With Guiding Questions, you clarify and develop the customer's perception of your product or service.

Guiding questions help to influence - from Hidden it becomes Explicit. The client expresses the need action in order to change the situation.

At this stage of the sale, the client is ready to consider ways to change the situation: to solve an existing or potential problem, any quality problems, delays, interruptions, reduced process efficiency, increased costs, and the like. bottlenecks your business.

It may still not be obvious to the client at this point how He will take on new challenges. You demonstrate to the client the Benefits of the product and their .

Although it is possible to do this, if you "dress" the Leading Question in the form of a "tailed" question and give an accurate description of the benefits of your product in it. For example:

"I understand correctly that your company's acquisition of our synchro-mono-ultra-fast engines can correct the current situation with the issue of deteriorating Unit A performance?"

With this question, you give the client a ready-made solution. But do it at this stage Not recommended.

The client may be still not ready in order to receive such an Offer-sale directly "on the forehead". This can be perceived as pressure, manipulation, and so on. Therefore, adhere to the end of the principle, according to which the client himself answers your questions and sells himself a solution.

The purpose of the Guiding Questions is to help the client on one's own voice yours. Do not do that per client.

An unlimited number of guiding questions can be asked during Formation and Revealing. They help the client to keep the right direction: There can be several Needs and Values ​​from using your product in the client. And the more values ​​the client discovers for himself, the easier the sale will be.

Use many Guiding Questions when negotiating with a client.

Mistake #3. Forget about the obligation already at this stage of the SPIN model.

Guiding questions bring satisfaction to the client that there is a solution that solves the situation. In addition, it is very important that it is at this moment that the client begins to trust you very much - the whole chain SPIN questions that you used in the negotiations contributed to this.

It is important that further you are able not only to correctly complete the negotiations with a presentation Benefits and Values of your decision, but also for you to form a commitment (going forward) option for the client. The obligation should be such as to protect you as much as possible from the "sticking" of the Client to Stages of "Evaluation of Alternative Proposals", which will necessarily be present in your relationship with the client.

Your job is to make the most of it. short and not lose a client.

Do not forget at this stage and that soon the client will be ready to confirm their interest in your Product, which means that it is necessary to move the client forward on . Prepare a commitment for yourself and for the client now in order to complete this stage of the sale (you are at the stage "Confessions of Need" Purchase Cycle) and move the client to the stage "Assessment of Alternatives".

EXAMPLES OF GUIDING QUESTIONS

SPIN Sales Model Examples of Guiding Questions

What is a pull question?

An extractive question is a question about:

– consequences;

- effects;

- the hidden meaning of the buyer's problems.

These questions asked in the system explain to the buyer the seriousness of his problem, make it significant to justify the need for action.

Why ask extractive questions?

Our research has shown that, in the first place, it is the extraction questions that determine the success of large sales. The purpose of these questions is to develop the clarity and strength of customer concerns by:

- focusing on the consequences of the problem;

– expanding and increasing the possible effects of the problem;

– Evidence that the problem is related to other potential problems.

Inquiry questions are most effective when selling to decision makers—people whose success depends on being able to see long-term results and possible consequences behind a momentary problem. Extraction questions help you turn problems (hidden needs) into explicit needs, which is the single most important step in making a big sale.

And what does all this mean?

Extracting questions are a powerful means of developing needs.

“They broaden the customer's perception of the value of the proposed solution.

They are harder to ask than situational or problem questions.

Examples of retrieval questions

Can an increase in the price of components lead to an increase in the number of thefts?

How will this affect your insurance costs?

Now let's check how clearly you understand the difference between extraction and problem questions, and then move on to a more detailed study of them.

Problematic or extractive question?

1. Are you worried about the increased workload?

2. How has the increase in workload affected staff turnover?

3. Has the lack of staff affected the speed of responding to customer calls?

4. Are you concerned about the quality of your work?

5. Are you having difficulty hiring experienced professionals?

6. What category of professionals is the most difficult to hire?

7. Have these personnel problems led to the loss of at least one client of your company?

8. How do you deal with staff shortages?

1. Problematic issue."Are you worried about…?" looking for dissatisfaction.

2. Extractive question. The question of consequences ("how did it affect ...?") in this case, allows you to link the increase in workload with another problem - staff turnover.

3. Extractive question. Verb "influenced" connects the problem of lack of staff with another problem - the speed of response to a customer request.

4. Problematic issue."Does... bother you?" - study of another problem.

5. Problematic issue. Noun "difficulties" shows that they are actually asking about one more problem.

6. Problematic issue.“Which… harder…?” - follow-up question on the issue raised in question 5.

7. Extracting question. Phrase “Lead… to the loss… of a client…” clearly connects problems in the field of personnel with the loss of customers, that is, strongly and clearly develops the problem.

8. Problematic issue. Question “How are you coping…?” still focused on the same problem, it doesn't expand on it or link it to another, although it looks fancier.

If you made mistakes while answering the previous questions, don't be discouraged: preparation of extraction questions is the most difficult part of the SPIN technique, they are more difficult to prepare than situational or problem ones. But because they are the most effective, these are the questions that will allow you to succeed in large, complex sales. Why? Because eliciting questions are the key to developing problems from implicit needs to explicit ones.

How do elicitation questions help develop needs? In Chapter 6, you learned that the customer must see that the consequences of a problem are greater than the cost of buying your solution before they make a purchase decision. You also learned that explicit needs have two components:

The function of extractive questions is to develop the significance of the problem in such a way that it becomes clear and meaningful, so that the buyer sees that it is worth solving.

Asking good probing questions will help you:

– planning. Extraction questions don't come out of nowhere. Even the most experienced salespersons have to think about elicitation questions well in advance of the meeting;

– knowledge about the client's business. This is necessary to understand why the issue might matter to the buyer and to show him its importance in conjunction with other business issues;

– knowledge about how to use your solution. By knowing the types of problems your products can solve, you are able to select the most appropriate latent needs for development.

Pull questions are the most difficult of the SPIN questions used in complex sales. But do you know that we operate with might and main with these questions in everyday life? Before attempting to plan business extraction questions, it might be worth starting with a more personal example.

general information

Your friend John works as a consultant and every day drives a ten-year-old car to the office from a country house. His path is about ten miles. He often flies in airplanes, for which he uses the services of an airport located twenty miles from his home. At the airport, he leaves the car in a long-term parking lot.

When John is not on a business trip, it is not uncommon for him to drop off clients who come into town for a meeting and show them local attractions or take them to meetings with other clients in the city or suburbs.

John's wife also has a car. And sometimes the wife drives John to or from the repair shop and then to and from the office. Because of this, John has to come to work later or leave early. Saturday day. You ended up in John's front yard just as he was contemplating what to do with his old car. He's worried because the car is breaking down more often and has been in repair twice lately. He asks you to help him think about this problem.

Your task

Develop an understanding that the problem needs to be addressed urgently by pointing out the possible consequences.

Stages of problem solving.

1. Carefully reread the general information.

2. Having identified the problem, list its consequences.

3. Write each of the possible consequences in one of the squares of the chart.

4. Draw arrows between the problem and the consequences, showing the links between cause and effect.

5. Turn the page to see possible results.

You may have specified any or all of the consequences listed below.

Extraction questions take a particular small problem to a problem of a significant scale.

1. Consequences usually cling to one another. In this example, a car reliability problem resulted in missed appointments, which damaged John's professional image and led to business losses.

2. The set of consequences can lead to one generalizing, global problem or question. Usually it's about costs. In our example, costs increase due to:

- breakdowns;

- missed appointments

- worsened image;

- inconvenience caused;

- Lost business.

3. Linking other possible problems or consequences to this problem visibly increases its significance and dictates the need for an urgent solution for the buyer.

It is extremely important to plan the extraction questions in advance, before meeting with the buyer. As we have noted more than once, such questions do not come to mind by themselves, the lack of a plan can lead to the fact that you:

You will lose the opportunity to ask appropriate extractive questions at a time when they could have had the greatest impact;

- ask inadequate situational or problematic questions and because of this you will lose the trust of the client;

- divert the attention of the buyer from problems that you can solve, and direct it to problems that you cannot solve.

The purpose of pull questions is to build the significance of the problem in such a way that it is clear and strong enough to make the buyer feel a strong desire or need for your service or product. That is, before you can plan your elicitation questions, you need to have a clear understanding of the specific customer problems (or categories of problems, if you're a service provider) that you can solve.

There are four steps to planning effective elicitation questions that you will find easiest to understand from experience. Try planning a few probing questions that you could ask in specific sales meetings. As you work through steps 1-3, don't worry about whether these questions will get you the results you want, just try to associate each problem you find with as many consequences as possible.

1. Make sure you ask all the problem questions you and the client need to identify and clearly understand the relevant problems – the ones you can best solve for the buyer.

2. From those already identified, select the key issues that already have, or are likely to have, major impacts. These problems you need to develop to the level of need for your products.

3. Using the form from the following page:

- list in the left column the selected key problems of the buyer;

- list the relevant consequences that you think could increase the importance of this problem for the buyer.

4. Prepare a few pertinent probing questions for the buyer. We'll talk more about how to formulate effective extraction questions after you've completed steps 1-3 on the next page.

Example

Product: product development consulting - project management services

Buyer: new VP of Product Development (in this case, the product is a new fiber optic bronchoscope) Aim of the meeting: arrange a meeting with key decision makers in the company

Product: ___________________________________________________________

Buyer: ________________________________________________________

Aim of the meeting: ______________________________________________________

Extraction questions should sound natural. And besides, they should be relevant to the problems of the buyer. This can be achieved in three ways.

1. Vary the way you express your extraction questions.

Many salespeople who are not experienced with SPIN technology make mistakes when asking extraction questions for the first time. They ask the buyer to list the possible consequences, using the same type of general pull question over and over again, such as: "What are the consequences of this problem?"

To be successful in selling, prepare a variety of follow-up questions in advance of the meeting. By doing so, you will help the buyer to see the seriousness of the problem.

2. Use a variety of question types.

The SPIN questions do not have to be asked in a fixed sequence. Sometimes it is very correct to ask a clarifying situational or extractive question right after the problematic question, combining it with the problematic one. The key is to ask questions in a sequence that will best enable you to set the context, identify and develop the buyer's problem.

3. Use available information anchors in your questions in the same way you learned to do with situational questions in Chapter 7.

- Tie your questions to the customer's statements.

– Tie your questions to personal observations.

- Tie your questions to third party situations.

Now let's look at all of the above in a specific meeting that illustrates the various techniques described above for effective, natural framing of extraction questions.

Peter Roche of Sound to Go provides audio-visual services and conference center equipment. Buyer Julie Crane runs the convention center.

Salesman: I understand that you are in charge of all the operational support systems of the conference center?

Buyer: Yes, I manage all audio and video services. In addition, I am also responsible for cleaning the premises, catering, office maintenance and I solve the personnel and administrative issues necessary for the smooth conduct of conferences.

Salesman: You said that over the past year conferences have been held at your center very often. Has this caused any problems in the field of audio and video support? (The problematic question is tied to the statement of the buyer.)

Buyer: Of course it did. The increased workload over the past three months has necessitated the introduction of a second shift of audiovisual technicians. Our equipment costs skyrocketed. (Latent need.)

Salesman: When I was getting to know your conference center, I noticed several audio and video recorders stacked in the control room. Do your audiovisual repair technicians also do repairs in the field? (The situational question is related to the personal observation of the seller.)

Buyer: In most cases, the conference schedule includes downtime required for repair work. However, there has been no downtime in six months, and Joe is the only one of the newly hired technicians who knows how to fix old equipment. Therefore, we currently do not have additional equipment, which could be used to replace the worn out one. (Another hidden need.)

Salesman: According to the schedule you showed me, the convention center will be almost empty for the next three months. If Joe is the only employee on the second shift doing equipment repairs, what will the rest of the workers do during the downtime? (The extracting question is related to the personal observation of the seller.)

Buyer: This is really a problem. We'll have to pay the second shift until the center is up and running again. It used to be different: we just paid the first shift for processing. So we saved on expenses, but as a result we lost good employees. (Hidden needs.)

Salesman: Has the quality of your center suffered as a result of these staffing problems? (The pull question is related to the customer's statement.)

Buyer: Undoubtedly. When workloads are high, it is very difficult to work without skilled workers. It would be possible to save money during a calm period on wages and other overhead costs. (The buyer expresses a clear need that the seller can satisfy.)

Making a complex sale usually requires several meetings to gather information. And once you understand the customer's organizational and operational activities, take a deep look at the identified problem areas and consider potential links between them before you even get to work with the customer.

Planning ahead, like the one above, will allow you to make connections between questions and concerns when you meet with the buyer later on.

In addition, a thorough knowledge of the problems will help you formulate a variety of extraction questions. This way you will be prepared in case additional implications or related issues come up during the discussion with the client that may require you to speak without preparation.

Ask probing questions after problem questions, but before you move on to presenting your solution.

One of the most common and dangerous mistakes made by a salesperson is presenting a solution before a clear need is fully developed. When the buyer agrees that there is a problem, the temptation is to offer a solution right away. In addition, this is logical: the buyer has questions, and your task is to provide him with answers. Do not do that!

Instead, build a bridge to your solution first. Use probing questions that will reveal the importance of the problem in its entirety, because only then the solution you propose will arouse genuine interest in the buyer.

Extraction questions are especially valuable when used in the following three low-risk areas:

- if the problems are significant;

– if the problems are not clear;

– if problems need to be revisited.

If the issues are significant. These problems include unreasonable costs, wasted time, inconvenience and lost opportunities, which any buyer will gladly tell you about. Extractive questions can also help you get a high return on a complex problem or chain of consequences.

There is an old English song that illustrates the importance of the results in the chain of consequences for the development and expansion of the problem.

There was no nail -
The horseshoe is gone.
There was no horseshoe -
The horse limped.
The horse was lame
The commander is killed.
The cavalry is broken
The army is running...
The enemy enters the city
Sparing no prisoners
Because in the forge
There was no nail.

If the issues are not clear. You can help clarify them by asking retrieval questions. Helping the buyer get to the bottom of serious problems also builds trust and builds a good working relationship.

If you need to reconsider issues. Sometimes, after listening to a description of a problem, you realize that you can offer only a partial solution to it. But it is possible that the buyer himself is not fully aware of his problem. And then your task is to help him look at it from a different point of view, namely from one where your solution fits best. Extraction questions in this case are able to find and demonstrate to the buyer the elements of the problem that your solution best answers, which increases the chances of closing a deal.

Here are three cases in which you should not use retrieval questions, or should use them with caution:

– too early in the meeting;

– if consequences are found that you cannot resolve;

- in sensitive matters.

Too early in the meeting. It's dangerous to ask probing questions if you haven't fully understood the buyer's situation. By jumping into the consequences too abruptly, you run the risk of creating distrust or provoking resistance from the client. It is better to start the meeting with situational questions and only then move on to talking about the problems, their importance and consequences.

If consequences are found that you cannot resolve. Don't waste your energy and save your pull questions for situations you can solve.

On delicate matters. It is always risky to get into the details of the consequences when it comes to sensitive issues for the client - for example, the organizational policy of the company, personal problems or decisions that the buyer has recently made.

1. Choose for one of your customers one consequence that you developed earlier in this chapter.

2. Write down your chosen outcome in the appropriate box below.

3. Prepare at least three elicitation questions based on the single outcome you have chosen and write them in the appropriate boxes.

Example

Problematic questions focus on the analysis of the problem from the inside, while extractive questions focus on the analysis from the outside:

Extractive questions affect the client, showing how the severity of the problem grows, and thereby causing him serious discomfort. The basic principle of consulting, which applies equally to sales, is that good consulting keeps the client at the average pain level, but never oversteps this limit. By asking too many provoking questions, or by trying too hard to make you feel uncomfortable, you run the risk of having the opposite effect: the client will be disappointed in you. Remember that your customer can only tolerate a certain level of discomfort. Do not exceed a reasonable limit.

To inexperienced salespeople working with pull questions for the first time, it seems that success can only be achieved by increasing the level of discomfort for the buyer. Very successful salespeople, however, will ask probing questions for the sake of understanding rather than for the sake of persuasion. That is, if the seller asks: "How has this affected costs?" and the buyer replies: "No way. This does not affect costs, because we have a large spare reserve capacity”, then a good seller will be satisfied with such an answer. For a seasoned salesperson, knowing that the consequences where expected did not actually turn out to be is also very important. Because by figuring this out, salespeople are able to focus on the areas that really matter to their customers.

If you are working with multiple buyers from different departments or a company buying committee, then pull questions are absolutely essential to align different people's views on the need to urgently solve a multi-faceted problem. Also, extractive questions can link the company's internal problems to external problems, which, in turn, can provoke an actual or potential loss of company-wide revenue. When a small problem turns into a problem that can lead to loss of revenue, what company won't buy your solution?

Extractive questions link together specific problems of different departments

short test

Check how well you understand how to use retrieval questions and answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of pull questions?

a) Identify the buyer's problems.

b) Demonstrate the consequences of using your service or product.

c) Develop latent needs to the level of explicit ones.

2. Which of the following questions are extractive questions?

a) Will these breakdowns lead to production difficulties?

b) Do you have more than seven trucks on site?

c) If a shortage of staff results in a delay in paperwork, how much longer will it take to complete the work?

3. Which of the following creates high level risk for extraction questions?

a) The buyer is unsure of the severity of the problem.

b) The very beginning of the sale.

c) Your inability to resolve the buyer's problem with the means available to you.

4. When should you ask probing questions? (Choose one item)

a) After you demonstrate the possibilities of your solution.

b) After investigating the buyer's decision, but before asking about problems.

c) After the buyer describes the problem, but before you offer a solution.

1. (c) - The purpose of extractive questions is to develop latent needs to the level of explicit ones.

2. (a) and (c) - extracting questions. In (a), the breakdown was a problem, but the consequence (result) of the problem was production difficulties. In (c) the inability to complete the paperwork on time became a problem, and a possible result is a delay in the completion of the work.

3. (6) and (c) are high-risk areas for extracting questions.

4. (c) - Probing questions should be asked after the buyer describes the problem, but before you offer a solution.

A classic example of using Guiding Questions to reinforce Explicit Buyer Needs

Selling is easy when you meet a client who wants exactly what you have. He also understands the importance of this purchase, can explain this to his colleagues or management. It's a pity that we rarely find such ideal buyers. However, you can make them so. That is the task. They focus the buyer on the Benefit they will receive and the rationale behind that Benefit. SPIN selling is primarily a conversation about the client's problems. And Guiding questions help to create a positive atmosphere of conversation, to switch from problems and difficulties to solutions and actions. They allow the buyer to tell you about the Benefits.

So, for example, to the question: “Do you think a faster car will help you?” - you can get the answer: “It will undoubtedly solve our problems in production and allow us to use working time trained operators. Let's see how these results are achieved in a meeting where the Guiding Questions are asked by a salesperson who specializes in phone systems:

So, are you interested in a way to control long distance calls?
Buyer: In general, yes, of course... But this is only one of the problems that we have today.
Seller (guide question): I'd like to discuss all the other issues in a couple of minutes. But first, about the first: You say you'd like to control long distance calls. Why is this so important to you?
Buyer: Right now, the financial controller is trying to get me to limit the costs of operating the network, and if I can reduce the cost of long distance calls, it will help.
Seller (guide question): If you can control the access of subscribers to the long-distance network, will it help you?
Buyer: This will certainly prevent some of the unauthorized long distance calls, since most of them are the result of illegal long distance calls.
Salesman: Let's return to the issue of preparing telephone system management reports. (guiding question) May I suggest that you would like to improve something here as well?
Buyer: Yes... It would be very helpful.
Seller (guide question): So how would you get the best way to pay for calls?
Buyer: Right. If we can identify the departments from which the calls were made, then we can get them to pay for the calls.
Seller (guide question): It's clear. How else can it help?
Buyer: No, perhaps the possibility of accounting is the main point.
Seller (guide question): Well, that's really important... But perhaps it would be equally important for you to know how long it takes to answer incoming calls and the total number of calls going through each extension?
Buyer: This information would be very helpful!
Seller (guide question): Useful in terms of cost reduction or for some other reason?
Buyer: No, I didn't think about the costs. But this data will help us improve the quality of customer service - and in our business this is extremely important! Can you offer us something?
Salesman: Yes we can. Let me tell you how our equipment will help you...

Did you notice that in this example, the Leading Questions successfully shift the client's attention to the solution? Significantly, the buyer began to help the seller, practically selling for him: “This data will help us improve the quality of customer service ...” It is not surprising that meetings with a large number of Guiding Questions are rated by buyers as positive, constructive and useful.

Guiding questions have a positive effect, clarifying and expanding for clients the benefits of solving existing problems. Making them the very “ideal” buyers that are almost never found in wildlife, but can be created using. You can learn how to ask questions, answering which customers themselves will convince themselves of the need for a deal, by going through ours.

SPIN technique (SPIN sale) recognized as one of the most successful and effective for active sales. Developed by the Englishman Neil Rackham back in the 90s, this technology is still popular today. There is probably not a single professional in sales who has not heard, studied or applied SPIN in sales. It is used by new employees of marketing companies as a basis. Experienced managers cannot refuse it because, in fact, there is no worthy alternative.

SPIN sale rejects any phasing. Instead, it is proposed to work on a system of questions. With the help of the funnel, the manager learns information about the consumer. And, as a result of studying the interlocutor and his interests, he offers what he really needs. Therefore, SPIN selling implies an emphasis on understanding the customer. Our call center operators also use this technique and make SPIN sales.

An important rule of the SPIN technique: 70% is the client talking and only 30% is the sales manager.

Funnel of questions on the SPIN technique (SPIN sale)

situational questions

With the help of such questions, the active sales manager can draw up a portrait of the client and find out his needs. At the same time, the specialist tries to look at the product through the eyes of the consumer. It is necessary to determine the main advantages for the interlocutor. It also defines the purpose of the purchase. That is, at this segment of the conversation, the manager learns general information about the potential buyer. And also determines his needs and interests. For example: “What do you expect from the product or service?” or “What product features do you want to see?”.

There is only one feature in situational questions: they need correct wording. After all, a manager cannot afford to ask a client a lot. But nevertheless, he needs to know the maximum information about the consumer. The answer depends on how the question is posed. Therefore, the question must be formulated in such a way as to squeeze out the maximum information. It is clear that questions that provoke answers “yes”, “no” are unacceptable. The manager should talk half as much as the client. Therefore, the conversation must be built on interest in the interlocutor.

When making, our specialists ask questions in such a way that the client gives detailed answers, which in turn allow SPIN sales.

Problematic issues

Focused on identifying client issues. Highly important point. Because the further presentation of the product and, as a result, its successful SPIN sales or refusal depends on the information received. That is, the manager must delicately scout out customer dissatisfaction. Find out what and why the customer is dissatisfied. It is very important to be able to provoke the interlocutor with a question so that he opens up. At the same time, you need to be careful to understand for yourself how your product will help solve the problem. For example: “What do you not like about the product you are currently using?”.

Extraction questions

When a manager gets to the pull questions, maximum dexterity must be turned on. After all, the situation must be turned in its direction. These questions are very complex and require preliminary preparation, but SPIN sales are probably simply not possible without them.

The manager does not learn information through retrieval questions. It focuses the client's attention on previously explored issues. He must feel their globality. What will happen if you don't solve it now? The emphasis must be on the consequences. For example: "Let's think, what if your unreliable phone turns off at the most inopportune moment?"

Guiding questions

When making SPIN sales, the manager proceeds to these questions only when the client has really realized the seriousness of the problem. The salesperson now has to push him to a decision by closing the deal. The guiding question focuses on the benefits that the client acquires along with the product or service.

Recently, in the marketing environment, including in, the opinion about the unsuitability of the SPIN technology (SPIN sales) is increasingly heard. And now experts are developing some other. But until there is a more effective sales technique, SPIN continues to be considered the best.

On the efficiency factors in large transactions, called SPIN selling method developed research the band Huthwaite, fronted by Neil Rackham.

SPIN selling method

Prerequisites

It is clear that there is a significant difference between small sales and large sales.

If we are talking about buying a small value, then the buyer can make a decision on the spot. Such a sale does not require a budget calculation and allows you to make impulsive:

"I saw - there was a desire to buy - I bought"

But if the cost of the sale is higher, if the decision is not made on the spot and a long decision is required, then everything is much more complicated.

There was a situation when the classical methods of sales were no longer suitable for making large transactions.

This problem was taken up research the band Huthwaite, fronted by Neil Rackham. For 12 years, Wreckham and his team analyzed tens of thousands of transactions and brought out the common points that unite all these sales.

The result of the research has become known as the SPIN sales method, which has been adopted by many companies around the world.

The difference between small sales and large sales

Neil Rackham, in the framework of the SPIN sales method project, studying small sales, found that their backbone consists of two types of questions - situational and problematic.

Situational questions are general questions. They are part of business communication and provide general information.

For example, a salesperson might ask similar questions about the company as a whole, about the structure, number of employees, and so on.

Situational questions cannot bring significant benefit, and asked in large numbers can reduce success to zero.

During successful meetings, salespeople try to ask as few of these questions as possible, trying to get the most out of it.

Problematic questions are questions about what our buyer does not like and what he would like to change. These are questions about what motivates you to make a purchase, these are questions that speak about needs.

Successful salespeople ask questions that identify buyer problems that they can solve. In small sales, you can make a connection - the number of similar questions can affect the success of the meeting.

When examining the difference between small and large sales, it was found that the number of problematic issues in large transactions does not guarantee the success of the entire meeting.

Undoubtedly, problematic issues in large sales are important - if there is no problem, no need that we can solve, then there is no reason for us to buy something.

But completely different mechanisms work.

Explicit and implicit needs

As part of the SPIN sales method, the terms implicit and explicit needs are defined.

For example, hidden needs speak of the client's inconvenience, discomfort. Something that creates dissatisfaction, but may not be sufficient reason to solve these problems.

Explicit needs are the client's belief in the need to solve problems.

Problematic questions do a good job of revealing hidden needs. In small sales this is sufficient , but for large sales something more is required .

So, for example, if a client has problems with server hardware that does not meet all the requirements, then this is not a reason to spend a lot of money in order to replace this equipment.

If old equipment creates only inconvenience, these are only hidden needs. Client begins to count - the solution to the problem is expensive, they try to measure the problem.

The principle of the scales

Here and below, to illustrate the relationship between the presence of a problem and the cost of solving this problem, the example of weights is used. There is a problem on one of his bowls, on the other there is a price.

The mere existence of a problem does not mean the need for a purchase. About the buyer's awareness of the need to make a purchase comes when the bowl with the price turns over.

Techniques for small sales

In his research, Neil Rackham described techniques that were more successful in small sales.

In short, the small sales strategy can be represented as two steps:

Describe several options for problems that you can solve

Compose several problematic questions that can reveal these problems

big sales

By studying successful deals in large sales, Rackham found that successful salespeople use additional questions in addition to situational and problem questions.

Extraction questions

The first of these was called extraction - the goal is to amplify the problem identified by problem questions. Thanks to this, latent needs - the level of "inconvenience" grew to explicit needs - the level "something needs to be changed".

Example of similar questions:

“What losses can obsolete equipment lead to?”

It has already been said above about the scales model, where on one bowl there is a problem, on the other the cost of solving this problem. Often in large sales, the “weight” of the problem is not enough for an unambiguous solution.

With the help of extractors questions, asking them several times, the seller "tosses" additional arguments onto the bowl with the problem.

By recognizing the problem as a latent need to be measured against, a series of extractive questions give weight to the problem, turning it into an explicit need.

Guiding questions

Extracting questions did not become a discovery. People have always tried to try to deepen the problem to create a more weighty argument.

But such a step has a serious minus:

After we have deepened the problem , the buyer becomes uncomfortable . There is a problem, there is no solution. And an important achievement of the SPIN sales method was the discovery of guiding questions.

This type of question creates a positive attitude, encouraging the buyer to think about solving the problem. On the other hand, guiding questions encourage the buyer to talk about the benefits themselves.

For example :

"How useful do you think the new equipment could be?"

In this case, we are not talking about how useful the offer is. The buyer himself tells us about it.

Four types of question form the acronym "SPIN" - situational, problematic, extracting and guiding questions.

Quincy rule

Working on the classification of new types of questions, research Neil Rackham's group had a problem - how to distinguish extracting questions from directing questions.

One day, during a discussion, the son of one of the project participants entered the room. Seeing examples of questions on the board, an eight year old child was able to name what type of questions each of the examples was.

Everyone was surprised - the team came to a similar conclusion only after a long discussion. Explaining his decision, eight-year-old Quincey called the extraction questions sad because they pointed to a problem. Guides Find out more