What's your favorite sales system/methodology/bible and why?

We all know there are million of them out there: solution selling, challenger, transparency selling, MEDDIC, Sandler etc etc.


Which one do you like and use and why?


I'm very interested in hearing everybody's perspective and ideas on what works and what doesn't.


I'm a fan of Sandler myself, for many reasons some examples of is that fact that I feel like Sandler take a broader perspective on the sales cycle all the way from prospecting to upselling to existing clients. Whereas, I feel like many of the other models have much narrower perspective and really only look at the process from when the prospect is identified to closing the initial sale. As such I think they completely forget to address prospecting, I mean is the opportunity just supposed to fall out of the sky?


I also feel like Sandler in many respects takes a bit of contrary approach and uses reverse psychology to persuade the prospect. Where I feel like most systems are focused on pushing the customer to want to buy by telling them all the reasons they should buy, where Sandler uses the opposite approach by saying to the customer that they probably don't needs this (of course after showing them all the arguments for them needing it). Or saying you probably can't find budget for this (after of course showing them all the financial benefits that others have experienced).


I just feel like this is a much more sophisticated approach, but I would love to hear your opinion or perhaps you have some other brilliant approach?

👑 Sales Strategy
4
Jnye
1
Enterprise account executive
I’ve personally taken a few versions of Sandler and I appreciate the challenger mindset that is discussed throughout. I also align to MEDDIC and appreciate the deal structure and guidance that is given to the prospect as it displays what needs to happen to get to an agreement. 

I’ve found that a combo of both in my day to day seems to be the right mix, as some of Sandler’s strategies can help you during tough cycles. MEDDIC will ensure you’ve done the research. 
nomdeguerre
Executive
0
Account executive
Awesome, I appreciate the input and the idea of combining different strategies, as one might fit one situation and another situation.

The only one I can issue with is challenger, mostly because it was written by people with zero sales experience and because they never published their research, and of course, they used it to boost their huge consulting business.
Jnye
0
Enterprise account executive
It’s a mindset. It’s not going in with aggression, I believe it’s doing the the research to challenge your prospect to think outside of the status quo. 
CantStopWontStop
Good Citizen
1
VP of Sales
I am also a fan of combining a few sales methodologies. For the past few years I’ve been working for a smaller brand / underdog in a defined market that sells to the MM / ENT segments amd have found that a combination of MEDDPICC and Challenger works out well. I know some people have issues with CEB, but their framework around educating the buyer and challenging the way they have historically done things has proved helpful when trying to displace some pretty substantial brands. I use MEDDPICC as a guiding checklist to hold me accountable when navigating the inevitable complexities of larger enterprise deals. 
When I worked at a different went company that was a bit more transactional and swayed more towards the SMB segment, I used Questions that Sell and found it to be really helpful in qualifying in/out quickly. 
nomdeguerre
Executive
0
Account executive
Thanks for your thought, really appreciate your ideas.

I admit I take issue with CEB and specifically the Challenger idea, I think mostly the word challenge just doesn't sit right with me. I like your word education better, and if it works for you of course don't change it.
sales7
Politicker
1
Commercial Product Enablement
I find this super interesting as we use a real mixed bag of MEDDIC and challenger plus additional trainings on buying teams and selling into pains. 

I think having a forecasting model that leans into MEDDIC makes sense for consistency but I would argue that as many different techniques as possible help a seller in different situations to find what works for them.
nomdeguerre
Executive
0
Account executive
I agree it is a very interesting topic for us sales nerds, and I do think we can benefit from various components of different models. 

However, I do think it is important that a sales team chooses a common main methodology. Not necessarily because one is better than the other, but because you need to have a common language when discussing opportunities. Otherwise you can't be on the same page in terms of the state of each opportunity which leads to lots of wasted time validating basic opportunity information and status.

Now forecasting that's whole other can of worms, which we can spend a lot of time discussing. At a high level, I think most organizations go about forecasting entirely the wrong way. Essentially, I get that we need to be able to forecast the business, as it drives a lot of business decisions, but most organizations do not have a good forecasting process in my mind.

Firstly, they typically try to manage the business by managing the goals, i.e. you have to close this much quota. The problem is you can't manage a goal, you can sit there and talk about the fact that you have to make the number till you are blue in the face and it will make no difference to your results. Goals are a measure of whether or not you have the right behaviors, you have to use the goals to understand the behaviors and then manage the behavior, that is the only way you will impact results.

Secondly, most organizations are trying to forecast individual deals, but that is like trying to predict human behavior - good luck! In my mind, you have to get away from that type of forecasting and start trying to forecast numbers. In other words how much value is in the different stages of your pipeline, and then hold that against historical performance data of the organization and that is how to get to forecasted revenue, not a forecast on the individual deals which is impossible.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
🦊
Mixed methods from many trainings. Plus things I've tweaked on my own.
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
I am also a fan of combining a few sales methodologies. For the past few years I’ve been working for a smaller brand / underdog in a defined market that sells to the MM / ENT segments amd have found that a combination of MEDDPICC and Challenger works out well.
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
I am also a fan of combining a few sales methodologies. For the past few years I’ve been working for a smaller brand / underdog in a defined market that sells to the MM / ENT segments amd have found that a combination of MEDDPICC and Challenger works out well.
Error32
Politicker
0
ISR
A recruiter that I worked with in the past has put together a website that is essentially a compensation guide for 2021 and gives you insight into what others in similar roles are making in base and ote in different areas of the US.
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