SPIN Selling By Amr Ali

Main Points

1. SPIN Definition2. Stages of Sales SPIN Calls3. Demonstrating Capability4. Obtaining Commitment

1.SPIN*Situation Questioning:

•Collect facts and background data about the customer’s existing•While these questions are easy to ask, they bring little value to the buyer and can certainly aggravate him if too many of these questions are asked•A good knowledge of the customer’s industry and/or the information provided by an internal or external contact can help planning the call in a way to reduce the number of Situation Questions required•The most effective Situation Questions are targeted toward customer problems.

(Template):How many suppliers do they have?How many projects will be there in 3 years?

*Problem Questioning:

•These questions probe for problems, difficulties or dissatisfactions. They prompt the buyer to state Implied Needs to which we can provide solutions;•These questions have a lot of value to the customer because of the latter's interest to resolve its problems;•It is essential to effectively plan these questions ahead of time, otherwise the sales call will most likely remain in the Situation Questions stage;•The best way to plan problems questions is to previously set a minimum of three potential customer problems on a form and then planning examples of questions that will be used to highlight these issues.

(Template):Current issues that company is facing.

*Implications Questions:

•Discover the implications of customer problems related to our business solutions•These questions are very valuable because they develop the Implied Need toward other potential problems;•The Implications Questions are particularly efficient in a complex sales approach•These questions, much more difficult to ask, requires careful planning because of their importance in the development of Implied Needs to Explicit Needs.

(Template):Do you think if more people are employed in tech. support then submittals approval problem will be solved?

*Need-Payoff Questions:

•Need-Payoff Questions are intended to develop the buyer’s desire for a solution to their problems•When the Need-Payoff Questions are asked too early in the sales call, the customer is naturally suspicious;•Need-Payoff Questions, certainly the most difficult to ask effectively, should start from the Implied Needs to develop toward Explicit Needs;•Effective Need-Payoff Questions will engage the buyer to openly talk about the benefits of solving their problems.

(Template):• Different offers are provided in the template.• Delivers value for different solutions.

Opening

• Preliminaries

• Purpose of the call

• Permission to continue

Investigating

• Effective deployment of the SPIN Model

• The development of Implied Needs to Explicit Needs

2.Stages of Sales SPIN Calls

Demonstrating Capability

• Presentation and/or Demonstration of the solution by describing Features,

Advantages and Benefits

• Main source of objections in complex sales

Obtaining Commitment

• Obtaining Commitment requires 3 steps :

1. Check that key concerns are resolved

2. Summarize benefits

3. Propose a realistic commitment

The Investigating is the most important stage of a sales call –This is

where successful sellers invest most of their efforts

3.Demonstrating Capability:The 3 Ways to Demonstrate/Present a Solution

Features

• Demo/ Presentation of the features, price, accessories

• Low impact in the customer’s buying experience

Advantages

• Demo / Presentation of the advantages linked to the features

• Sufficient impact in a simple/transactional sales call

Benefits

• Demo/ Presentation of the solution in response to the customer’s explicit needs

• High impact in the customer’s buying experience during complex/consultative

sales call

Demonstrating Capability:

Buyer’s reactions:

Features

• Objections related to the cost of the product/service;

Advantages

• Objections related to the value of the advantages mentioned

Benefits

• Buyer’s agreement because it meets with his expectations

4.Obtaining CommitmentThe Call’s Outcomes in a Simple Sale: 2 Possible Outcomes

• Win the Sale

• Loose the Sale

For a Complex Sale: 2 other Outcomes:

Advance: The buyer accepts to move to the next step

Continuation: The discussion continues, but no action is agreed upon

Thanks