www.StrategicLearning.

com

A STRATEGIC LEARNING, ALLIANCE PARTNER WHITEPAPER

SOCIAL STYLEsm and SPIN Selling

by Strategic Learning, Inc.’s Alliance Partner
The TRACOM Group
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

Some people say that selling is an art. But according to Neil Rackham, selling has
more to do with following a process and having a good plan than it does with any
inherent abilities. The SPIN Selling model was developed by Rackham based on
extensive research he conducted on what differentiates successful from less successful
salespeople. The model outlines a time-proven strategy that any salesperson can
implement to become more effective. SOCIAL STYLE has been used by sales
professionals for decades to build rapport, deal with objections and ultimately improve
sales results. This whitepaper looks at how SOCIAL STYLE supports and enhances
sales development programs like SPIN Selling.

SOCIAL STYLE Connections

SOCIAL STYLE is the world’s most effective interpersonal skills model. This
Connections Series looks at how learning to apply our SOCIAL STYLE model
complements and supports popular training models including Situational Leadership,
Emotional Intelligence, Crucial Conversations and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

Introduction
The SPIN model has proven useful because it takes the mystery out of how successful salespeople
accomplish their objectives. In a similar way, the SOCIAL STYLE Model demystifies customer’s
behavioral styles, including the ways they like to interact with salespeople and how they make
buying decisions. SOCIAL STYLE can be used in conjunction with SPIN Selling to further increase
sales success by showing how people’s behavioral styles, including the salesperson’s, affect the sales
process. In addition, the Versatility component of the SOCIAL STYLE Model enhances salespeople’s
effectiveness by describing behaviors that are fundamental for implementing the SPIN strategy
effectively. In fact, Rackham states that three things are critical for implementing the SPIN model
successfully, and each of them is related to Versatility.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling
 www.StrategicLearning.com

SPIN Selling: An Overview

SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

The original research for the SPIN model highlighted one critical aspect of successful selling; the
buyer does most of the talking. This is not because talkative people are more likely to buy than un-
talkative people, but because successful salespeople are skilled at using questions. The questions
used in selling situations can be categorized into four types, described below.
Situation: These types of questions are used to discover facts about the buyer’s existing situation.
Successful salespeople use these questions to set the stage and gather important context, but
they use them sparingly to avoid interrogating or annoying the buyer.
Problem: These types of questions ask about problems, difficulties, or dissatisfactions that the
buyer is experiencing with the existing situation. The purpose of these questions is to focus the
buyer on problems and set the stage for the salesperson to help solve those problems. These
questions should be asked more frequently than Situation questions.
Implication: These types of questions are used to inquire about the consequences or effects of a
buyer’s problems, difficulties, or dissatisfactions. These are the most powerful types of
questions, and the best salespeople ask a lot of these. They can be the most difficult questions
to ask since they are designed to induce a certain degree of discomfort for the buyer, leading to
a strong need for the buyer to act.
Need-payoff: The final technique involves asking questions about the value or usefulness of a
proposed solution. These questions help buyers focus on solutions and how the product or
service can help them solve problems. The idea is not to tell the buyer how a product can solve
her problems, but rather to use skilled questioning that results in the buyer coming to this
realization herself. When skillfully employed, these questions get buyers to tell salespeople
about the benefits of their own products or services, rather than the other way around.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

How SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility Enhance SPIN Selling

The selling process involves multiple phases,
from the preliminary stage of meeting buyers
through to obtaining commitment and realizing
the value exchange. SOCIAL STYLE contributes
to each stage, but for the purposes of this paper
we’re going to limit our discussion to the SPIN
process, which usually occurs after establishing
rapport with a buyer and before obtaining
commitment. See The Adaptive Sales Person
Series for additional information about how Style
impacts the selling process.
In the book “SPIN Selling1,” Rackham notes that
“Asking questions that are important to the
customer is what makes the SPIN model so
powerful.” We agree. This is similar to the
Platinum Rule we teach in our workshops – do
unto others as they would have done unto them.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

In other words, consider other people’s Styles

and preferences when interacting with them.
Customers’ Styles often influence the types of questions that are important to them.
The SOCIAL STYLE Model enhances SPIN Selling techniques in three main ways. The first two
involve applying Style to selling situations, where salespeople can benefit from awareness of the
effects their own Styles have on buyers, and also how to recognize and manage buyer’s Style
behaviors. The third contribution comes from practicing Versatility, and affects all aspects of the
SPIN process, from planning through closing.

The Salesperson’s Style

Each Style has strengths and weaknesses, and these become quickly apparent in selling situations.
Salespeople who understand and consciously monitor their Style-related behaviors can become
much more effective questioners. In order to implement SPIN effectively, salespeople need to
practice the SOCIAL STYLE concepts called “know yourself” and “control yourself.”
For example, one of the strengths of Driving Style salespeople is that they focus on outcomes and
solutions to problems. These salespeople quickly move the buyer’s attention to solving problems,
especially if they are skilled at using Implication and Need-payoff questions. Their focus on results
benefits buyers by providing them the solutions to their problems without wasting time; the solution
comes quickly and efficiently. However, Driving Style salespeople may suffer from an inability to
listen carefully, and they are often highly impatient. Since the SPIN model clearly shows that the
most effective salespeople are those who talk less and listen more, Driving Style salespeople who do
not monitor and control their Style behaviors will be at a disadvantage.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

The Salesperson’s Style – cont.

They are more likely to rush buyers through the selling process at an uncomfortable pace, and they
may not take the time to listen to important information from buyers. Not only does this annoy
buyers, it ultimately results in decreased success for
the salesperson.
Driving Style salespeople aren’t the only ones who
need to monitor their behavior. Amiable Style people
might seem to have an advantage in selling situations.
After all, they want to build strong relationships with
buyers and will go out of their ways to be helpful.
They do not want to take advantage of buyers or
disappoint them, and they would rather maintain a
good relationship with buyers than close a quick sale.
This behavior benefits buyers in obvious ways. They
are not rushed into a purchase, they can take time to
consider the options, and they can trust that the
salesperson will not take advantage of them. However,
Amiable Style salespeople who do not monitor and
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

control their Style-related behaviors also hinder their

own effectiveness.
The SPIN model highlights the importance of asking
questions, and some of these questions can be tough
to ask. In particular, Implication questions are the
most powerful of the four question types, but Amiable
Style salespeople may shy away from asking these questions because they are designed to make
buyers uncomfortable. These salespeople avoid risks and will not want to ask questions that they
feel are too intrusive, reveal customer weaknesses or that might damage the rapport they have with
buyers. Their hesitancy to ask Implication questions often results in decreased effectiveness in
selling situations because they fail to ask buyers to consider the full range problems with their
current situations and identify important gaps.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

The Buyer’s Style

Salespeople who know themselves and control themselves are solving one-half of the Style
equation. To ensure success, they also need to consider their buyers’ Style by “knowing others” and
“doing something for others,” and how these affect the buying process and sales approach.
Each Style has specific ways of interacting with salespeople and making decisions. For example,
Expressive Style buyers make decisions based more on intuition and opinion than objective facts or
information. They want salespeople to support them so they can succeed and look good to others
in their organizations. Since they are big-picture thinkers, if a salesperson spends too much time
asking Situation or Problem questions, these buyers will become quickly annoyed and will not
hesitate to end the sales process. This is because these questions are very fact-based, require
detailed responses, focus mostly on the past, and do not give any hints about solutions or how the
situation can improve. Expressive Style buyers tend to have limited patience for salespeople who
overuse these questions, especially when the salesperson seems more like an interrogator than a
problem solving partner. Therefore, with these buyers it is critical to move quickly into the Need-
payoff types of questions, since the purpose of these questions is to focus on the advantages of the
sellers’ products or services. This will excite Expressive Style buyers and communicate to them that
the salesperson is their partner and will help them succeed.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

This approach is very different from what a salesperson would use with an Analytical Style buyer.
These individuals make decisions based on verifiable facts and they avoid risks. They tend to look
for evidence of the quality of products and services, and need to feel comfortable that their
decisions are based on a comprehensive process. Therefore, they are more comfortable with the
initial Situation and Problem questions because these questions indicate that the salesperson is
being thorough in how she approaches the problem. She is taking time to understand the context
and is preparing to base her solutions on her understanding of what has happened in the past.
Asking these types of questions, at least in the initial stages of the sales process, also helps
Analytical Style people develop a degree of comfort with salespeople. These buyers do not respond
positively to salespeople who push too hard.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

Versatility and SPIN Selling

Rackham clearly states that there is no magic
formula for achieving better sales results.
However, he does claim strong evidence
showing that if salespeople get just three things
right, there is a high probability that they will
achieve superior results using the SPIN Selling
method.2
They are:
• Get on the buyer’s side of the table.
• Invest in planning.
• Give yourself a periodic checkup.
Accomplishing these three things requires hard work, persistence, and a shift in perspective.
Versatility, a measure of interpersonal effectiveness, is related to each of these three activities.
Let’s look at each action and how Versatility helps.
Understanding the Buyer’s Perspective
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

To succeed with SPIN Selling, salespeople need to change their thinking so that they stop
behaving like sellers and, instead, adopt the buyer’s perspective. This requires a shift in
perspective to share the buyer’s concerns, and to focus less on persuading and more on
understanding. Rackham states that “From working with many hundreds of top salespeople in
fields as diverse as consulting and chemicals, we find that the primary perspective of top
salespeople is understanding rather than persuading.”
Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s perspective. Salespeople who use empathy to
understand their buyers are more likely to ask questions and are less likely to rush into
overwhelming buyers with solutions. It’s not surprising that empathy has been identified as a
key indicator of success using SPIN Selling, since it has been shown through research to be
related to success in multiple fields and areas of life, such as educational achievement and
leader effectiveness. Empathy is an element of the feedback component of Versatility and is a
fundamental skill for salespeople. In addition to empathy, Feedback includes the ability to
listen effectively, communicate in ways that match the communication style of the buyer, and
develop productive relationships with others. Of all the components of Versatility, Feedback is
perhaps the most important to sales effectiveness. As Rackham notes, top salespeople view
each sales call as an opportunity to understand rather than to persuade.
Invest in Planning
Few salespeople succeed by just winging it. According to Rackham, while many salespeople
spend significant amounts of time planning for the strategies they’ll use on their accounts, they
don’t spend enough time planning the tactics they’ll use for specific calls. In “The SPIN Selling
Fieldbook,” a number of tools are provided for planning for sales calls, including written call
plan forms.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

Versatility and SPIN Selling – cont.

Salespeople who succeed with their planning are, to a large degree, exercising high levels of
Competence. Competence is the component of Versatility that includes the skills of
conscientiousness, flexibility, innovation, perseverance, and optimism. Each of these
competencies is clearly related not only to effective planning, but to the execution and follow-
up of sales opportunities. Top salespeople reliably meet their customers’ expectations, find
creative and flexible approaches for solving their problems, and persevere through challenges
and setbacks without losing their positive frames of mind. Top salespeople would agree that
without these attributes, they would not be very successful.
Periodic Checkups
The final aspect for successfully implementing SPIN Selling is to periodically collect input about
performance. We are all creatures of habit, and top salespeople are no exception. Even skilled
salespeople occasionally slip into old and bad habits. Rackham recommends recording sales
calls (with the customer’s agreement) and analyzing the conversation afterwards. Using a
form, salespeople can listen to the conversation and record the number of each question type
they ask, and the outcomes of these questions. This exercise will provide the type of reality
check that salespeople need to stay on top of their performance.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

Once again, Versatility is relevant for this activity. The Versatility Profile provides even more
information about performance in all the areas discussed previously. By requesting Style and
Versatility feedback from customers, Salespeople gain deeper levels of understanding about
how customers perceive their behavior. Getting regular Versatility checkups is something we
strongly encourage, for the same reasons Neil Rackham mentions. In addition to these formal
checkups though, salespeople who learn about Versatility, and who consciously practice what
they learn, will find that they become more adept at monitoring their behavior and the effect
they have on their customers. In a sense, Versatility helps salespeople develop a personal radar
system that gives regular information about themselves and their effectiveness in selling
situations.
What about Image and Presentation?
In our discussion about the importance of Versatility, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention
the other two components of Versatility - Image and Presentation. Image is a measure of the
appropriateness of one’s dress and appearance, while Presentation measures a person’s
effectiveness when presenting information in formal settings, such as sales calls. It doesn’t
take a great stretch of the imagination to see how important Image and Presentation are to
salespeople. Effective salespeople make sure they understand the dress codes and
expectations of clients before going on sales calls. Would a top salesperson wear jeans and
sandals when visiting his client on Wall Street? Unlikely.

As for Presentation, the Versatility Profile provides input about salespeople’s ability to make
themselves clear, ask questions to clarify their understanding, and pay attention to the mood
and communication styles of customers. These skills are the bread and butter of sales calls,
and Versatility provides mechanisms for improving in this area.
 www.StrategicLearning.com

Benefits & Summary

The SPIN Selling model provides a framework for salespeople to increase their effectiveness. It
has proven the test of time and has been used by tens of thousands of sales professionals. The
SOCIAL STYLE Model has also been used successfully by countless salespeople over many
decades. The two models naturally complement one another by arming salespeople with
concrete tools for working more effectively with their clients. An awareness of SOCIAL STYLE
helps salespeople understand the effects their behavior has on clients, while also helping to
understand how to interact with clients based on their client’s Styles. By practicing Style
awareness, salespeople improve their ability to ask the right types of questions, and therefore
achieve greater success. Versatility supports all aspects of client management and selling
situations. In particular, aspects of Versatility such as Feedback are shown to be fundamental
for the successful application of the SPIN Selling approach.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling

23 Clover Lane
Malvern, PA 19355-2823
800-647-6164 (US and Canada)
610-647-6161 International
www.StrategicLearning.com
[email protected]
 www.StrategicLearning.com

1
0

About the Author

Casey Mulqueen, Ph.D. — Director of Research & Product Development
Casey Mulqueen oversees the research and development of TRACOM’s various assessment
instruments and products. He has experience developing a wide variety of assessments such as
personality inventories, 360-degree feedback programs, performance appraisal systems, and
employee opinion surveys. His expertise in cross-cultural assessment and norming has helped
ensure that TRACOM’s global surveys are valid and reliable throughout the world. He is a writer
who has authored a variety of materials including books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed
journal articles. Casey holds an M.S. in clinical psychology and a Ph.D. in industrial/
organizational psychology.

References
1. Rackham, Neil. SPIN Selling (1988). McGraw-Hill.
2. Rackham, Neil. The SPIN Selling Fieldbook: Practical Tools, Methods, Exercises, and
Resources (1996). McGraw-Hill.
SOCIAL STYLE sm and SPIN Selling