation, in that way you will
communicate your expertise and the client will know that you
understand their world view. Explore the implied needs, a
clear statement of a buyer's problem.
Explore problems and outline consequences, help the customer to feel the
urgency
8. NEED-PAYOFF QUESTIONS
The problem can finally be solved
Definition
Value or usefulness of a solution. Need-Payoff questions get
the buyer to tell you about their explicit needs and the
benefits your solutions offers.
Examples
How do you think a higher number of quality visitors will
benefit your online shop?
If we could help channel qualified traffic to your site, how
would that help you?
Impact Positive impact creates the right condition for selling.
Advice
Use these to get the buyers to tell you the benefits. Explore
the explicit needs, a clear statement of a buyer's desire or
intention to act.
9. SPIN MINDSET
Build a rapport with the buyer, understand his needs and propose a
solution
• It’s more important to understand than to persuade
• Seek first to understand then to be understood
• People do not buy from salespeople because they understand
their products but because they felt the salesperson understood
their problems. Do not describe your product, sell a solution to the
buyer´s problem.
• Effective Planning takes you more than halfway to effective
execution.
• Top Sales People tended to introduce solutions, products or
services very late in the discussion. They held back and discussed
the effects of the problem before talking about solutions.
• SPIN Selling will help you out to work your sales funnel
• People buy when the pain of the problem is greater than the
cost of the solution.
10. SPIN: WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not describe your product, lead the call and avoid
objections
• Stay focused on a certain topic.
• Limit your Situation questions. The more senior the buyer, the less
they like answering factual questions.
• Do not introduce the product very early in the discussion. This
invites objections. In SPIN, we prevent objections more than we
handle them.
• Focus on benefits and not the features. Benefits that solve
their problems and addresses explicit needs.
13. PARTS OF THE CALL GUIDE
Opening:
• This is critical as it dictates the pace of the whole call.
• First impression
• Rapport building
• A good introduction opens up a favorable situation for SPIN Selling.
Qualification:
• Qualification – Know that you are speaking to the person who can
make things happen for you.
• Macro – Give a hint on how the company helps the biggest
partners
• Micro – Presentation of problems that our product solves. It
bridges the call to the SPIN process.
14. PARTS OF THE CALL GUIDE
SPIN
• 20% - Seller, 80% - Customer
• Ask as little Situation Questions as possible
• Focus on Problems and Implications
• It increases the value of the product
• Lead the call, be the one doing the questions to avoid objections
Recap and Test of Value
• 95% - Seller, 5% - Customer
• Let the customer know that you are listening.
• Test if the customer sees value in a solution.
• Bridges the SPIN to selling.
15. PARTS OF THE CALL GUIDE
VLM – Value Led Matching (Selling!!!)
• 90% - Seller, 10% - Customer
• Take advantage of the value that was built during the SPIN process.
• Explain the product’s features and benefits and how it will solve
their issues so the implications can be avoided.
Closing Time!!!
• 90% - Seller, 10% - Customer
• Pre-emptive urgency – to close the sale earlier
• Decision Making Process
• Decision Making Unit
16. THE ACTUAL CALL GUIDE
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fRIEMA8MTiKACxu1x7tFs6qSw
tjR_t-yMcGR9Mno36k/edit
