The Best Sales Methodologies for your Team

Sales Methodology Training gives your sales team a repeatable process to find and close business. It's the backbone of your sales process, focusing on call preparation, improving sales effectiveness, finding high-quality leads, and managing customer relationships. The best sales methodologies support all of your sales efforts, resulting in bigger deals more often.
The strategy behind your approach is just as important as the actual interaction with your customer. Sales methodology training creates an environment for the customer and the salesperson that facilitates the sales and decision-making process. Here are the best sales methodologies for getting and closing deals.

Best Sales Methodologies

There are a variety of methodologies focusing on different aspects of the sales process. Studying each one individually is valuable, implementing the one that best fits your business is ideal.

Conceptual Selling

Conceptual selling was developed by Miller Heiman of MHI Global. It focuses on the idea that the consumer does not buy a product, they buy the results of that product.
This is similar to focusing on benefits over features. People are only looking for a solution, understanding how you provide that to them is extremely valuable.
Conceptual selling teaches sales reps to uncover the decision process of the customer instead of leading with a pitch. Being customer-focused is an idea that occurs often in sales training, and for good reason. Buyers have a lot of options - understanding their needs is essential to earning their loyalty.
Conceptual selling breaks the sales process down into 3 stages:

Getting information
Asking questions to determine the making decision-making process of your customer.
-Who are they?
-What are the problems their facing?
-Why do they need your product?
This has the added benefit of qualifying your prospect early, ensuring both of you reach a desired outcome.

Giving Information
Giving information involves tailoring your solution to the needs of your prospect. This stage is about connecting their problem to your solution.
-How your solution fits their concept
-How your solution is a better fit than competitive solutions
-The unique strength of your offer, custom-fit to your prospect's concept

Getting commitment
Getting commitment from your prospect is extremely important. You want them to commit to another interaction at the very least, and a purchase as the relationship progresses.
-Get a commitment of further engagement after every interaction
-Get greater commitments as the sales relationship progresses
-If your customer refuses a commitment they are doubting your solution. Discover the reason behind their hesitation and provide more information on how your solution solves their specific problem

Your entire interaction with your customer should be based around their concept of a solution. That means listening is much more important than speaking. If you can understand their problem you'll be the best fit for their solution.

SPIN Selling

Spin Selling is a sales model and book by Neil Rackham. He and his company, Huthwaite, analyzed 35,000 sales calls to dissect the essential nature of closing sales.
Rackham learned that asking questions was much more efficient than making statements. There were 4 types of questions that were commonly asked:
Situation - dealing with the problems already
Problem - involve the buyer's challenges and pain points. Keeps the conversation focused on the need they have for what you're selling.
Implication - questions about the effects of the problem. These questions put the results of the problem at the forefront of the customer's mind. Making the conversation serious is a great way to remind the buyer why they need you (change)
Need-Payoff - questions that ask the buyer what your solution would do for them. Getting the buyer to explain the value of your product is more effective than explaining it yourself.

The SPIN selling methodology determined that the more you focus on problem questions the higher your chance of success. Planning the questions you'll ask in advance is even more effective.

Challenger Sales Approach

The Challenger Sale is an extremely popular sales book by Matt Dixson and Brent Adamson. The Challenger model takes a different approach than others, it suggests that customers are tired of answering questions and want more value from their sales reps.
The challenger approach breaks down every sales rep into 1 of 5 types:
The Hard Worker
-Persistent, interested in self-development
The Lone Wolf
-Delivers results, difficult to manage
The Relationship Builder
-Creates relationships, classic consultative rep
The Problem Solver
-detail-oriented, ensures all problems are solved
The Challenger
-Loves to debate, pushes the customer. Strong understanding of the customer's business
The Challenger model was the most successful in every study done. 40% of high performers used a challenger approach as opposed to one of the other 4.
In complex sales, that number rises to 50%. The relationship builder was the least efficient model for sales reps. As the decision to buy gets more significant the customer appreciates someone who not only understands their business, but who can take the pressure of making the decision on to themselves by assuring the customer it is the right one.

Why Your Sales Team Should Use Sales methodologies

Sales methodologies give your sales process a system. A solid sales methodology incorporates proven sales strategies into your business - giving you repeatable results that scale along with your growth.

For a complete guide on improving your sales methodology through sales training, check out our Ultimate Sales Training Guide