The 4 Stages of a SPIN Sale

Opening the Demonstrating Obtaining

Investigating
Call Capability Commitment

Preliminaries Spin Questions FAB formula Possible Outcomes

1. Objection prevention 1. Situation 1. Features 1. Advance
2. Objection handling 2. Problem 2. Advantages 2. Continuation
3. Implication 3. Benefits 3. Order
4. Need Payoff 4. No-Sale
i) Get down to business quickly. Situation questions: Function as a way to Features: Are most useful when selling Advance: Is an action the buyer commits
ii) Don’t dawdle. The Preliminaries stage gather information. low-cost, simple products. End-users to that brings you closer to a purchase. If
is not the most productive part of the call Problem questions: Function as a way to tend to find features more compelling the buyer is actually interested, they’ll
for you or the customer. identify the pains and problems prospects than decision-makers, who care about agree to do some work as well.
iii) Don’t feel that you’ll offend experience. the bottom-line results. Continuation: Is a sales conversation that
customers by getting down to business Implication questions: Help you underscore Advantages: Describe how a product’s ends with an undesirable outcome. In
quickly. why those pains need to be solved. features are actually used. Like benefits, other words, when you finish the call or
iv) Don’t talk about solutions too Need Payoff questions: Lead the prospect to they’re useful for smaller purchases but meeting the buyer hasn’t agreed to any
soon. One of the most common faults in draw conclusions on their own rather than less persuasive with larger ones. next steps that will advance the deal.
selling is talking about your solutions and leading into a pitch right away. Benefits: Go one step further and show Order: An order is the third potential
capabilities too early in the call. how a feature can help the prospect. outcome of a sales call. For large deals,
v) Concentrate on questions. Never They typically have a financial this is usually the last outcome in a series
forget that the Preliminaries aren’t the component and meet your customer’s of progressively larger closes.
most important part of the call. need(s). A well-crafted benefit gives the No-Sale: Is the fourth (and least
buyer a reason to buy your product. desirable) outcome. Your prospect rejects
your request, they say there’s no
possibility you’ll work together.
Advance: To help mid-market and enterprise salespeople measure their Advance: To help mid-market and enterprise salespeople measure their
progress, Rackham uses the concept of “advances.” An advance is an action progress, Rackham uses the concept of “advances.” An advance is an action
the buyer commits to that brings you closer to a purchase. The operative the buyer commits to that brings you closer to a purchase. The operative
word is action. It’s tempting to interpret your prospect’s request for more word is action. It’s tempting to interpret your prospect’s request for more
information or a proposal as a buying signal, but that puts the ball entirely in information or a proposal as a buying signal, but that puts the ball entirely in
your court. If the buyer is actually interested, they’ll agree to do some work as your court. If the buyer is actually interested, they’ll agree to do some work as
well. well.
Continuation: Is a sales conversation that ends with an undesirable outcome. Continuation: Is a sales conversation that ends with an undesirable outcome.
In other words, when you finish the call or meeting the buyer hasn’t agreed to In other words, when you finish the call or meeting the buyer hasn’t agreed to
any next steps that will advance the deal. Example advances include the any next steps that will advance the deal.
prospect reviewing your pricing page and sending you their questions, signing Order: An order is the third potential outcome of a sales call. The buyer
up for a free trial and exploring the tool, or introducing you to a key agrees to purchase your product and shows their strong desire by signing
stakeholder. Come up with as many valuable advances as possible. The more paperwork. For large deals, this is usually the last outcome in a series of
paths to the sale you have, the likelier you are to get there. When your progressively larger closes.
prospect turns down one of your advances — for example, an introduction to No-Sale: Is the fourth (and least desirable) outcome. Your prospect rejects
Procurement — you can calmly accept the rejection and then propose your request — you can’t meet with the decision-maker, they won’t schedule
something else. another meeting, or at the most extreme, they say there’s no possibility you’ll
Order: An order is the third potential outcome of a sales call. The buyer work together.
agrees to purchase your product and shows their strong desire by signing
paperwork. For large deals, this is usually the last outcome in a series of
progressively larger closes.
No-Sale: Is the fourth (and least desirable) outcome. Your prospect rejects
your request — you can’t meet with the decision-maker, they won’t schedule
another meeting, or at the most extreme, they say there’s no possibility you’ll
work together.