Applying SPIN SELLING to the PFP What is Your Problem? Applying SPIN SELLING to the PFP

The SPIN Philosophy We need to stop thinking about our products, what we sell and offer in terms of their Features and Advantages and instead view them in terms of their problem solving advantages. We need to stop seeing ourselves as simply sales people and redefine our roles and value as solution providers.

Objection Prevention The best way to handle objections is prevention. We need to treat the cause not the problem. Successful sellers concentrate on objection prevention not objection handling. Objections are a symptom you’ve caused by offering your solutions (features and advantages) too soon before uncovering and developing explicit needs. Teaching how to handle objections treats the system (false objection) and not the cause –the lack of perceived value from the customer. “The building of perceived value is the single most important selling skill in larger sales.” - Rackham

Is the Problem Big Enough? People do not buy from salespeople because they understand their products but because they feel the salesperson understands their problems. The key is to balance the seriousness of the problems that the purchase would solve vs. the cost to solve the problem. There is a direct relationship between the size of the needs and the cost of the solution.

The SPIN Method

Preliminaries Make sure you do not put yourself in the role of having the customer ask you a lot of questions about your products and services and you are simply providing facts and explanations. Establish who you are and what gives you the right to ask questions. Indicate why you are there and that it’s not about giving product details. Get down to business and establish your right to ask questions.

Investigating Successful sales people give their primary attention to the Investigating and Demonstrating Capability Stages. They do a thorough job of uncovering, understanding and developing the needs of their customers. “The client interview and the prescription and close are the most important parts of my fitness consultation. I could play ping pong in between and get the sale.” – Chris Acker FC

Goal of Great Investigating

Using the SPIN Sequence to Investigate Situation Questions –basic data gathering questions about facts and background (Typical Guest Register). Problem Questions – explore problems, difficulties and dissatisfactions in areas where the seller’s product could help the customer. Implication Questions –they take a customer’s problem and explore its effects or consequences. They help a customer understand a problem’s seriousness or urgency. (Feel sad) Makes the buyer feel the problem more clearly and acutely. Need Payoff Questions – Get customers to tell you the benefit that your solution can offer (Feel positive).

Situation Questions What prompted you to come out today and inquire about a membership? Have you ever been a member of a fitness club? What are your fitness goals? How many times per week are you planning to train? Do you live or work in the area? How long have you been thinking about getting started on a fitness program? Have you visited other clubs, what did you like or dislike about them? How much time can you commit to a program / How much time do you think you need? Is your spouse excited about you getting started in a program?

Problem Questions Do you have any difficulties staying motivated / working out on your own / do you procrastinate? What problems or dissatisfaction did you encounter at your previous facility? Does being unfit present a problem in your family or work life? Was there a problem with your past program or facility that interfered with you getting results? What would interfere with your commitment? What obstacles are standing in the way of getting you results? Do you find it difficult to put together a plan to get to your long term goals and make adjustments if you are not getting results? Do you find it challenging to push yourself this hard when you work out on your own?

No Problems No Sales Goal is to ask some Situational Questions, at least 6 or more Problem Questions and place at least 2-3 problems in the client’s cart and then move onto Implication and Need Payoff Questions.

Implication Questions What are the long-term implications to you if you are not consistent on a program? How do you think you would feel if you didn’t start on a program with a club? If we did not maintain a high level of service and quality, what effect would that have on you? What would be the effect of not having qualified staff and professional instruction for you? Could not having a proper long term plan affect how long it takes to reach your goals? If it’s difficult to remain motivated, and you don’t have scheduled paid appointments, what are the chances that you are going to achieve your goals this time around? If you’re dissatisfied with your current physical appearance how is that affecting you in terms of your work and relationships? Do you think it’s going to cost you more in the long run in terms of membership fees, diets, time researching and trying different exercise fads if you don’t get professional guidance and support?

How to Plan Implication Questions Most sales people find Implication Questions harder to ask than Situation or Problem Questions. Write down a potential problem the customer is likely to have. Then ask yourself what related difficulties this problem might lead to and write them down. Be alert to implications which reveal the problem to be more severe than it may have originally seemed. For each difficulty right down the question it suggests.

Developing Implication Questions from a Problem

Goal of Implication Questions

Need Payoff Questions If we could provide you with a more positive and fun environment would that encourage you to attend more regularly? Tell me in your own words what having this prescription and plan would mean to you achieving your goals. If we guaranteed your fitness results and you obtained them how would you feel physically/ emotionally? Would having a coach 2 – 3 X week help you to overcome your lack of motivation and fear? Is it important to you to solve this problem? Why would you find this solution so useful? Is there any other way this could help you? If we could reduce your company absenteeism and increase productivity what would that mean to you? Do you think this would provide you with a better method and approach to success?

Psychology of Need Payoff Questions They focus the customer’s attention on the solution rather than on the problem. This helps create a positive problem-solving atmosphere where attention is given to solutions and actions, not just problems and difficulties. They get the customer telling you the benefits so they take ownership of the solution. They increase the acceptability of your solution. They are also one of the best ways to rehearse your customer into presenting your solutions convincingly to others – Referrals, referrals, referrals!

Implied and Explicit Needs Implied Needs – Statements by the customer of problems, difficulties, and dissatisfactions. “I’m not happy with the results I’m getting. I’m having a hard time sticking with it.” Explicit Needs – Specific customer statements of wants or desires. “I really need to do something about my health. I’m tired not getting results and I need to take some action.” Successful sales people differentiate and treat Implied Needs very differently than Explicit Needs

Use Implication and Need Payoff Questions to Develop Explicit Needs

The Full SPIN Sequence

How Benefits Work Benefits for Rackham involve showing how you can meet an Explicit Need that the customer has expressed. Customer must first say I want it before you can give a benefit. Objections are simply a symptom you have caused by offering your solutions too soon!! Offering too many solutions up front before building the need will only create more questions and challenges.

Post Sale Support and the PFP “The building of perceived value is the single most important selling skill in large sales.” The bigger the sale and decision the more negatively people react to pressure. With expensive products closing techniques reduce the chances of making a sale. My objective is not to close the sale but to advance the relationship and continue demonstrating and developing Explicit Needs.

8 Week Client Experience Membership Presentation Initial Consultation PT Demo MAS Second Consultation Advances –an event like an IC than PT Demo takes place that moves the sale forward towards a decision. 8 Weeks to Develop Explicit Needs

Obtaining Commitment “Doesn’t matter how many implicit problems you get the client to admit to, that does not mean they will buy. The pain must become more acute, and the problem larger and more serious, and the buyer must perceive significant risks and hassles. Once you have grown the problem big enough that the client admits they need to take action that’s when you obtain commitment.”

Point of Sale At point of sale successful sellers don’t ask they tell. “You obviously have agreed that this prescription and program is the best possible solution. Aside from price is there anything else I need to cover before presenting the program? Then I’m going to suggest that the most logical next step is to hire a coach 3 X week for the next 48 weeks.”

Rackham’s Tips to Learning Practice 1 behavior at a time. Try the new behavior at least 3 times. Quantity before quality. Don’t worry if you ask questions poorly or not smoothly, just ask a lot of them. Practice in safe situations and role play a lot.