When it comes to selling, it’s not about the questions you ask but the information you get.
The job of a salesperson is to influence—but in order to have any real influence, you need the right information. You need to know everything you possibly can about the problems the buyer is struggling with.
That’s why I created the gap selling methodology. It helps reps gather as much information as possible about where the prospect is now, where they want to be, and the reason for the discrepancy between the two—because that gap is at the heart of every sale.
What is gap selling?
As you start working the deal, you need to first and foremost gather information on the prospect’s:
Current state: What is the literal and physical environment of the prospect’s current state? What problems are they struggling with, and how are those problems impacting their organization? How is their current state affecting them emotionally? Gap selling is problem-centric rather than product-centric, so dig deep to try and identify the root cause of the prospect’s problems in this current situation.
Future state: Where does the prospect want to go? What literal and physical environment do they want to create? How would this future state affect them emotionally? Determine what solutions are available that could help them get to this future state.
The gap: How big is the difference between where they are today (current state) and where they want to go (future state)? The bigger the gap, the more value there is in changing (buying a new solution). Determine if the gap is big enough to warrant buying your product or service. What would the cost be in terms of time, money, and effort? Is the cost worth it?
All of this information gathering should be done within the first quarter of the sales process. Without this information, you have no idea what their decision criteria is, where they are trying to go, and why they want to get there. You lack influence, and you can’t create a sense of urgency to encourage their decision-making.
