What more could a marketer want than a customer who wants, needs and wants to buy his product. But how do you get a customer to think like that? The key is to ask the right questions at the right time. And that's where the SPIN selling method can help.
It was developed by Neil Rackham and his team based on research of 35,000 sales conversations and described in the book SPIN Selling, published in 1988. The SPIN Selling method is based on the premise that the decision to buy stems from a need or as a solution to a problem. The salesperson therefore needs to know these needs and problems.
How to ask the right questions
SPIN selling is a set of 4 types of questions that salespeople are asked to ask the customer in a given order. The name SPIN is an acronym for these 4 types:
- Situation - situational questions to find out information and facts about the customer,
- Problem - problem questions revealing the customer's problem or concern,
- Implication - implication questions raising the need for a solution,
- Need-payoff - reinforcement questions that direct the customer to our product.
1. Situational questions
It is not the product that comes first, but the customer and his need. Therefore, don't start a sales call with what you sell and why the customer should want it. First try to understand the customer's situation, in which you will later place the product you offer.
For example, if you sell a CRM tool, ask:
- What do your current processes look like?
- What tools do you use?
- How do you keep track of information from clients?
- How do you evaluate the business?
2. Problematic issues
Next, focus on the customer's problem that you could solve. Ask clients what's bothering them and what they're solving. Again, don't talk about yourself and your product, instead try to understand how the client sees the problem.
When selling CRM, these questions might look like this:
- Does communication with the client and across the team work well for you?
- Does your current business tool make your job easier?
- Or is the system holding you back and you feel communication could be more effective?
3. Implication questions
Now your job is to create a desire in the customer to seek solutions to problems. Show him the causes and consequences of the problem so that he begins to see the value of the solution.
For CRM sales, we can ask:
- How much time per week does ineffective communication cost you?
- What could you spend this time on?
- How would you make your work more efficient with a new tool?
4. Fixing questions
In the last phase, you direct the customer to the solution you offer. If you have asked the previous questions well, you have led him to the conclusion that he has a problem, he needs to solve it and your product will help him to do just that.
Don't boast or push the envelope at this time either. Rather, ask questions:
- Would a system where you have all your client information together be helpful?
- Would it make it easier for you to share information and work within your team?
The RAYNET CRM, where you have all the existing information about your clients in one place, also facilitates the course of a business meeting and the selection of questions.
