GAP SELLING: PROBLEM CENTRIC™
SALES TRAINING

The right sales methodology is not enough. For sales training to be effective it must be delivered in a way that maximizes retention, initiates behavioral change and translates to the sellers buyer environment. GAP Selling Sales Training is built on a foundation of adult learning principles and change management with a strong focus on live practice and consistent coaching. Each training is tailored to your unique buyer environment through exercises that ensure focus is on execution, not sales theory. For this reason, it is not uncommon for students to apply the learning to current opportunities and see wins before they even complete the session. Put simply, GAP Selling Sales Training is different because it is built to drive results.

Central to this methodology is the understanding that sales revolve around change, which is only considered when a problem exists. Gap Selling employs the PIC (Problem Identification Chart) to help sellers craft a compelling business case for change, focusing on the problems in the buyer's environment, their impacts, and the technical root causes. The first critical decision in the buyer's journey, “Should I change at all?”, is where most sales are traditionally lost, often to the status quo. Traditional sales methods leap directly to convincing buyers to choose their solution, neglecting the vital step of justifying the need for change itself. Gap Selling addresses this by clearly defining and assessing the buyer's problems and their impacts, thus ensuring that the proposed change is justified. This approach not only prevents the loss of potential deals but also aids in identifying unviable deals early, thereby saving time and improving forecast accuracy.

After establishing the necessity of change (the first decision), the Gap Selling methodology shifts to the second decision: “Should I change with you?”. This stage is crucial for differentiating from the competition. Traditional sales strategies often rely on discussing general product features, which can leave buyers overwhelmed and uncertain. In contrast, Gap Sellers focus on a clear diagnostic and alignment of the Problem-Product connection, providing the buyer with a clear understanding of how their offering specifically addresses the root causes of the buyer's issues. This clarity builds buyer confidence, sets correct expectations, and lays the groundwork for successful implementation. Moreover, this approach allows sellers to effectively counter any objections, even when competing products have additional features, by demonstrating how their solutions are more closely aligned with solving the buyer's problems. Such a focused approach significantly enhances the seller's ability to outperform the competition.

A Sales Growth Company does not subscribe to a telling philosophy. We highly caution against a sales organization trying to gain credibility by telling a buyer a story or POV. This often has the opposite effect. Particularly if the POV misses the mark.

Imagine you are at your first visit with a doctor. Would you find it unsettling and/or frustrating if a doctor started the first visit by sharing a POV from another patient, medical journal, or diagnosis, before asking you questions or diagnosing you personally?

It’s for this reason, Gap Selling leverages the PIC to teach sellers how to ask world class diagnostic questions of the buyer. Gap Sellers are coached how to learn and understand their customer’s point of view first. Only then is a POV shared.

The development of the Co-Authored Problem Identification Chart will become the foundation of a problem-centric point of view. When a salesperson has an intimate understanding of the problems, impacts, and root causes their buyers may be experiencing, each relevant question increases the buyers’ confidence that perhaps the the salesperson can help them.