Sales methodologies

Sales calls can be a minefield. There’s a lot for reps to remember, whether they’re qualifying a lead or convincing the prospect to go with your solution. Your own sales process provides them with steps to follow, but wouldn’t it be helpful if that was backed by some extra guidance?

You might have heard of acronyms like BANT, SPIN, and CHAMP—well, those are sales methodologies that help the sales process along. And there are a lot of them to choose from.

But what is a sales methodology, precisely, and how does it work? You’re in the right place to learn about the different options and how to pick the right one for your business. 

What are sales methodologies?

Sales methodologies are structured frameworks that guide reps through the stages of a sales process. They provide a systematic approach to help reps handle prospects with consistency and efficiency, increasing the chances of successfully closing the deal.

“How is a sales methodology different from a sales process?”, we hear you ask. Well, both include a series of actionable steps for reps to follow. Each organisation, though, has its own unique sales process, based on the business’s structure, products, and customers. Methodologies are wider philosophies for getting the most out of the sales process. 

They’re not specific to a particular business—you can apply them to any type of company or industry. Based on buyer psychology, they help to clarify the sales process and make sure it runs smoothly.

Sales methodologies typically cover a specific part of the sales cycle, while sales processes cover the whole thing from qualification to closure. 

12 Top sales methodologies & when each might suit your business

People have been selling stuff to other people for as long as there’s been stuff to sell. So it’s not surprising that, over the years, sales experts have developed a lot of different strategies. 

From the many sales methodologies out there, we’ve picked out 12 of the most popular ones. Each has its plus points and drawbacks, so you’ll need to weigh them up carefully to decide which is the best sales methodology for your business and sales process.

1. SPIN selling

Neil Rackham invented the SPIN sales methodology in his book, SPIN Selling. The idea is to drill down into a prospect’s pain points (and the causes of them) as quickly as possible by asking targeted but non-pushy questions.

These questions focus on four elements, making up the acronym SPIN:

• Situation: What’s the prospect’s current state?

• Problem: What’s at the root of their pain points?

• Implication: What are the consequences of not solving the issue?

• Need-payoff: How would things look if the issue was resolved?

Reps need to demonstrate how your solution could solve the problem and guide prospects towards realising its value rather than whacking them over the head with it.

Pros and cons

SPIN is a customer-centric approach that gives reps an opportunity to build trust and credibility with prospects, revealing their challenges through open-ended questions. Reps can then tailor their presentation of your solution to address the specific problem.

However, inexperienced reps may find it tricky to guide conversations through this type of questioning. They’ll need training and practice to get it right. SPIN questions also take up a lot of time during interactions, and the method doesn’t tell reps how to handle objections.

When you’d choose SPIN selling

SPIN selling works best for businesses with longer sales cycles and high-value prospects, where reps have the time and skills to make it work. It’s most effective if your prospects have complex pain points but need help to understand their implications.

If the prospect’s needs align well with your solution, SPIN is an ideal approach. It’s also a good way to build trust as a foundation for future investment, making it a good choice for new companies.

2. BANT selling

BANT sales is a popular sales framework that helps reps speed up the qualification process and work out which leads to prioritise. It keeps things pretty simple, narrowing the questioning down to four key considerations:

• Budget: Is the prospect in a position to make the investment?

• Authority­: Can the prospect actually make the decision?

• Need: Do they really need your solution?

• Timeline: Are they ready to buy now or later?

Pros and cons  

Thanks to the simple qualification criteria, reps are able to gather essential information and assess potential leads quickly. They will get a good idea of who should be disqualified and who can move forward. BANT also standardises the qualification process and makes it less subjective.

But while BANT’s simplicity can be a plus point, the basic questions that this method uses mean your reps are limited in the amount of insight they get from prospects. It doesn’t really delve into the challenges and motivations, and it’s not great for complex B2B sales situations.

When you’d choose BANT selling

BANT works for uncomplicated products and short sales cycles where you’re not aiming to create tailored solutions. For example, BANT selling would work for simple B2C sales that don’t involve multiple stakeholders.

If you’re going to use it, consider doing so later in the sales process when prospects will have more idea of their budget and timeline. BANT’s simplistic approach may also be useful for new reps who are learning the ropes, as it helps them to make decisions faster.

It can be even easier for those reps, too, if you use BANT alongside Dialpad’s Ai Playbooks. They can help guide and track adherence to the BANT framework on each call:

3. SPICED selling

SPICED is the brainchild of sales consulting and coaching firm Winning by Design. The framework uses a medical analogy—it’s about fixing the source of the prospect’s pain points rather than just the symptoms. 

The first two letters are self-explanatory:

• Situation

• Pain

• Impact: How is the problem affecting the prospect’s business?

• Critical Event: What’s the main factor influencing their decision?

• Decision: What are their decision-making processes and criteria?

Pros and cons

SPICED combines basic and open-ended questions, which gives you the best of both worlds when it comes to choosing a sales methodology. Allowing reps to demonstrate understanding and empathy helps them to maintain long-term relationships as prospects become customers.

On the downside, reps will need plenty of training and skill development to be able to pull this off. To cover the Critical Event element, they’ll need to be proactive in identifying events such as market shifts and leadership changes that could impact the prospect’s business.

When you’d choose SPICED selling

If your reps are well-versed in your products and have the skills to position them as the solution to the prospect’s pain points, SPICED should be a good fit for you. The sales team will also need time to develop knowledge about the industry and the prospects’ businesses.

SPICED is effective for enterprise sales cycles and industries with recurring revenue models, such as SaaS—where reps need to prove ongoing value and handle more complicated conversations. 

4. MEDDIC selling

MEDDIC is a lead qualification framework that helps reps to qualify all opportunities thoroughly. It’s a more in-depth approach than some of the other methodologies and has six steps:

• Metrics: Which KPIs are most important to the prospect?

• Economic buyer: Who controls the purse strings?

• Decision criteria: What will they base the decision on?

• Decision process: How exactly will they choose a vendor?

• Identify pain: What are their current challenges and implications?

• Champion: Who in their organisation will speak up for your product?

There are several variations of MEDDIC sales, such as MEDDPIC, which adds Paper process (What paperwork is required to close the deal?) and MEDDPICC, which adds Competition (Who are the prospect’s main competitors, and what must they do to beat them?)

Pros and cons

MEDDIC is a rigorous framework with clear steps, which makes it easier for reps to identify opportunities and walk away from those that don’t meet the criteria. It’s also customer-centric because it encourages discussion of the prospect's challenges and the key processes in their organisation.

Then again, the added complexity (compared to more simple methodologies) means that reps require more training and skill—and enough time for thorough qualification. It’s not so suitable for short sales cycles and high-volume call centres.

When you’d choose MEDDIC selling

MEDDIC selling is helpful for longer sales processes and enterprise sales of complex products. If your company prefers to build long-term relationships with a handful of high-value customers, it’s a good choice for you.

You need to be confident that you’re talking to the right people in the buyer’s organisation and comfortable with walking away from leads that aren’t getting you anywhere. 

5. SNAP selling

Developed by B2B sales expert Jill Konrath, SNAP selling is designed to speed up the sales process when you’re talking to busy customers. There are four things for reps to remember:

• Simple: Make it easy for prospects to say “yes”

• iNvaluable: Present a clear value proposition

• Align: Align your solution with their needs and values

• Priorities: Find their focus and match it

SNAP also identifies the critical decisions involved in a sale: allowing access, moving away from the current situation, and changing resources. These milestones help to keep the deal on track.

Pros and cons

SNAP is super-efficient because it helps reps to connect quickly with busy prospects and focus on their critical needs—without wasting time on less relevant aspects of the sales process. It’s about using clear communication to position your product as invaluable and make it easy for the prospect to buy.

However, the emphasis on speed and simplicity doesn’t work so well for complex sales cycles or for highly customised solutions. If your goal is relationship-building, another methodology may be more suitable.

When you’d choose SNAP selling

Businesses with shorter sales cycles will find that SNAP works for them because reps don’t need to spend a lot of time on in-depth questioning. It’s also ideal if your prospective buyers tend to be very busy and overwhelmed by the choice of products on the market, as it doesn’t take up their time. 

If you’re already an industry leader, your brand name will help them make a “snappy” decision. 

6. CHAMP selling

CHAMP is a sales qualification framework based on identifying key details about the prospect with a specific focus on their current challenges. 

It treats solving the problem as the top priority, putting problem-solving ahead of things like budget.

• Challenges: What difficulties is the prospect facing?

• Authority: Who makes the final decision?

• Money: What’s the budget?

• Prioritisation: What are their main goals?

Pros and cons

CHAMP is another customer-centric methodology emphasising an understanding of the prospect’s pain points and requirements at the start of the qualification process. It’s easy for reps to use and has clear qualifying criteria. They’ll quickly see whether your product can help or not.

On the downside, CHAMP isn’t very flexible. For example, your reps may discover that other criteria are more useful for qualifying leads. Apart from the challenges, it doesn’t give you much in the way of open-ended discussions.

When you’d choose CHAMP selling

If your product has multiple use cases and your reps are great at positioning it as a solution to various problems, CHAMP is a good strategy for you. It works if your prospects are more interested in solving issues than in how much it’ll cost. 

It also lets them know that your business cares about their needs, which can kick off a solid relationship. 

7. Gap selling

What, no cute acronym this time? Nope, “gap” doesn’t stand for anything. It’s about identifying the gap between the prospect’s current business situation and their desired state. 

The trick is to focus on the problem rather than the product by noting the facts, the pain points and their effects, and how the prospect feels about it all.

Pros and cons

By highlighting this gap, reps can help prospects identify the causes of their problems. With careful, open-ended questioning, they’re putting the prospect first rather than overtly “selling” your product. Again, they’re showing the prospect that your business cares.

Of course, the drawback is that it takes quite some time for reps to develop a true understanding of the prospect’s business challenges and goals and to gradually introduce your product as the best solution.

When you’d choose Gap selling

Gap selling isn’t something that can be rushed, so it’s best suited to sales teams with plenty of time to discuss and analyse the prospect’s situation. 

Reps need to be well-trained in the art of drawing out information in a non-salesy way. If you’re prepared to go the distance in a longer sales cycle, this methodology will work well for you.

8. Consultative selling

Consultative selling gets its name from the fact that reps need to act as consultants to the prospect—helping them identify their own pain points before suggesting a solution. 

It’s about keeping prospects engaged and building strong relationships with the customer rather than proving the value of your product.

Pros and cons

This methodology is a great way to build trust and rapport as it’s very customer-oriented. This not only gives you a competitive advantage but also increases customer loyalty and retention. 

Reps who practise consultative selling become better at objection-handling as they’ll have an in-depth picture of the pain points and how your product might solve them.

Unsurprisingly, this strategy is time-intensive, and reps will need experience and skill to navigate open-ended questions. Prospects who are used to more traditional sales conversations may be resistant to the probing, personal nature of consultative selling.

When you’d choose consultative selling

Consultative selling works best when your products are complex, which merits an in-depth consultation. It’s a good fit if there’s no timeframe on the deal and if price isn’t the main factor. 

Prospects who don’t have a full understanding of their own needs will respond well to this approach, especially if the reps come across as experts with industry knowledge.

9. Challenger selling

This methodology was pioneered by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson in their book The Challenger Sale, which includes research on thousands of B2B sales reps. 

The authors divided the reps into five personas, with the “challengers” being the most successful by far.

These are reps who can challenge a prospect’s preconceptions and disrupt their way of thinking by getting them to take a fresh look at their needs (and potential solutions). They teach prospects about business problems and new ideas, tailor their communications, and take control of the sale.

Pros and cons

Challenger selling positions your reps as trusted advisors and empowers them to handle objections and find creative ways to push back. This is helpful in competitive markets. The idea is that challengers share their skills with the other four personas to help everyone improve.

But challenging prospects on their perspectives and personalising the conversation requires skill and training. Some prospects might be resistant to this approach, while reps selling highly technical products might be better off focusing on detailed product knowledge and customisation.

When you’d choose challenger selling

If your company has complex B2B sales cycles, challenger selling can work well. It’ll help you personalise the sales process, which helps larger departments—and having top performers teach others is good for everyone. 

If you have a little background knowledge about your prospects, you’ll know if they already have well-defined needs (and if they’re likely to resist a challenge).

10. Conceptual selling

Conceptual selling, conceived by Robert B Miller and Stephen E Heiman, is based on the idea that prospects are buying into the “concept” of your solution rather than buying a product. 

Instead of leading with a pitch, reps need to understand the prospect’s thinking and decision process with the following types of question:

• Confirmation questions: Check the details you already have and develop a mutual understanding of the problems and needs

• New information questions: Fill in any information gaps

• Attitude questions: Understand how the prospect thinks

• Commitment questions: How invested are they in the project?

• Basic issue questions: This is where you raise potential problems

Pros and cons

With a heavy emphasis on listening and collaborative conversations, this methodology is focused on generating a win-win result for both the prospect and the rep. Its versatility means it can work for all kinds of products and industries.

It’s time-consuming, though, especially if the process involves multiple decision-makers. This can lead to longer sales cycles, and there’s not much attention paid to the closing stage of the sales process. 

It may not be worth investing the time and effort if you’re selling something that’s a one-off purchase.

When you’d choose conceptual selling

If you have plenty of time to spend on it, conceptual selling helps reps manage complicated transactions for SaaS and B2B sales. It’s useful for large account management and high-value deals, as well as when price isn’t the prospect’s main priority.  

Reps who have great listening skills will be good at this approach, as will salespeople who enjoy collaboration with customers rather than controlling the conversation and prescribing a solution. 

11. Solution selling

Solution selling, which came to prominence in the late 1980s, is all about showcasing the benefits of a customised solution instead of selling a particular product. 

Reps have to truly understand the prospect’s specific challenges and needs and address them by creating a relevant custom package and explaining its benefits.

This approach involves researching and diagnosing the prospect’s problems before qualifying the lead, educating them about your offering and how it solves their issue, and (hopefully) closing the deal.

Pros and cons

This is another customer-centric methodology that provides solutions for unique needs. It informs how you present your solution to prospects, and it’s easy to make it a part of your current sales process. 

Solution selling also recognises that buyers are savvy enough to have done some research already, enabling reps to meet them where they are.

This approach involves in-depth customer research to find ways of customising the solution, so it’s time-intensive and can result in longer sales cycles. Reps will require full training in order to be successful.

When you’d choose solution selling

If your reps are experienced and have detailed knowledge of your offering and how it can be adapted, solution selling is ideal. Of course, it suits businesses that sell highly customised products and services that can cover a wide range of needs.

If you find that prospects have already researched your product, you can use this as a springboard to sell them a personalised version. 

12. The Sandler selling system

This methodology was developed by David H Sandler in the 1960s (in collaboration with a clinical psychologist). It positions reps as trusted advisors who can raise and assess obstacles such as time and budget restraints. The aim is to build mutual trust so that both parties are equally invested.

Sandler selling consists of seven stages:

• Establish rapport

• Set out an initial “contract”

• Identify pain points

• Identify the budget

• Identify the decision-making process

• Present your fulfilment of the agreement

• Confirm the post-sales process.

Pros and cons

The strategy avoids wasted time on either side—if the solution isn’t going to be a good fit for the prospect’s needs, the rep ends the process. This flips the usual sales process on its head, with the prospect trying to convince the rep to sell rather than the rep convincing the prospect to buy.

However, this is a detailed methodology and not a streamlined approach, so it won’t suit businesses whose main aim is a short sales cycle. It will also take a bit longer to train reps to carry out all the steps successfully and to see results.

When you’d choose the Sandler selling system

If your business is based on long sales cycles and high-complexity transactions, Sandler selling is a good choice. It’s ideal for building long-term relationships and encouraging ongoing purchases, such as subscription-based products. 

You can also use this strategy to improve your metrics since it’s about finding customers who are a good fit.

How to choose the best sales methodology for your sales team

Now that we’ve covered our 12 potential options, we’ll explore how to choose a sales methodology that suits you. What should your business take into account?

It’s essential that your chosen methodology aligns with your company’s strengths, requirements, and goals. Consider the structure of your organisation and the type of products you sell. For example, if you use a self-service sales model, you probably won’t need a complicated sales methodology.

What’s your average deal size? How long is your sales cycle? Do you need to reduce your customer acquisition cost (CAC)? Think about your prospects, too. Are they typically aware of their challenges and needs? Have they done research into solutions already? Are they very price-focused?

If you sell non-complex products and/or you already have brand awareness, you can pick a methodology in which buyers can make quick decisions. For technical or high-value products, you’ll need a strategy that focuses on challenges and custom solutions.

If choosing the best sales methodology is proving tricky, remember that it’s fine to use varying options at different stages of the sales process. 

This works well if you have multiple buyer personas or you want to try various alternatives to see which fits best. You’ll need to track your data to measure and analyse how a methodology works.

Once you’ve chosen a methodology (or more than one), make sure your entire sales team is fully committed to making it work. Offer ongoing training and let everyone know why it’s important to adhere to the frameworks for consistency and efficiency.

Ace different sales methodologies with the help of Dialpad Ai

As well as picking the right methodology for your business, you’ll need to use the right tools to make the most of it. That’s where Dialpad Ai comes in, supporting your sales teams with whatever option you pick from the list of sales methodologies.

For example, you can set up the Ai Playbooks feature to automatically suggest questions and phrases that reps need to say during a sales call. It will even tick these off in real time, showing the rep that they’ve completed every step.

Ai Playbooks also help coaches and supervisors track how well reps are adhering to the different types of sales methodology and alerts them to missed behaviours to help with coaching. Meanwhile, Ai Scorecards review sales calls automatically, based on the criteria of your chosen methodology.

In terms of live coaching, Dialpad offers pop-up Real-Time Assist (RTA) cards for sales reps, triggered automatically when a certain keyword or phrase is spoken. There’s also built-in speech coaching, which tells reps if they’re talking too fast or not listening to the prospect.

Dialpad Ai transcribes calls in real time and tracks the sentiment, picking up on comments and marking the call as negative or positive. That way, managers can monitor current calls and keep an eye out for negativity. Then, they can check the transcript and either listen in or take over the call. You can use these features to help you train reps or even decide on which sales methodology best suits your team.