SPIN Selling
by Neil Rackham
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Book Reviews of SPIN Selling
Book Review: Total Crap! A sales book written by a non sales person???
Summary: 1 Stars
First of all, other than this book and some seminars, what has the author ever really sold? Answer? Nothing!
So how can we real salespeople expect to take seriously a book written by a guy who never soldd a thing?
Being somewhat of a open minded individual and perhaps a glutton for punishment, I bought his book, tried the techniques for awhile. I will admit that my clients seemed friendlier towards me, but my sales did not only not increase, they went down. I had turned my back on 30+ years of what worked to try a theory backed by University testing and perpetrated by a guy who never sold a thing!
Another thing that I found was that my sales presentations were getting longer and I was seeing fewer clients. The SPIN strategy sounds great on paper, but doesn't work in the real world. Witness the fact that this book came out in 1988 and very few companies are using SPIN anymore.
I also find it laughable that the companies that espouse this technique are AT&T, IBM and KODAK! Have you checked their earnings lately? If these companies represent what spin selling is all about, then I will gladly recommend it to my competition!
Remember this book was released in 1988. A lot has changed since then. I personally do not know of any successful companies that are using the SPIN Technique, at least not completely or as directed in this book.
SPIN was more or less of a fad that was popular in the late 80's and early 90's and has since died out. Like I said, I don't know of any really successful salepeople or sales companies using this method. Most companies have abandoned it and those that are using it have inordinately high turnover rates and low sales.
IT DOESN'T WORK! Not by itself. Better off to read Tom Hopkins or Zig Ziglar and learn some real sales techniques by people who have at least been in the trenches and actually sold something besides books. Tom Hopkins and Pat Leiby have written an excellent book called Sell It Today, Sell It Now: How To Master The Art of The One Call Close. Aside from being written by two real salespeople with over 75 years of sales experience, the book covers a legitimate 5 step process that is placed in the order that completes the sale and prevents buyers remorse.
Ask anyone who has used the spin method about their "unwinds" and cancellations. If you make a sale, it doesn't last.
Book Review: High-value, Professional Selling Defined!
Summary: 5 Stars
My bachelor's degree is in Computer Science, and I'm preparing to start my MBA studies within a year. I hope to start my own business one day and I knew I needed to generate revenues. But there was only one problem......I had no idea how to sell professionally.
I had already read a few books by Tom Hopkins, but felt he was targeting used-car salesmen types. It seems as though Hopkins' techniques relied on "closing" gimmicks when it came down to it. (I must say I did learn some good principles from Hopkins, but his gimmicky style is not for me.)
I was instantly attracted to SPIN SELLING when I saw that (1) it was based on extensive research, and (2) it dealt primarily with the large sale. Since I want to start my own corporation after my MBA, and want to have Fortune-500 companies as my customers, I realized SPIN SELLING was for me.
SPIN SELLING is simply a great handbook on large-sale tactics. Rackham shows how the "closing techniques" used in smaller sales severely damage the success of large sales. He then introduces the SPIN model (Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff).
Although before reading the book I never considered myself a "salesman", I realized afterwards that I was already using Rackham's techniques in other areas of my life -- and having a great deal of success. For example, as a professional IT consultant, I was using (unbeknownst to me) these tactics to legitimately perpetuate my client billings.
Selling is essentially obtaining another person's commitment. Commitments that deal with the purchase of good or services is only one type of commitment. Thus, you can use these tactics/techniques any time you're wanting to obtain another person's commitment.
If your desire is to sell large-value goods or services to sophisticated and intelligent buyers then SPIN SELLING is the tactical handbook you need. This book isn't about gimmicks to trick or pressure the customer into buying. This is professional, high-class selling.
After I read SPIN SELLING I immediately bought Rackham's "MAJOR ACCOUNT SALES STRATEGY". Thus, I now have a tactical handbook and a strategy handbook that are based on the same principles and extensive research.
I've found the SPIN model to be highly effective in my life.
Book Review: How to Ask the Questions that Lead to Sales Success
Summary: 4 Stars
The sales guru Zig Ziglar once said "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." To me, that means that you've got to understand people before you can persuade them. If you're to understand someone, they have to talk to you. And the best way to get them to talk is to ask questions. But are there some questions that are more highly correlated with successful selling than others?
Published in 1988 and still one of the best researched sales books on the market, SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham has the answer: Yes, some questions do increase your chances of sales success more than others. More importantly, these client interviews- what SPIN Selling calls the Investigation stage- have the greatest effect on the outcome of the sale. The book outlines the four types of questions that salespeople ask during the Investigation stage:
Situation: What is going on here? How do things work?
Problem (Pain Points): What are the problems you are experiencing?
Implication (Implied Needs): What effect do these problems have on results (cost, quality, delivery, customer service)?
Need-Payoff (Explicit Needs): What improvement in results could you make by resolving these problems with these specific capabilities (perceived value)? Are there other benefits? How important are these benefits to you?
(From page 91) "The SPIN model taps into the psychology of the buying process: buyers' needs move from Implicit to Explicit. The questions provide a roadmap for the seller guiding the call through the steps of need development until Explicit Needs have been reached. The more Explicit Needs you can obtain from buyers, the more likely the call will succeed."
Following the model gets customers to tell you how what you're selling helps them. It makes you partners instead of opponents in the value discovery process. And by helping clients develop the benefits in their own words, you avoid objections and make it easier for clients to sell internally for you.
Book Review: Excellent for the Technology Industry
Summary: 4 Stars
I am sure this book's techniques could be applied to a variety of industries, however I worked in the technology field so that is where I applied it at and it worked great.
The book very clearly spells out a series of questioning techniques used to evaluate a prospect's position and needs. It starts out by figuring out where they are at, identifying areas of pain, then proposing solutions. He bases his techniques on statistical research his company has personally done on the effectiveness of sales calls, which I found interesting and helpful in deciding which techniques would work well for me.
I think his techniques are especially useful to the technology arena where you are finding problems (pain) that prospects are feeling and how to solve it; having said that I don't want to imply that if you aren't in this industry you wouldn't find it helpful. I think any industry where you need to ask questions to get information, and then use that information to offer a solution to your prospect would benefit by this book.
One area of the book that I found extremely helpful is his discussion on selling benefits to the customers (based on information you gather using his techniques) and not on the features of your product. His point is that just because you think the product is great because it will toast a piece of bread, doesn't mean it is a desire or need of your prospect and that you would know that from your questions and if it wasn't a benefit to the prospect you wouldn't mention it or try to use it as a sales point. He calls this technique features vs. benefits.
The strong point of this book is its ability to help you develop your questioning techniques and apply the information you learn to the sales process. I think it would be a great addition to anyone's library of sales books. I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading off your company's product spec sheet and losing sales because you don't know what the prospect is really looking for.
Book Review: Worth a second (or third) reading...
Summary: 5 Stars
EVERYONE who sells or studies sales knows about SPIN questioning.
There can be a problem when an idea or term is ubiquitous: it becomes almost generic or commonplace. Everyone who has had a sales class -- at least mine -- can list the words that comprise the acronym. But it is valuable to return to the original source for insights.
It was a pleasure to recently re-read SPIN Selling. Rackman does a fine job of summarizing the results of a massive sales research effort. Anyone who has been a salesperson or has taught professional selling must be amused by his anecdote on p. 25 about a salesperson who diligently followed the closing procedure that he had been taught: (see if you can identify each type of close attempted!)
.....
Salesperson: So, Mr. Robinson, you can see that our product is clearly best for you -- if you just sign here.
Mr. R: Just a minute -- I don't see... I haven't decided.
Salesperson: But Mr. Robinson, I've shown you how we can improve the efficiency of your office and save you trouble and also money -- so if you can decide when you'd like delivery...
Mr. R: I'll do no such thing. I'm not making a decision this week.
Salesperson: But as I've explained, this model is in great demand. I can let you have one now, but if you wait for next week, there could be a several month delay.
Mr. R: That's risk that I will have to take...
Salesperson: Would you prefer a month's trial installation, or would be better for your budget to buy outright?
Mr. R: I'm going to throw you out of my office. Tell me, would you and your friends in the corner prefer to go of your own accord, or would you like me to call security.
.....
There are good stories and insights on every page. It is fascinating to understand how SPIN questions evolved.
This book should be on the shelf of every student of sales.