Amazon.com: Customer reviews: SPIN Selling

DiscoD

Very Good condition

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

I was pleasantly surprised how good the quality of this used book is in. Would purchase from this seller anytime!

Helpful

O. Halabieh

SPIN Large Sales!

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

The main premise of this book is best summarized by the author in the first chapter of the book: "The traditional selling models, methods, and techniques that most of us have been trained to use work best in small sales. In this book I'll be showing you that what works in small sales can hurt your success as the sales grow larger--and I'll be sharing with you our research findings that have uncovered new and better models for success in large sales...One of the simplest models of a sales call does seem to be applicable to any size of sale; almost every sales call you can think of, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, goes through four distinct stages 1. Preliminaries: These are the warming-up events that occur before the serious selling begins...2. Investigating: Almost every sale involves finding something out by asking questions...3. Demonstrating Capability: In most calls you will need to demonstrate to customers that you've something worthwhile to offer...4. Obtaining Commitment: Finally, a successful sales call will end with some sort of commitment from the customer...We decided that the focus of our research would be to develop new and positive questioning models that could replace the old ones, which were proving so unsatisfactory...We found that questions in the successful call tend to fall into a sequence we call SPIN. In summary the SPIN sequence of questions is: 1) Situation Questions: At the start of the call, successful people tend to ask data-gathering questions about facts and background.... 2) Problem Questions: Once sufficient information has been established about the buyer's situation, successful people tend to move to a second type of question... 3) Implication Questions: In smaller sales, sellers can be very successful if they just know how to ask good Situation and Problem Question...4) Need-payoff Questions:Finally, we found that very successful salespeople ask a fourth type of question during the Investigating stage... is that they get the customer to tell you the benefits that your solution could offer."

Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:

1- "The psychological effect of pressure seems to be this. If I'm asking you to make a very small decision, then--if I pressure you--it's easier for you to say yes than to have an argument. Consequently, with a small decision, the effect of pressure is positive. But this isn't so with large decisions. The bigger the decision, the more negatively people generally react to pressure."

2- "By forcing the customer into a decision, closing techniques speed the sales transaction...Closing techniques may increase the chances of making a sale with low-priced products. With expensive products or services, they reduce the chances of making a sale."

3- "The first step in successful closing is to set the right objectives. The starting point for obtaining a commitment is to know what level of commitment from the customer will be needed to make the call a success."

4- "So what's the test of closing success? What's the result, or outcome, that allows us to say that one call has been successful while another has failed? The method we finally chose involved dividing the possible outcomes of the call into four areas: 1)Orders: Where the customer makes a firm commitment to buy... 2)Advances: Where an event takes place, either in the call or after it, that moves the sale forward toward a decision... 3)Continuations: Where the sale will continue but where no specific action has been agreed upon by the customer to move it forward...4)No-sales: Our final category is where the customer actively refuses a commitment."

5- "Obtaining Commitment: Four Successful Actions 1. Giving attention to Investigating and Demonstrating Capability...2. Checking that key concerns are covered..3. Summarizing the Benefits... 4.Proposing a commitment"

6- "The purpose of questions in the larger sale is to uncover Implied Needs and to develop them into Explicit Needs."

7- "Demonstrating Capability Effectively: 1.Don't demonstrate capabilities too early in the call...2. Beware Advantages...3. Be careful with new products."

8- "Making Your Preliminaries Effective: 1. Get down to business quickly...2. Don't talk about solutions too soon...3. Concentrate on questions."

9- "The Four Golden Rules for Learning Skills Rule 1: Practice Only One Behavior at a Time Start by picking just one behavior to practice...Don't move on to the next until you're confident you've got the first behavior right.... Rule 2: Try the New Behavior at Least Three Times...Never judge whether a new behavior is effective until you've tried it at least three times...Rule 3: Quantity Before Quality...When you're practicing, concentrate on quantity: use a lot of the new behavior. Don't worry about quality issues, such as whether you're using it smoothly or whether there might be a better way to phrase it. Those things get in the way of effective skills learning. Use the new behavior often enough and the quality will look after itself...Rule 4: Practice in Safe Situations...Always try out new behaviors in safe situations until they feel comfortable. Don't use important sales to practice new skills."

10- "The most important lessons come from the way you review the calls you make. After each call, ask yourself such questions as these: Did I achieve my objectives? If I were making the call again, what would I do differently? What have I learned that will influence future calls on this account? What have I learned that I can use elsewhere?"

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Myles V. Saulibio

A Refreshing Deep-Dive into the Art of Sales

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

"Spin Selling" by Neil Rackham is a powerful and refreshing resource that revolutionizes traditional selling techniques with the simple yet effective SPIN model. The book shines in applying these strategies to real-world scenarios, loaded with insightful case studies that provide practical guidance to master the art of sales. However, its focus is more suited to high-value B2B sales, and the repetitive emphasis on the SPIN concept can occasionally feel heavy-handed.

Nevertheless, Rackham's innovative take on salesmanship makes this a must-read, especially for those in the B2B sector. Despite the repetition, the book succeeds in presenting complex ideas in an accessible, friendly manner. It's not just about selling—it's about helping the customer buy, making "Spin Selling" a solid addition to any salesperson's toolkit.

Helpful

GK

A book you can actually put into action

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

I feel like 99% of self-help books, be it self-help in work, love, friendships, what have you, are useless. They always have fluff chapters of 'act motivated and be motivated!' or 'think like a winner!' and various platitudes of that nature. You wind up finishing the book and realizing you read nothing but pseudo-motivational dribble that will wind up having zero impact on whatever you were looking to improve upon.

Enter 'SPIN Selling' - this book delivers where all of those other books have failed. In this book is a solid layout of how you should structure your sales calls, and not only that, but data to back up their claims and examples to on how to lead. Read this book, take notes, and I guarantee if you weren't already aware of how to sell in this style, your selling WILL improve.

I'm a novice to sales. Last year when I was interviewing for a sales position I was asked to put together a sales presentation and to sell a product. I was given the product brochure and 1 day to come up with something. Using 'SPIN Selling' as my guide, I put together a list of ideas and pitched them in my presentation. My interviewer was blown away. After I got the job, my manager told me he had never had someone deliver such a good presentation - everyone always focuses on selling the product, but they never try and sell the customer. Taking a note from this book, I asked the questions I needed to ask, developed them into problems for the buyer, and then walked them through the solution with their own words. It was a total and complete win.

I was tempted to give this book 4 stars because it really does falter in a few areas. For one, some of the research is tenuous at best - <100 sales calls that they then base their report on. That's frankly not enough data to prove or disprove anything.

Secondly, this book is very weak on opening/closing a sale, which are both obviously rather important. The book mentions briefly what you shouldn't do to open a call, but doesn't really expand on good ways to introduce yourself. Even worse, it has a whole chapter on closing, but doesn't give you specific advice on what to do! It gives you a whole lot of data on why you shouldn't constantly close, why the worst sellers are always trying to close, how it annoys customers, etc. It never actually says 'Here is the best way we found to bring a sale to the next level: A/B/C". It kind of boggles the mind because the book even shows a study where sales that had no closers in them had something like 20% the success rate - obviously a close is necessary, but the book skimps a bit on that aspect. I couldn't bring myself to give it less than 5 stars because the meat of the book is just so good.

91 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jeremey Donovan

Outstanding Sales Framework!

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great framework summarized as follows:

1. Pre-call planning:
a. Pre-determine your principal call objective. Data gathering and relationship building are necessary but not sufficient. Strong objectives must advance the sale.
b. Do your homework in order to minimize fact-gathering questions
c. “Before the call, write down at least three potential problems which the buyer may have and which your products or services can solve.”

2. Preliminaries
a. In a large sales, first impressions do not matter all that much.
b. Especially with senior people, do not dwell much on nonbusiness areas if at all
c. Avoid talking about your products and services until late in the call
d. Just establish who you are, why you are there, and gain permission to ask question.

3. Investigating (by asking open-ended or closed-ended questions)
a. Situation: Ask a very limited number of fact-finding questions. Just enough to setup/uncover a problem. For instance, “What system/process are you using at present?”
b. Problem: “The purpose of Problem Questions is to uncover Implied Needs.”
c. Implication: The purpose of Implication Questions is to increase the size of the problem in the customer’s mind. For instance, “If x is happening, could that lead to an even worse y?”
d. Need-payoff: Need-payoff questions are positive, solution-centered questions designed to have the customer express an Explicit Need. “How would you find (related benefit) useful?” Note: “The worst point to ask a Need-payoff Question is when the customer raises a need you can’t meet.”
4. Demonstrating capability:
a. “Make Benefits showing how your product/service meets Explicit Needs which have been expressed.”
b. “Benefits… involve showing how you can meet an Explicit Need… Unless the customer first says, ‘I want it,’ you can’t give a Benefit.”
c. “In larger sales, Features have a negative effect when used early in the call and a neutral effect when used later.”

5. Obtaining commitment
a. “Larger sales contain a number of intermediate steps that we call Advances.”
b. Use a very limited number of closing questions on only after ___’
c. “Sellers who were most effective… would… ask the buyer whether there were any further… concerns that needed to be addressed.”
d. “Successful salespeople pull the threads together by summarizing key points [especially benefits] of the discussion before moving to the commitment.”
e. Suggest as a next step “the highest realistic commitment that the customer is able to give.”

Other great tidbits:
- “Successful sellers concentrate on objection prevention, not on objection handling.”
- “In a multi-call sale, the most important discussions and deliberations go on when the seller isn’t present.”
- In large sales, costs to the buyer include money, effort, and reputation
- “The most important lessons come from the way you review the calls you make. … Ask … Did I achieve my objectives? What would I do differently?”

106 people found this helpful

Helpful

Paul Atkinson

Bought it for Course Careers sales class and love it.

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2023

Verified Purchase

Of the three books in the course, this one really stood out to me. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is a classic, and "Fanatical Prospecting" has some great insights, but this book truly changed my perspective on sales. As someone who has always been turned off by cheesy car salesman tactics, I appreciated that this book offers a more authentic approach.

The author's question-based sales technique is a game-changer. It's empowering to realize that anyone can learn to sell effectively without resorting to sleazy tactics. This book opened my eyes to new possibilities and has helped me to approach sales in a more thoughtful, genuine way. Whether you're a seasoned salesperson or a beginner, I highly recommend giving this book a read. It just might revolutionize the way you think about sales!

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Harry Higinbotham

Excellent research based approach to sales

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

Very practical, no nonsense and thoroughly researched approach to improving one’s sales. Clearly demonstrates the importance of focusing on asking the right questions designed to lead to success in larger sales.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Gary R. Schirr

Worth a second (or third) reading...

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2009

Verified Purchase

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.

Helpful

Tony

Gold

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is based off of study after study after study, involving hundreds of thousands of sales calls, and millions of dollars.

Rackham WANTS you to apply what you learn and it really shows. SPIN Selling was written very practically, and I have never seen and could not have asked for more of an elegant and simple approach to learning this method.

This book shows that people sell MORE EFFECTIVELY with the SPIN method, than when using scammy business tactics like hard-closings.

I have struggled with figuring out the proper approach to selling my services as an aspiring virtual tour photographer. However, after having read this book, I am grateful that I finally have an approach: that is tried and true, that is flexible, that doesn’t make me feel terrible, and that I can work towards developing with 100% conviction.

God bless you, Niel Rackham

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Tim Diller

Helpful framework for sales and customer relationships

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

I found this book very helpful in providing a framework for customer interactions. I am an account manager and responsible for long-term, high-value sales in the consulting business; reading this book helped make me aware of the flow of a customer interaction resulting in engagment and the impact of my behaviors on that interaction. I have found the SPIN framework useful not only for sales-oriented activity but also for project launches.
Rackham’s target audience is clearly those with a background in traditional sales techniques, and he spends a lot of effort arguing for salespeople to unlearn things they may have been taught in the past, such as closing techniques. I have no background in sales (I am an engineer by training) and have always been turned off by gimmicky sales techniques. Therefore, it was hard to relate to his many appeals to drop closing techniques, for instance; I was already put off by that behavior, and although I am happy to hear why that doesn’t work, if felt like wasted time for me.
Another minor complaint I have with this book is its rigid empiricism. It makes perfect sense for a sales research and consulting firm to present a lot of data, but the approach was strongly based on behavior-based premises. Thus, he talked about testing ideas that seemed obvious to me from a character-based approach (a la Stephen Covey, for example). I was a little put off by the surprise he expressed in discovering that closing techniques don’t work and irritate buyers.
The complaints I have are minor, and overall I found the book useful and will recommend it to my coworkers.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

SPIN Selling

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

SPIN Selling

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

SPIN Selling › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

SPIN Selling

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

SPIN Selling

›

Customer reviews