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GettingInformation-SPINSelling.pptxSPIN Selling
Based on a book by Neil Rackham
Questioning Activity
Pick a number 2-9
Multiply by 9
Add the two digits together
Subtract 5
Take the corresponding letter of the alphabet: 1=A, 2=B
Pick a country that starts with that letter
Take the second letter of that country name and pick a large animal that starts with that letter
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Answer – Denmark & Grey Elephant
Investigating Customer Needs
Implicit Needs
Statements by the customer of problems, difficulties, and dissatisfaction
EX “We are having problems with inventory turnover.”
Explicit Needs
Specific customer statements of wants or needs
EX “I need a packaging system to solve our inventory turnover problem.”
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Introduction to SPIN
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SPIN Questioning Techniques
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Situation
Problem
Need-Payoff
Implication
Situation Questioning
Data gathering & fact finding questions; open ended
Inexperienced salespeople tend to ask more of these
Each question should have focus or purpose
Buyers get bored with situation questions
Do background research to answer situation questions in advance so you can move on more quickly
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Situation Question Examples
How many people do you currently employ here? (BAD)
Who are your current equipment suppliers?
What are the major things you would like to accomplish in purchasing new copiers?
What are the key decision criteria you are looking at in making this decision?
Others?
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Problem Questioning
Explores problems, difficulties, and dissatisfactions in the areas where the seller’s product/service can help; open-ended questions
Experienced salespeople as a higher proportion of these
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Problem Question Examples
Are you satisfied with your production volume (BAD)?
What issues or problems do you have with your current machines?
What types of problems are you having with your inventory levels?
What kinds of difficulties have you had with repair or service solutions?
Others?
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Problem Exercise
Situation: you are selling copiers to a law firm. This is your second call with them. In the first call, they expressed interest in producing brochures in-house. To outsource, they have to pay $0.15 for each brochure and currently make 5,000 brochures a month.
What are some PROBLEM questions that you could ask?
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Implication Questioning
More complex and sophisticated; open-ended.
Develops customer’s problems and explores their effects
Takes a problem that is perceived to be small and develops it to the point where it clearly justifies action
Helps buyer realize the cost of doing nothing outweighs the cost of the solution
Implied needs lead to implication questions
Turn implicit needs into explicit needs
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Implication Question Examples
How will that affect your profit margin?
What other problems does this cause throughout the business?
How does that impact meeting your goals?
What happens if you ship your customer a product that doesn’t meet specifications?
Others?
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Implication Exercise
Situation: You are selling copiers to a law firm. This is your second call with them. In the first call, they expressed interest in producing brochures in-house. To outsource, they have to pay $0.15 for each brochure and currently experience frequent delays. What are some IMPLICATION questions that you could ask?
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Need-Payoff Questioning
Designed to clarify and increase a buyer’s desire for a solution: Search for value of a proposed solution
Customers react more positively if they are treated as the experts (i.e., they co-create solutions)
Ask NP questions after you uncover the major implication & before you describe your solution
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If the buyer responds negatively to a NP question, the salesperson has not identified a serious need
Have strong correlation to sales success
NEED TO BE OPEN-ENDED
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Need-Payoff Questioning
Example Need-Payoff Questions
How might content management make things easier?
How much would you save annually if we could eliminate your seasonal overtime costs?
How would you reallocate the budget from outsourcing brochures if you purchased the brochure copier?
If we could shorten your order processing cycle by two days, how would that impact your shipment rates?
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SPIN Example: ID good & bad questions
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SPIN Exercise
What types of expenses do you have when it breaks down?
Tell me about your experience with copier repairs?
How do you feel about your current company’s service?
How are you currently using the copiers in the administrative area?
How would increasing access to patient charts benefit doctors?
How does having to go to another department for copies impact your operations?
How do you see employees taking advantage of send to email?
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Practice
SPIN
Work with a partner to write and practice a SPIN sequence
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