Pre-course workbook

SPIN selling skills

Contents
Section

Page

Introduction

'Think customer'

Why change?

Is it worth it?

Needs

How do customers express their needs?

Presenting your solution

Uncovering and developing needs

SPIN questions

12

Summary of key behaviours

14

Recognition exercises and answers

15

SPIN behaviour definitions

21

This document is the copyright work of Huthwaite International and may not be reproduced (in whole or in part, in any form or by any means whatever)
without its prior written permission. SPIN, Huthwaite, Living Sales and the Company logo are trademarks
and are registered in many countries throughout the world.

Introduction
Welcome to the SPIN Selling Skills programme. SPIN, an acronym, is a researched model of verbal behaviour. It
stands for the different types of questions asked by successful sellers in business-to-business sales where the customer
has to see the 'value' of the solution, both to them and to the business.
The training has introduced a common language and a customer-focused way of thinking about the product or service
you offer.

The purpose of this booklet is to introduce you to the concept of SPIN selling. The focus of the programme, for you, will

be on your ability to use the verbal behaviours in the sales process.

In this booklet you will find:

an introduction to the research carried out by Huthwaite into what it is that the successful seller does differently to
their average colleagues

exercises to help you assess how well you have understood the SPIN model:
behavioural recognition exercises
transcript exercises to allow you to see and analyse the verbal behaviours that constitute SPIN.

We hope you will find this booklet both interesting and stimulating. It is intended to give you an overview of the concepts
before you attend the training.
The pre-course reading should take you about thirty minutes to complete, the exercises will take you another thirty

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minutes to complete.

'Think customer'
Huthwaite began their research into what it is that successful sellers do differently to their average colleagues in the early
1970s. The key message from this research is that successful sellers have the ability to 'think customer' they can
prepare and carry out the sales process from the customer's perspective.
Understanding the customer's perspective will help the sales and marketing function to develop an informed and
appropriate sales and marketing strategy. It will give you the skills to:

encourage the customer to consider the need for change through marketing

encourage the customer to assess their true need by revisiting their original concerns

encourage the salesperson to raise issues that are relevant and significant to the customer's role

design marketing collateral to help both the salesperson and the customer in the sales process.

As a result of this training, both the sales and marketing function will be provided with the skills and understanding to
implement a consistent, cohesive strategy and to use a common, customer-focused language.
The workshop will concentrate on what your solutions the products or services you offer can do for the customer and

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how this message can be integrated into any marketing collateral you generate.

Why change?
There is always a cost to change. People are reluctant to change unless they believe that the cost of the present is

themselves is 'Why should I change?' By asking this question,

Buy

they begin to weigh up how much it might cost for them to

Resid
ual Sa
tis

Hassl
e

To assess cost of change the first question customers ask

Probl
e
DiPfrfoicble ms
u
D
Dissaifficultlmt ises
ies
Dissatisfac
tisfac tions
tions

Time

This dilemma can be represented diagrammatically.

Risk

greater than the cost of change.

f actio
Don't
n
Buy

change compared to the cost of living with their current

difficulties.

'Cost' of present

'Cost' of change

For customers who do not see a good reason to change, the sales and marketing strategy is to persuade them that the
consequences of not changing are significant. There is no point describing the solutions you offer to a potential
customer who has not decided to change.
For marketing, this means that we need to consider the customer's situation from their perspective and ask ourselves,
"What business problems does this type of customer have that we might address through our product or service?"

Is it worth it?
When a customer has decided to consider change, they ask themselves, "Is it worth looking at a different solution?"
The customer assesses what the 'change' will cost compared with the benefits and payoffs gained.

often the solution to the problems associated with the

Savings
Problems
Difficulties
Solutions
Dissatisfactions

current situation plus the 'payoff' or value the customer

actually gains from the solution.

Buy

Frequently, the selling organisation will know more about

Time

the 'full value' of the proposed solution(s). 'Full value' is

Risk

Peace of mind
Implications
Benefits

The seller's task at this stage is to help the customer see

Hassle

The diagrammatic representation of this can be seen opposite.

Residual Satisfaction
Don't Buy

the problems than the customer because they see similar

problems with other customers all the time. With 'value'

'Payoff' of change

'Cost' of change

and 'payoffs', the salesperson is less likely to know all the

possibilities.
A common 'selling error' is to assume that because the customer understands the full extent of their problems, they will
understand the full value generated by the seller's solution. There is no point in offering a 20,000 solution to someone

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who thinks that they only have a 5,000 problem.

Needs
Skilful sellers listen to the customer's needs to identify where they are in the decision making process. The decision
making process varies in length from customer to customer; it can be short or long. The skilful seller uses questions to
understand where the customer is in that process and what they need to talk about.
There are two main messages about needs:

firstly, needs come in all shapes and

Solution here has

low impact

sizes weak and strong, big and

NEED

NEED

small, personal and business, urgent

NEED

and distant. In the early stages, the

seller might see the problem as

NEED

greater than the customer. The

seller's task is then to 'grow' the need
so that his solution will have maximum

NEED

impact.
Once a need is met, it stops growing.

NEED

If it is stopped too early, getting it

growing again is difficult.

Solution
here has
high impact

Successful sellers wait until they have grown the need as much as possible before they offer their solution.

secondly, and more importantly, how customers express their needs has a crucial impact on the success, or
otherwise, of a call. Customers express their needs in two ways. The most successful sellers are able to distinguish
between them and deal with them accordingly.

How do customers express their needs?

There are two types of need:
Statements of problems, difficulties or dissatisfactions.

Implied
Need

Examples include:
"I'm not happy with "
"There's a problem with "
"Our systems could be better ".

A clear, unambiguous statement of the customer's w ants, desires or solutions.

"What I'm asking for is "

"I need "
"My objectives are to "

Explicit Need

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Examples include:

Both Implied and Explicit Needs exist on a continuum and can be expressed either as weak or strong as the diagram
below illustrates:

It's almost perfect

I'm a little dissatisfied

I've got problems with ...

I need to change it

immediately
The link to success
The ability to get customers to talk about their Explicit Needs is closely linked to successful outcomes.
This is a key message for the sales function just because someone is talking about problems, it does not automatically
mean they are expressing a ready desire to solve them.
In summary, effective sellers:

'grow' needs (whether Implied or Explicit) so that the customer is able to feel the full weight of the problems and the
full value of the solution

convert statements of problem (Implied Needs) into statements of desire, expressing the need for a solution (Explicit
Needs).

do not assume that they know which needs are important to the customer.

Case study Business or personal?

Some of our early research was with people working in pharmaceutical sales. Previous research had shown us that the
exploration of problems through questioning was a good thing and that it was crucial in encouraging the motivation to
change.
The sellers encouraged the doctors to explore the consequences of ineffective medication but this appeared to have no

The exploration of issues such as over-full waiting rooms, frequent night call-outs and the missing of family and social
events did have an effect. We discovered that doctors wanted to be able to get rid of other problems, in addition to
gaining effective medical treatments.

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effect. The doctors, and especially the GPs, were not interested in medicine or illness.

Presenting your solution

Sellers make three different types of statement to demonstrate they can meet the customer's needs:

Features

Advantages

Benefits.

Features
Describe the characteristics of your product or service. They are neutral statements.
For example:
"We use a diagnostic approach."

The link to success

The research showed that Feature statements:

are used very frequently by sellers

are not very persuasive

have a relatively low impact on customers.

Advantages
Statements showing how a product or product feature can be used or can help the customer from the seller's
perspective.
For example:
"We use a diagnostic approach which means we can get to the root of problems."
The assumption here is the desire for diagnosis, as the customer has not yet raised it.

The link to success

The research showed that Advantage statements:

are more persuasive than Features

rapidly decrease in usefulness as the sale progresses. The seller should rely less on assumptions about the
customer's needs and focus more on their Explicit Needs

can, and do, attract objections from the customer often in the form of " but I don't need that!"

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Benefits
Statements showing how the product, product feature or advantage meets the Explicit Need expressed by the customer.
For example:
"Our diagnostic approach will get to the root of the problems you want to solve where your previous
analysis has failed."

The link to success

The research showed that Benefit statements:

are the most powerful of all sales behaviours

are the most persuasive to customers at any stage of the sales cycle because they are relevant to what the
customer has already told you

are observed the least frequently.

In summary
Benefits are the final step in the needs development process, which consists of:

uncovering Implied Needs

developing Implied Needs and converting them into Explicit Needs

satisfying the Explicit Needs with Benefit statements.

It is useful for marketing personnel to consider how benefits can be expressed through marketing techniques. In reality,
most marketing communications are made in the form of advantage statements.

Uncovering and developing needs

Research showed that the successful salesperson is able to uncover and develop the customer's needs through skilful
and varied questioning. The main distinction was in the focus or the purpose of the question.

Effective sellers were found to use four distinct types of question, creating the SPIN acronym:

Situation Questions
Problem Questions
Implication Questions
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Need-payoff Questions

Situation Questions
Aimed at gathering background information in order to understand the context of the sale.
For example:
"How many people do you employ?"
"What system do you currently use?"
"Who are your current advisers?"

Key points about Situation Questions

They are neutral and fact-finding.

Can be useful early in the sale to get to know your contact.

From the seller's point of view they are safe, relatively easy to ask and require little planning.

The ideal is for the sales person to focus Situation Questions so they lead naturally into areas where problems or
needs can be uncovered.

They can be overused, causing an encounter to be slow or even static from the customer's perspective.
The research showed that unsuccessful sales had a disproportionately high number. The most likely explanation is
that they serve the seller's purpose, as the customer already knows the answer.

Exploring problems effectively

Identify

Problem Questions

Clarify

Follow-up Problem Questions

Extend

Implication Questions

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The successful salesperson explores the problems or Implied Needs of customers by following the 'ICE' model. They:

Problem Questions
These start to explore the customer's dissatisfactions or concerns and generate Implied Needs.
For example:
"What is your main difficulty with ?"
"How happy are you with ?"
"Do you see any problems in ?"

Key points about Problem Questions

They are more powerful than Situation Questions and are used more in successful calls.

They are particularly correlated with success in simpler sales.

They attempt to involve the customer and gain their interest.

Should be planned in advance to encourage the consideration of potential issues where you can help.

If well planned, they can increase credibility.

Follow-up Problem Questions

Help the salesperson find out more about a problem given by the customer.
For example:
"How often does that problem happen?"
"Why does that ?"

Key points about Follow-up Problem Questions

They ask 'why' or 'how' in an attempt to clarify the details.

Implication Questions
These develop and 'grow' the problem in the customer's mind by examining the consequences or knock-on effects of
particular problems.
"And what effect does that have on ?"
"What might that lead to ?"
"Does that mean that is affected?"
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"If then might that result in ?"

Key points about Implication Questions

They are the most powerful type of question and

Time

the most highly correlated with success.

Costs
direct
indirect

They give the customer the impression that you

understand their business.

Implied
Needs

They encourage the customer to think about the

impact of problems in areas they haven't yet

Third parties
suppliers

considered.

customers
public

People
boss
peers
subordinates

They appear to be the hardest questions to ask;

therefore it is important to plan their use in
advance. The more serious problems will have

Other departments

knock-on effects in the areas shown in the

diagram opposite.

Need-payoff Questions
Encourage the customer to think about their Explicit Needs, what the solution might look like and the payoff to them of
solving their problems.
Need-payoff Questions identify, clarify and extend (ICE) the Explicit Needs, encouraging the customer to see the total
value of the solution.

Identifiers

Establish what the customer wants.

Confirm whether the seller's assumptions are correct or not.

When selling, should not be used as your first Need-payoff Question. If they are used too early they can result in a
'no'.

For example:

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"Would you be interested in ?"

10

Clarifiers

Help the customer to explore why it's worth solving their problem.

Help the customer to think of things beyond the obvious benefits.

Allow the seller to find out what's particularly important to the customer.

Help you to rehearse arguments with the customer that they might use to convince other decision-makers.

For example:
"How important is ?"

Extenders

Ensure the full value of the solution is recognised by the customer by extending the value into other areas.

Increase the seller's knowledge and understanding of the customer's situation.

For example:
"Who else might be interested in this sort of solution?"

Key points about Need-payoff Questions

High correlation with success, particularly clarifiers and extenders.

Identifiers find out what the customer wants but clarifiers and extenders help to create the value for your solution.

Many sellers limit themselves to simply identifying whether the customer wants a solution or, even worse, assume
that they want a solution without asking Need-payoff Questions.

As with Implication Questions, you

should plan for a wide range of

Time

Costs
direct

possible payoffs, including things that

indirect

you might not currently know. Use

the areas opposite to guide your
preparation.

Explicit
Needs

A series of:
Problem

Implication

Need-payoff Questions

can be found on the following two pages.

customers
public

People
boss
peers
subordinates

Other departments
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Third parties
suppliers

11

SPIN questions
Using a variety of ways to ask these questions can help to make them sound more natural. The following are just some
examples:

Problem Questions
"How concerned are you about ?"
"Does it worry you that ?"
"How difficult do you find it to ?"
"Is there a risk of ?"
"What sort of problems do you get with ?"
"How happy are you with ?"
"Are you satisfied with the level of ?"
"Is it hard to cope with ?"
"How well are you able to cope with ?"
"What sort of dissatisfactions do you have with ?"
"Is it worrying to have such a high level of ?"
"When does X reach intolerable levels ?"
"Can your current equipment deal with all the functions you need?"
"Other customers tell me Y is a problem do you find that?"

Implication Questions
"How often do you find X results in problems with Y?"
"Does that lead to difficulties with X?"
"Do you also find that can affect X?"
"What effect does that have on X?"
"When that happens does it sometimes also cause X?"
"What sort of consequences does that lead to?"
"Does that have any knock-on effects with X?"
"What implications does that have for X?"
"You say you have problems with X does that also lead to Y?"

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"Am I right that when X problem occurs, it sometimes results in Y?"

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Need-payoff Questions
Identifying
"Are you saying it would help if you could ?"
"So, are you looking for some way of ?"
"Am I right that it would help if ?"
"Are you looking for a way of ?"
"Would you be interested in X?"
"Would you like to be able to ?"

Clarifying
"Why is X so important to you?"
"What sort of savings would X produce?"
"What do you regard as the main benefits of Y?"
"How useful would it be if you were able to reduce X by, say, 10%?"
"If you could eliminate the need for Y, how would that help exactly?"
"How important is it for you to improve X?"

Extending
"How else could Y help you?"
"Are there any other ways in which Y could help?"
"Would Y also help you to achieve X?"
"Can you see any Benefits for Department X?"
"What would you see as the most important savings for Department X?"

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"Would Y also be useful to Department X?"

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Summary of key behaviours

The above diagram attempts to show a logical framework to help you make sense of the selling process and the skills
that inform it.
Skilful sellers are able to understand where they are within this framework, what needs to be done and how to get there.
They play jazz with it, rather than following predetermined notes.

And finally
The purpose of this paper has been to introduce you to the core skills that effective sellers have at their disposal.

sections is for you to assess how well you have understood the concepts introduced throughout this paper, not to turn
you into a salesperson.

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In the two sections that follow you will find a series of exercises and a transcript of a sales call. The aim of these

Recognition exercises
The following exercises are intended to help you assess how well you have understood the differences between the
behaviour categories. Simply tick the behaviour that you think is being displayed. The answers can be found at the end
of the section.

Which of these statements are Implied Needs and which are

Explicit Needs?
IN

EN

On-line sorting would certainly help us with the longer runs.

( )

( )

Yes, I'd love to get my price-lists out that fast but I don't see how it's possible.

( )

( )

At the moment we just don't have the liquidity to finance the expansion internally.

( )

( )

It's been a fine machine, but the single line display is no longer good enough for me.

( )

( )

I'm going to have to replace the shredder as well.

( )

( )

We certainly need a better additive, but I'm reluctant to change from our present

( )

( )

supplier.

The machine's so slow that the staff are always having to queue to use it.

( )

( )

Mm I suppose that could get awkward if the supply position worsens.

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

and two more difficult examples

9

Rate of return has become a problem because of inflation, and it's now so

10

I'm very deeply concerned indeed about the recent increases in quality problems with
our system.

15

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unsatisfactory that I'm looking for a new investment outlet.

Implied/Explicit Needs exercise Answers and explanations

IN
1

The customer is explaining how the product will help, so an Explicit Need.

The customer states a clear desire. The sceptical, "I don't see how it's possible" doesn't

X
X

reduce the Need in any way.

The customer states a difficulty, not a want or desire.

The initial praise for the machine doesn't alter the customer's dissatisfaction.

"I'm going to have to " is a statement of intention, not of problem, which makes this an

EN

X
X
X

Explicit Need. The "as well" just shows that the customer also has some other Explicit
Need.
6

The customer's reluctance doesn't reduce the Need, stated quite explicitly, for a better

additive.

A clear statement of dissatisfaction with the current position, therefore an Implied Need.

Here the customer is agreeing that something could be a problem under certain
conditions. It's not a strong statement, but just strong enough to be an Implied Need.

X
X

A difficult example. The use of the words "problem" and "unsatisfactory" make this look

like an Implied Need but the customer is stating an intention or desire to look for a new
investment outlet. It's an Explicit Need, like many examples where a customer states, "I
want to solve this problem." In such cases the key word is always "want" not "problem".
A very strong statement of Need but, it's not an Explicit Need because it's expressed as a
dissatisfaction not as a want or desire.

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16

Which of these statements are Features, which are Advantages

and which are Benefits?
F

This specially designed financial plan gives a 12% return.

( )

( )

( )

You said that security was vital to you: our system provides a special passkey that

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

prevents access by all except authorised personnel.

Your cash flow would be much healthier if you were to adopt our new accounting
system.

A feature of our new process is that it can guarantee you stability to temperatures as
low as 10 Kelvin because of its thermostable system.

Your requirement for a lower level of lubrication would be met by using our special
surface material that requires less than half the level you currently use.

An advantage of this telephone is that you can get it in different colours.

( )

( )

( )

An advantage of reducing the bacterial level in your oil is that it remains usable for

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

considerably longer.

The whole unit can fit into a small briefcase.

and two more difficult examples

9

We can offer you this new binding system at 10% less than Amalgamated Inc has
quoted you.

You said that it was taking too long to produce your consolidated accounts; the
advanced design of our 'EASI' Programme will solve that problem for you.

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17

Features/Advantages/Benefits exercise
Answers and explanations
F
1

The words "specially designed" are misleading. There's no indication of how the
plan can help the customer or of any competitive advantage.

The customer's requirement for security is met by the special passkey that makes

this a Benefit.
3

This can be re-phrased in the "because of you can " format. "Because of our

new accounting system, you can have a healthier looking cash flow."
4

Although the seller calls this a Feature, it is an Advantage. The Feature

component is the thermostable matrix and the seller describes an Advantage of it,
stability to temperatures of 10 Kelvin.
5

The seller shows how the special surface material will give the customer what he

has asked for, so a Benefit.

6

A misleading example. Despite the word "advantage", nothing in the statement

shows how different colours can help the customer.

This is a trick example to see if the inaccurate use of "advantage" in 6 could tempt

you to reject this genuine Advantage which is easily rephrased in the "because of
you can" format.
8

This sounds like an Advantage, but the seller is just giving data about the
product's size.

This statement shows how the product has a specific competitive advantage over
an alternative.
The 'EASI' Programme provides a solution for an Implied Need, "taking much too
long to produce" and, so, can only be an Advantage, not a Benefit.

X
X

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18

Which of these is a Situation Question and which is a Problem

Question?

"Mr Bawtry, I've been told that you manufacture quite a wide range of adhesives here; is

SQ

PQ

( )

( )

that true?"

"Aren't you also involved in household adhesives?"

( )

( )

"Do you use various multiple solvent blends for the different products?"

( )

( )

"Do you have any problems with bulk storage?"

( )

( )

"Could I ask you about a different area: how do you handle low-volume or special blends

( )

( )

at the moment?"

"Doesn't on-site blending create a major fire hazard?"

( )

( )

"Do you have any trouble meeting the new fire regulations for low-flashpoint

( )

( )

( )

( )

warehousing?"

"You're in a fortunate position Mr Bawtry. Er these multi-blend solvents you use, what
level of solids in solution can you achieve with them?"

and two more difficult examples

9

"Are you happy with your average level of only 25%?"

( )

( )

10

"Could you tell me a little more about special blends work: how much extra work is

( )

( )

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involved?"

19

Situation/Problem Questions exercise

Answers and explanations
SQ
1

The seller is confirming basic factual information about the business, not probing for
problems or difficulties.

Again the question asks for business facts, not for problems.

There's no suggestion in the question that solvent blends are unsatisfactory, so it's
another Situation Question.

Here the seller is probing directly for a problem in the area of bulk storage.

Because the seller has shifted into a new area, and is asking for details of a present
procedure, this is a Situation Question.

"A major fire hazard" is an undesirable event, so this must be a Problem Question.

"Any trouble " probes for a difficulty, which makes this another Problem Question.

The seller now changes the subject. The previous problem area is left behind. The
question now asks for a background fact (solid levels) about the customer's situation.

"Are you happy with " probes for dissatisfaction.

10

"Extra work " suggests potential problems, but the seller is actually still seeking

PQ

X
X

X
X

X
X
X

X
X

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situation information, so it's a Situation Question.

20

SPIN behaviour definitions

Situation Questions

Examples

Questions about the customer's operating context and

business situation.

"How many people do you employ?"

"Which operating system do you use?"

Problem Questions
Questions about the customer's difficulties,
dissatisfactions or problems with the existing situation.

"Are you happy with supply agreement?"

"What do you do when you have a difficult tenant?"

Implied Needs
Statements by the customer about problems, difficulties or
dissatisfactions with the existing situation.

"Contractors always seem to get behind schedule."

"We have been losing a lot of money in this area."

Implication Questions
Questions about the consequences, effects or
implications of the customer's problems.

"Does this mean you are getting a lot of claims of unfair

dismissal?"
"What effect does this have on your business?"

Need-payoff Questions
Questions that probe for Explicit Needs, either directly or
by exploring the payoff or importance to the customer of
solving a problem.

"Would it help you if ...?"

"How useful would it be if you could ...?"
"How else might it help if ...?"

Explicit Needs
A clear, unambiguous statement of the customer's wants,
desires or intentions.

"I need to know about latest development in European

legislation."
"I'm only interested in upgrading my copier if it is fully
programmable."

Benefits
Statements showing how the product, product feature or
advantage meets the Explicit Need expressed by the
customer.

"You said you need a specialist IP lawyer, well we can

certainly provide that in Birmingham."

Advantages
Statements showing how a product or product feature can
be used or can help the customer.

"The quiet fan on this projector lets you talk normally."

"Our case file management system programme will let you
save 10% on your present costs."

Features
Statements describing some characteristic of a product or
service.

"This computer has a backlit screen".

"This chair has an adjustable back rest."

Implied Need or Explicit Need?

If you are unsure, call it Implied.

Benefit or Advantage?

If you are unsure, call it an Advantage.

Implied Needs and Explicit Needs.

These should be recorded once only (ie if the same need is

repeated do not record it a second time).

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Three key rules:

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