Brands must innovate to increase sales and stand out from the competition. One of the most widely used methods to achieve this is called spin selling.
In this article, we'll explain exactly what the SPIN method consists of and how it can be applied to increase sales.
The SPIN method (Situation, Problem, Implication and Need pay off) emerged in 1990 when Rank Xerox proposed asking consumers a series of key questions so that sales reps could find more sales opportunities. In other words, the SPIN method is a sales technique in which the most important thing is to listen to the customer in order to provide a solution to his or her problem.
The whole process itself is based on asking questions to get to know the customer better and getting them to understand how your product or service could eliminate their day-to-day problems.
The SPIN method has proven to be very effective in sales since it gets information from customers about their problems, concerns, needs, and limitations. This leads to being able to present your product or service as the solution.
The most important thing is that the customer does not feel obliged to buy after seeking a consultation, so the seller must be very agile in this part.
In sales consultations, two types of customer needs can be identified: implicit needs, which are not stated and must be determined through the comments or problems that are expressed; or explicit needs, which is when everything is explained and it is very clear what product or service the customer needs. It is in the first case where the SPIN method has proven to have very good results, especially when the salesperson knows the type and order of questions to ask.
In order for a company to benefit from the SPIN method, it is important that it is applied correctly since it is not a matter of simply asking questions, but of following a strategy through them.
Despite these disadvantages, when properly applied, the SPIN method can bring numerous benefits to a company.
Before offering solutions to customers' problems, it is important to analyze where the brand is in relation to them. So you should find the aspects that can be improved on as a company. For example, tools that can optimize tasks to achieve an objective.
If some tasks can be optimized, that time can be dedicated to sales using the SPIN method.
Once the problems within the company have been solved, the next step is to train the team so that they know the brand's products or services very well. The customer will be offered a solution to a problem, so sales reps must know them well to be able to determine which option is best for them.
The next step will be to define the questions to ask customers to discover the problem they have.
The first questions should be those that determine the user's situation. For example, if the objective is to sell sunglasses, you should first find out if they use glasses on a regular basis and what type of glasses they wear. The following questions can be focused on the problem, so you should find out if they are happy with the model they are currently using, what difficulties they encounter in their day-to-day life with the product they are using, etc.
Once the problem has been detected, the next step is to solve it. At this point (continuing with the previous example), you can ask the customer if they feel discomfort despite wearing sunglasses. If this is the case, a possible solution can be proposed as a question. For example, asking if he/she needs glasses with different lenses.
It is important to be very clear about what the problem is, how serious it is and how quickly it can be solved. A solution must always be offered that fully meets the customer's needs.
As you can see, the SPIN method does not aim to sell for the sake of selling, since the objective is for the customer to be completely satisfied and not have the problem again.