The pain funnel is a sequence of eight questions that is proven to be more effective at getting prospects to reveal their pain than traditional selling methods. In the Pain Funnel, the sequence is the most important thing, not the exact wording of the question as illustrated on the funnel image.
You should adapt the Pain Funnel to your own style of selling. The questions used in the funnel are great and will easily help you uncover a prospects pain and quickly lead you down the path to closing a deal. However, if you combine the funnel with the other techniques you learn in the Sandler System, and adapt them all to your personality, your results will likely explode.
Don’t wait to start using the pain funnel. You should implement what you are learning here in your every day sales calls, and be careful to keep your questions in the order shown here in the funnel.
Create good habits and as you master the Pain Funnel, your style will naturally blend into the Sandler System. Furthermore, there may be times where you are comfortable enough to change, add, or eliminate some of the questions, based on your experience and the situation you are in. The more you use the funnel, the better you will become and it will just start to flow easily for you. Combined with other techniques, you will maximize your sales effectiveness.
Your style will be the essential ingredient in being authentic when leading a prospect through the pain funnel. Your pitch, tonality, and body language will all play a role in uncovering your prospect’s pain and delivering the solution he or she needs. Thus, you don’t want to be tripping over yourself as you try to work the funnel in to your sales process. Practice where and whenever you can, so the questions become internalized and flow naturally from your mouth. Practice, practice, practice. Why? Practice makes perfect!
Once you do perfect the pain funnel, you’ll notice that while your sales calls may be longer, they will be more meaningful and productive. In turn, your sales cycles will be shorter, and your closing ratio will be higher.
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