9 lessons · evergreen
Discovery & Questioning
SPIN selling, Sandler pain funnel, calibrated 'how/what' questions, Problem-Agitate-Solve. Run discovery calls that uncover the real pain — every time.
SPIN selling: the 4-question discovery
Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff. Most reps do S and stop.
Sandler pain funnel: 5 layers deep
The first answer is never the real pain. Drill 5 layers down to find it.
Calibrated questions: 'how' and 'what' over 'why'
Voss again: 'why' triggers defense. 'How' and 'what' trigger collaboration. Swap them.
Problem-Agitate-Solve: the persuasion arc
Find the problem. Make them feel it. Then solve it. Skip step 2 and they yawn.
The budget question without flinching
Asking about budget early kills tire-kickers. Asking it wrong kills the deal. Here's the script.
Implication questions: make the pain expand
Don't ask if it hurts. Ask what happens when it keeps hurting.
Pre-suasion: set the frame before you pitch
What you put in their head 60 seconds BEFORE the pitch decides if the pitch lands.
Gap Selling: the gap IS the deal
Keenan: stop selling product. Start selling the distance between where they are and where they need to be.
Jobs-to-be-done: people don't buy products, they hire them
Customers don't want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole. They actually want a shelf on the wall. Ask deeper.