SPIN can help you successfully negiotiate larger sales i.e. those that typically require multiple calls or meetings, require you to tender a bid, are decided on by more than one person or has more at stake than a few dollars. SPIN helps you by helping both parties in the negotiation realise the full value of your product or service. So much so that even an intially doubtful prospect could end up telling you exactly how you can help them by letting them buy your solution.
Not to be mistaken with the spin that politicians and their public relations people use to ease you into thinking differently about a situation, but a way of helping your prospect clarify exactly what their needs are, what would happen if those needs weren’t fulfilled, what possible solutions are available to fulfill those needs and why they want your product now.
SPIN Selling is written by Neil Rackham of Huthwaite, the creators of the SPIN technique, and reports on the study of thousands of sales calls, how the principles of SPIN were formed from the subsequent analysis and the impact they had on the calls in which they were applied.
When people are asked about the sales process they may automatically think of sales pitches and hard sell, but these techniques are less likely to be successful with larger sales than they are with smaller sales. Even when high pressure techniques result in sale, sometimes the buyer can be left feeling like they’ve been forced into the sale and may be reluctant to be put through any further dealings with you (and we all know it’s much easier and cheaper to get subsequent business rather than new business, right?)
So rather than plying your best sales, objection-handling and closing techniques on the buyer, SPIN allows the buyer to do what they prefer to do and that’s to talk about themselves. By asking the right types of questions at the right time, you can guide the buyer into a position where they are ready to commit to your solution.
Situation questions - questions about their current situation in business.
Problem questions - questions about their current issues.
Implications questions - questions about what the implications of their issues are if they’re not addressed.
Need pay off questions - questions about how solving those issues would benefit them.
If you’re involved in negotiating large ticket sales, sales involving multiple calls and multiple people then this book is for you. Even if you think you’re a successful seller, consider how much better you could be if you could get the buyer beating down your door to purchase your solution.
SPIN Selling is also available in audio CD format; ideal for listening to whilst in the bath or commuting.