If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Herb Cohen Success Expo, you missed one of Move Ahead 1’s best Expos ever, and you missed learning about our final Success Expo of 2008, featuring Neil Rackham, author and creator of the SPIN Selling methodology.
So, what the heck is SPIN Selling?
In Rackham’s book, appropriately titled, SPIN Selling, he discusses how classic sales techniques, like overcoming objections can actually hinder a sale due to the fact that most potential clients are now savvy to these tricks.
What Rackham has come up with is a way for you to ask your client questions in order to expose their “pain” and then ”save” them with your product or service.
So, what does the SPIN in SPIN Selling stand for?
“SPIN” stands for the four question types asked in sequence that are needed to get the sale.
S stands for Situation Questions. Data-gathering questions about background and facts about the company you are calling on.
P stands for Problem Questions. Questions which explore problems, difficulties, and dissatisfactions in areas where your product or service can help.
I stands for Implication Questions. These types of questions take a client’s problem and explore its effects or consequences.
N stands for Need-Payoff Questions. These types of questions get the client to tell YOU the benefits that your solution could offer.
There are several examples of these types of questions in SPIN Selling. But why not give yourself an opportunity to listen and learn from the author himself? Also get an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals who are attending this event to get an edge in their business.
Book review-amazon.com-”The Ultimate Tactical Selling Handbook”
I am a corporate sales professional. That means that I don’t do “hit and run,” one-time sales. Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar offer great tactics for those kind of salespeople, but they don’t work for me. Neil Rackham has hit one out of the park with Spin Selling. Turning everything I “thought” I knew about closing on its head, he provides the power tools for making the most of a sales call. The most important concept here is that you, as a sales rep. are not there when the real decisions get made. Therefore, you must arm your prospects with the tools to represent your company well in your absence. Rackham does not disappoint. You will get all the tools you need to prepare your prospect to close the sale for you from this book. I give all of my salespeople Strategic Selling by Miller, Heiman, et. al. and Spin Selling as the ultimate combination of strategic and tactical approaches to corporate selling. Stop throwing commissions away. If you consider yourself a true corporate sales professional, you have no business ignoring this book.
Register on line today at www.moveahead1.com or contact Nicole Linden directly at 908-216-1940.
There is no question that SPIN Selling (and Neil’s underlying research) changed how many sell. There have been other books of that ilk that were influential as well. The value of those books for sales professionals will continue on for many years.
Although foundation selling skills are still required today(know your product, your customer, your competitor, etc.), an additional layer of advanced skills are required for many companies to consistently win. For example, leveraging Web 2.0/Sales 2.0 technology (for collaboration, knowledge, communication, managing opportunities and accounts), employing competitive strategies and tactics (review the Air Force Boeing tanker deal), financial justification, political selling skills, etc.
My firm evaluates sales training programs and companies. Although Huthwaite (originally Neil’s firm) and Miller Heiman are certainly in the top tier, they are far from perfect for every company interested in improving sales performance.
It takes an objective and comprehensive assessment of a company’s (or individual sales pro’s) requirements to determine what the best approach for them should be. One size does not fit all. Many companies get this wrong. There is plenty of sales-effectiveness-related research that shows today’s overall level of sales effectiveness is dismal.
We in sales have a long way to go.
I do find that SPIN Selling techniques really helped me to focus my thoughts in a sales meeting and was one of the best sales training books I have read.
There’s a lot out there on sales, from books to training organizations to sales training seminars. We should all be better sales people! But many do not take time to find ways to improve themselves.
In this economy, the opportunity for any advantage is key to success. The next several months will not only weed out weak organizations, but also the weak links within. An opportunity to learn from Neil Rackham himself is a real positive – and a rare one in the NY/NJ area. It should not be missed!!!!
SPIN Selling certainly helped me in my sales career.
I think there are other things too. SPIN is a model, that’s like a method of playing the game AND any game requires skill to play it. That’s what real sales people have, sales skills.
There are plenty of sales models that will work but you need the skills to apply the model.
That’s why I focus on teaching the skills.
Regards Greg