SPIN Selling: Situation Problem Implication Need-payoff

In conventional sales training, advantages are called benefits. Advantages, for the purposes of this book, are statements that show how a product or service helps a buyer. They address implied needs. Advantages have demonstrated success in smaller sales but often lead to objections in larger sales.

Benefits, for the purposes of this book, refer to statements that meet an explicit need of the customer. Benefits have a positive effect on both smaller and larger sales and are significantly tied to orders and advances.

SPIN Selling defines closing as “a behavior used by the seller which implies or invites commitment, so that the buyer’s next statement accepts or denies commitment” (21). These behaviors, called “closes,” can be as simple as asking for the order but often refer to high-pressure sales tactics. Rackham details five of the most common closes:

• An assumptive close is where the seller assumes the client is ready to buy. For example, “Would you like it delivered tomorrow?” or “Whose name should I put this under?”
• An alternative close is a variation on the assumptive close, where the buyer is given options. For example, “Would you prefer orange or red?” or “Do you want it delivered Monday or Wednesday?”
• A standing-room only close is where the seller indicates that supplies are limited to drive the sale.