ABSTRACT
Sales are basically a numbers game, in which sales are won and deals are lost. Professional salespeople know this and have become adept at developing new leads and closing deals. The preference of problem solving over selling creates issues during the sales process, especially when exploring client needs and closing the sale. It is this first point that is a particular issue because consultants tend to jump to solutions too quickly during the sales process and make assumptions about what the client needs. The situation, problem, implication and need (SPIN) method is designed to force the salesperson to ask more questions in order to uncover the real client need. Although SPIN is capable of leading the consultant through the sales process, success also depends on matching the selling mode to the customer buying mode. Within mercenary cultures, the sales focus should be on the benefits and timings of the engagement rather than the process.
