If you’re a B2B salesperson, you’ve probably heard about SPIN Selling. It’s one of the most well-known selling systems. It gives reps a research-backed framework for working and closing complex deals with extended sales processes.
The strategy focuses on asking good questions in the right order, using active listening, and translating the prospect’s needs into your product’s features.
What is SPIN Selling?
The SPIN Selling comes from Neil Rackham’s 1988 classic, “Spin Selling.” It’s based on 12 years of research and 35,000 sales calls.
The foundation of SPIN selling is based on a flexible questioning model that allows salespeople to gain a 360 view of where customers are in a sales cycle and what they need.
The SPIN sales methodology gives salespeople a structure to work with – a success proven alternative to enthusiastically dominating customer conversations. SPIN ensures that not only is the customer given the opportunity to speak, but that sales people actually listen. This allows them to properly understand and service their customers’ needs.
To win larger, consultative deals, Rackham argues salespeople must abandon traditional sales techniques. Rather than twisting their customers’ arms, they need to build value, identify needs, and ultimately, serve as a trusted advisor.
SPIN Selling Acronym
SPIN stands for the four stages of the questioning sequence:
S: Situation
P: Problem
I: Implication
N: Need-Payoff
SPIN Selling Questions
Questions are the foundation of SPIN Selling. Rackham and his team found top-performing salespeople rarely, if ever, pose random, low-value questions. Not only does every question have a clear purpose, but the order in which they ask their questions is strategic, too.
The four main types of SPIN selling questions are:
- Situation. These centre on the situation questions. Facts, data, Information, Background, business people, etc
- Problem. Focus on the problems, difficulties, pain point or dis-satisfactions. Problem questions are very successful.
- Implication. Ask about the implications or consequences of the problem. Implication questions are a major benefit in building up Customer’s perception of value. They are favoured by decision makers and are especially successful in complex accounts.
- Need-Payoff Need-Payoff questions encourage the prospect to explain your product’s benefits in their own words, which is far more persuasive than listening to you describe those benefits.
Understanding the SPIN model and how to apply it to your individual prospects is key to using the methodology to your advantage.
How a CRM can help
A CRM system benefits an organisation through the visibility of its sales activities. This visibility is fundamental to managing sales performance and control of the sales process. This visibility enables management to understand why, when, who and how opportunities are being won, stalled, or being lost. If it cannot be monitored, it cannot be managed. The visibility offered within the CRM system also allows management to make educated business decisions based on hard data.
ProAptivity are an independent CRM solutions provider. We focus on the implementation, training, and support of highly customised CRM software solutions. Our CRM software supported by our sales training provide customers with the tools needed to deliver successful sales process management.
Fundamentally, we help organisations embed CRM best practice throughout their organisation.
If you need help in understanding why my business needs CRM, maybe some of our eBooks could help! Alternatively visit Maximizer CRM or Pipedrive CRM for more information. Contact us today on 028 9099 6388 or via info@proaptivity.com. We can help you assess if your business is CRM ready.
