Sales isn’t one-size-fits-all — especially when you’re selling something complex. Whether you’re in SaaS, security, AI, or just trying to close bigger, more strategic deals, having the right framework can make or break the way you work a pipeline.
There’s no shortage of sales methodologies out there. Some are structured like a checklist, others are more about mindset. Some are great for fast-paced transactional deals, others are built for long sales cycles with multiple decision-makers. The trick isn’t picking the “right” one — it’s learning a few and figuring out what fits your personality, your industry, and your buyer.
This series breaks down the most useful and popular sales methodologies, one at a time. Think of it as a menu. Take what works, skip what doesn’t, and build your own approach that feels right for the way you sell.
Each article will cover:
- What the method is
- Where it works best
- How to use it in real sales conversations
- What kind of deals or teams it tends to work well with
We’ll start with MEDDIC — one of the most widely-used qualification frameworks out there. If you’ve ever wasted time on a deal that was never going to close, this one’s for you.
MEDDIC: The Framework That Keeps You From Wasting Time
If you’ve ever chased a deal that went cold, spent hours on a call with a “decision-maker” who turned out to be powerless, or built a proposal for someone who didn’t even have a budget — MEDDIC is the sales methodology you wish you had in your back pocket earlier.
🧩 What is MEDDIC?
MEDDIC is a sales qualification framework. That means it’s designed to help you figure out — early on — whether a deal is worth pursuing. It cuts through the fluff and helps you qualify (or disqualify) leads based on six specific criteria.
MEDDIC stands for:
- Metrics
- Economic Buyer
- Decision Criteria
- Decision Process
- Identify Pain
- Champion
When applied well, MEDDIC doesn’t just improve win rates — it gives you a clearer pipeline, a more predictable forecast, and more leverage in every deal.
🔍 A Breakdown of Each Piece
✅
Metrics
Ask: What business results does the buyer care about?
This isn’t about your features — it’s about measurable outcomes. For example:
- “How much time does your team spend on [X] now?”
- “What’s the current cost of downtime, data loss, or inefficiency?”
You’re aiming to attach your solution to real, quantifiable impact. The stronger the metrics, the stronger your business case.
🧠
Economic Buyer
Ask: Who holds the budget and signs off on this?
Not just the person who wants the solution — the one who pays for it. Get clear on who the economic buyer is, and don’t assume your contact will just “loop them in.”
💡 Pro tip: The economic buyer might not be involved early, but you should plan your deal strategy with them in mind from the start.
🎯
Decision Criteria
Ask: How is the customer going to decide what solution to choose?
You need to know what’s being evaluated:
- Is it cost?
- Security compliance?
- Scalability?
- Ease of use?
Once you know the criteria, position your product accordingly — don’t just do a one-size-fits-all pitch.
🔄
Decision Process
Ask: What steps will they go through to make the purchase?
It’s not just “send proposal, wait.” You want to understand:
- Procurement workflows
- Legal review
- Who signs off and when
- How long the process usually takes
This helps you build a realistic close plan — not just cross your fingers.
💥
Identify Pain
Ask: What’s broken or frustrating enough that they’ll actually take action?
No pain = no urgency. You’re looking for something that actually hurts — lost revenue, security risks, productivity drag. Once you find it, tie it to your solution as the fix.
❌ Beware of surface-level pain like “we want to be more efficient.” Push deeper.
🫱
Champion
Ask: Who’s my internal ally who wants this to happen — and will fight for it?
A champion is someone with influence inside the org who believes in your solution. They coach you, give you intel, and lobby on your behalf when you’re not in the room.
Without one, your deal is fragile — especially in complex orgs.
⚙️ When MEDDIC Works Best
- Enterprise SaaS and cybersecurity sales
- Long sales cycles with multiple stakeholders
- High-stakes deals with real budget scrutiny
- Situations where pipeline accuracy and forecasting matter
It’s not the most casual or “fast” methodology — it’s surgical. MEDDIC is for reps who want to qualify ruthlessly and win predictably.
💡 Final Thoughts
MEDDIC isn’t about being rigid — it’s about being real with your time and energy. Not every lead deserves a proposal. Not every contact is worth three follow-ups. This framework helps you focus on the deals that actually close.
Use MEDDIC like a filter. The more boxes you check, the more confident you can be in your chances. And if you can’t check them? You’ve just saved yourself from wasting time chasing a maybe.
🔹
MEDDIC (Pocket Guide)
The no-nonsense qualification framework for serious B2B sales.
🧠 M — Metrics
Tie your solution to measurable outcomes (time saved, revenue gained, risk reduced).
💰 E — Economic Buyer
Find the person who controls the budget and makes final decisions.
📋 D — Decision Criteria
Understand how they’ll evaluate options — and align your pitch accordingly.
🔄 D — Decision Process
Know the full approval process, from legal to procurement to close.
🔥 I — Identify Pain
Uncover the real problem that’s big enough to motivate change.
🫱 C — Champion
Build an internal advocate who pushes the deal forward behind the scenes.
Use it to qualify deals fast, focus on what matters, and stop chasing ghosts.
MEDDIC = Clean pipeline. Clear forecast. More closes.
The Challenger Sale: Teach, Tailor, Take Control
If you’re in sales and feel like buyers are holding all the power — ghosting after demos, demanding discounts, running you in circles — The Challenger Sale might be the mindset shift you need.
This isn’t about being pushy or slick. It’s about leading.
🧠 What Is The Challenger Sale?
Built on years of research by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (yep, they actually studied thousands of reps), The Challenger Sale found that the most successful salespeople weren’t relationship-builders — they were the ones who challenged their customers’ thinking.
These reps taught their buyers something new, tailored their pitch to the person and the business, and weren’t afraid to take control of the process.
That’s the Challenger model in a nutshell.
🔑 The Core Formula: Teach – Tailor – Take Control
🎓
Teach
Bring new insights.
The best reps don’t just answer questions — they teach customers something they didn’t know about their business, the market, or the risks they’re facing.
- “Most teams in your space are still using [X], but here’s what that’s costing them.”
- “What if I told you [Y trend] is already disrupting companies like yours?”
You’re not selling features here — you’re creating urgency through education.
🎯
Tailor
Personalize your message.
You tailor your approach to the individual, not just the company. A CFO needs different messaging than an IT director. A VP of Ops has different priorities than a Marketing lead.
This is where sales EQ matters. You align your pitch with:
- Their personal goals
- Their role
- Their view of the business
🎮
Take Control
Drive the process.
Challenger reps don’t sit back and hope the deal moves forward — they guide it. That doesn’t mean being aggressive, but it does mean having backbone:
- Asking the hard questions
- Calling out blockers
- Setting clear next steps
They’re not afraid to push when needed — especially when it’s in the buyer’s best interest.
👤 Challenger vs. Other Rep Types
According to the research, reps fall into 5 categories:
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Challenger | Teaches, tailors, takes control (top performer) |
| Relationship Builder | Likable, but avoids tension (bottom performer in complex sales) |
| Lone Wolf | High-performing but inconsistent |
| Problem Solver | Reactive, good for customer success |
| Hard Worker | Hustles but lacks a strategic edge |
In complex B2B sales — the kind we see in cybersecurity, SaaS, and AI — the Challenger model wins. Every time.
🧩 When Challenger Works Best
- Selling to smart buyers who think they already know what they need
- Products that require behavior change, not just plug-and-play
- Markets where educating the customer is part of the value
- Enterprise sales where multiple stakeholders are involved
💡 Final Thoughts
The Challenger Sale works because it reframes the conversation.
You’re not there to take orders — you’re there to shift thinking, earn authority, and help your buyer make a better decision. That’s a power move. And it’s one that works — especially in crowded, competitive markets.
If you’re tired of being treated like a commodity, start showing up as a Challenger.
🔹
Challenger Sale (Pocket Guide)
🎓 Teach
Introduce new ideas. Educate your buyer about problems and trends they didn’t see coming.
🎯 Tailor
Speak to the individual — align your message with their role, goals, and perspective.
🎮 Take Control
Drive the sales process. Set the pace. Ask direct questions. Guide the deal confidently.
SPIN Selling: Ask Better Questions, Close Better Deals
If you’ve ever walked out of a sales call feeling like you didn’t quite “get there” — like you missed something important — SPIN Selling is a good way to get sharper.
It’s not about flashy pitches. It’s about asking the right questions in the right order so your buyer talks themselves into needing what you’re offering.
🔧 What is SPIN Selling?
Developed by Neil Rackham (yep, another sales researcher who studied real reps in real deals), SPIN is a question-based sales method that helps you guide conversations — especially in consultative, complex sales.
SPIN stands for:
- Situation
- Problem
- Implication
- Need-Payoff
It’s less about closing hard and more about building urgency through discovery — one question at a time.
🧠 The Four SPIN Question Types
📌
1. Situation Questions
Goal: Gather basic context.
This is where you learn about their current tools, processes, or setup. Keep it tight. These are necessary but can get boring fast if overused.
Examples:
- “How are you currently handling [X]?”
- “What tools does your team use for [Y]?”
🚧
2. Problem Questions
Goal: Surface friction or pain points.
This is where things get interesting. You start uncovering issues, inefficiencies, gaps — basically, anything that’s costing them time, money, or progress.
Examples:
- “What’s not working as well as it should?”
- “Where do things tend to slow down?”
⚠️
3. Implication Questions
Goal: Make the problem feel real — and costly.
This is the most powerful part of SPIN. You help the buyer explore what happens if the problem doesn’t get fixed. It’s not manipulation — it’s helping them connect the dots.
Examples:
- “What happens if this continues for another quarter?”
- “How does this impact your team’s productivity?”
💡
4. Need-Payoff Questions
Goal: Get the buyer to articulate the value of solving the problem.
Instead of you saying “Our product can help with that,” you ask a question that gets them to say it themselves.
Examples:
- “How would it help if you could reduce that delay?”
- “What would it mean for your team if this was fully automated?”
🎯 When SPIN Works Best
- Early discovery calls where you need to guide the conversation without being pushy
- Complex sales where multiple needs are in play
- Sales reps who are great at listening but need a structure to steer the conversation
SPIN doesn’t teach you how to close — it teaches you how to create momentum that leads to a close.
🔥 Final Thoughts
SPIN Selling is a quiet powerhouse. It’s not flashy, and you won’t find it plastered on sales influencers’ LinkedIn posts. But if you master these four question types, your conversations will get way more focused — and your close rates will thank you for it.
No more guesswork. No more info dumps. Just smart, guided discovery that leads somewhere.
SPIN Selling (Pocket Guide)
📌 Situation
Get the facts. Understand the current setup and tools.
🚧 Problem
Uncover issues, blockers, and pain points.
⚠️ Implication
Explore what happens if the problem continues. Build urgency.
💡 Need-Payoff
Highlight the value of solving the problem. Let the buyer articulate the upside.
SPIN
helps our buyer realize the need — before you ever pitch
The Sandler Selling System: Sales Without the Games
If you’re tired of getting ghosted, feeling like you’re constantly giving more than you’re getting, or just burned out from chasing unqualified leads — the Sandler Selling System is probably what you need.
This isn’t a shiny-new sales hack. It’s an old-school framework that’s still around because it works. Sandler helps you run the conversation with structure, mutual respect, and zero desperation. The best part? It’s all about qualifying hard, early — so you stop wasting time on deals that never had a shot.
🧠 What Is the Sandler Selling System?
Sandler flips the traditional sales script. Instead of leading with a pitch and ending with a close, you take the buyer through a guided conversation where they do most of the talking — and you decide if the deal is worth pursuing.
Think of it like this:
- You set expectations clearly (up-front contracts)
- You uncover real business pain before offering solutions
- You focus more on disqualifying than convincing
- You stay in control, without being pushy
Sandler teaches you to stop “giving value” to everyone and start protecting your time.
🛠️ The Key Concepts That Make Sandler Work
🔹 1.
Up-Front Contracts
Every meeting starts with a mutual agreement:
- Why you’re meeting
- What the agenda is
- What the possible outcomes are
Example:
“Let’s spend the next 30 minutes learning more about your goals. If it makes sense to move forward, great. If not, no pressure — sound fair?”
This sets a tone of equality and clarity.
🔹 2.
Pain Before Pitch
You don’t pitch until they’ve clearly shared a problem.
You’re trained to ask follow-up questions that dig deeper — not accept surface answers like “we’re looking to save money.”
You want real urgency. Emotion. Stakes.
Example:
“What happens if this isn’t resolved in the next 90 days?”
🔹 3.
You Don’t Chase – You Qualify
Sandler reps are trained to disqualify early and often. If the buyer’s not a fit — you move on. If the buyer is a fit, you guide them through the process with structure.
No guessing. No ghosting.
🔹 4.
You Stay in Control
You’re not just reacting — you’re leading.
You’re honest, direct, and not afraid to ask things like:
- “Who else needs to be involved in this conversation?”
- “What’s the budget for solving this?”
And if there’s no answer — you walk. Politely, but confidently.
🧩 When Sandler Works Best
- Selling to time-wasters, tire-kickers, or “just curious” buyers
- Inbound leads with unclear intent
- Technical or consultative sales where solutions vary widely
- Any sales process where you need to qualify fast and stay in control
💡 Final Thoughts
Sandler gives you permission to stop being “nice” in the traditional sense — and start being useful and direct instead. You’re not there to win everyone over. You’re there to solve a real problem for the right buyer — and protect your pipeline from the rest.
If you’ve ever thought, “Man, that call was a waste of time,” this method is for you.
🔹
Sandler (Pocket Guide)
☑️ Up-Front Contract
Agree on agenda and next steps before every conversation.
☑️ Pain First
Dig into real problems before offering anything.
☑️ Qualify or Disqualify
Protect your time by filtering early and often.
☑️ Control the Process
Ask the tough questions. Walk if it’s not a fit.
Sandler is sales without the chase.
NEAT Selling: A Smarter Way to Qualify Without Wasting Time
NEAT is like BANT’s cooler, smarter cousin — modernized for today’s B2B deals where decisions aren’t made in a vacuum and “budget” is more of a conversation than a fixed number.
If you’re in SaaS or tech sales and tired of deals falling apart halfway through the funnel, NEAT can help you figure out what’s real and what’s just smoke early on. It’s simple, flexible, and built around the buyer’s actual pain and business case — not just a checklist.
🔎 What Does NEAT Stand For?
| Letter | Meaning | What It Helps You Uncover |
|---|---|---|
| N | Needs | What’s broken or inefficient — the real challenge they need solved |
| E | Economic Impact | The financial consequence of not solving it — why this actually matters |
| A | Access to Authority | Who’s involved and who can make things happen |
| T | Timeline | When they’re trying to solve this and what’s driving that urgency |
🧠 Why NEAT Works So Well
NEAT doesn’t just help you qualify a lead — it helps you build a business case.
Instead of asking “What’s your budget?” (which often gets a vague answer), you ask questions like:
- “What would solving this free your team up to do instead?”
- “What’s this delay costing the company in lost time or revenue?”
It also encourages you to find the pain and tie it to the purse strings, which is way more effective than trying to sell features.
🛠️ How to Use NEAT in a Sales Conversation
✅
N – Needs
Start by exploring the prospect’s goals and blockers. Push beyond surface-level issues.
- “What’s holding your team back right now?”
- “What are you trying to achieve that feels just out of reach?”
💸
E – Economic Impact
Shift into quantifying the pain.
- “What’s the cost of doing nothing here?”
- “Is there a number tied to this delay or inefficiency?”
This helps you anchor the value of your solution in real business terms.
🧑💼
A – Access to Authority
You’re not just identifying the decision-maker — you’re creating a path to them.
- “Who else would need to be involved if this moved forward?”
- “How do these types of purchases usually get approved internally?”
This gives you a clearer map of how decisions actually happen.
⏳
T – Timeline
You’re finding out whether they’re browsing, budgeting, or buying — and what’s driving the clock.
- “Is there a date you’re working backwards from?”
- “What’s pushing this forward right now?”
Urgency = movement.
🧩 When NEAT Works Best
- Fast-moving tech sales with short- to mid-length cycles
- SDR or AE teams who need a light but powerful qualification tool
- Sales orgs tired of misreading “hot” leads that aren’t actually ready
- Companies selling solutions that require ROI justification (like automation, AI, SaaS)
💡 Final Thoughts
NEAT doesn’t overcomplicate things — it sharpens your focus. It keeps you from chasing ghost deals and builds a business case the buyer can actually take up the chain.
It’s not flashy. It’s just solid.
If you want to qualify faster and close smarter — especially in a noisy SaaS market — this is a solid framework to have in your toolkit.
🔹
NEAT Selling (Pocket Guide)
🧩 N — Needs
Dig into the real problem that needs solving.
💸 E — Economic Impact
Quantify the business cost of not solving it.
🧑💼 A — Access to Authority
Understand who influences and approves the decision.
⏱ T — Timeline
Find out when this matters — and why it matters now.
NEAT is built to qualify deals fast without killing the vibe.
Value Selling Framework: Stop Pitching Features, Start Selling Outcomes
If your demos are solid but the deals keep stalling… or if your prospects nod through your pitch but can’t explain your value to their boss — this framework will fix that.
The Value Selling Framework shifts your focus from what your product does to why it matters. It’s not about dumping features. It’s about tying everything you offer directly to the buyer’s business outcomes.
🧠 What is the Value Selling Framework?
At its core, Value Selling is about answering one question:
“Why should I buy this — and why now?”
It helps you connect your solution to:
- The buyer’s goals
- Their current pain
- The measurable results they care about
You’re not just qualifying deals — you’re building a business case the buyer can sell internally.
This is especially important in complex B2B sales where you need alignment from finance, ops, IT, and leadership. If there’s no clear value, there’s no green light.
🔹 The 4 Stages of Value Selling
1️⃣
Qualify
Make sure this is a real opportunity. Ask questions like:
- “Is this pain serious enough to solve now?”
- “Who else is involved in making the decision?”
- “Is there urgency, or is this just a nice-to-have?”
If they’re not ready to act, you don’t pitch — you move on or set a reminder.
2️⃣
Discover
This is where you uncover pain, goals, blockers, and metrics.
The goal is to understand their current situation and how it’s holding them back:
- “What does success look like on your end?”
- “Where are things getting stuck right now?”
- “How would solving this impact your team or revenue?”
You’re gathering fuel to personalize your value.
3️⃣
Demonstrate Value
Now you show how your product solves their problem — but only the parts that matter to them.
This is NOT a full feature demo. It’s targeted:
“Earlier, you mentioned X was costing you $50K a quarter. Here’s how our platform addresses that specifically.”
Value = outcome. Not functionality.
4️⃣
Negotiate & Close
By the time you reach this stage, you’re not haggling over features — you’re confirming ROI.
You’re showing them:
- The cost of inaction
- The return on investment
- The timeline to results
Because the buyer already sees the value, the close is easier — and price sensitivity goes down.
🧩 When Value Selling Works Best
- Enterprise deals with long sales cycles
- Situations where the buyer needs to justify the spend to internal stakeholders
- Tech products with complex offerings or multiple pricing tiers
- Sales teams needing more control over discovery and demo alignment
💡 Final Thoughts
Value Selling isn’t about being slick — it’s about being useful. It forces you to sell with purpose. Every question you ask, every slide you show, and every email you send should point toward a real outcome that matters to the buyer.
If you want to sell bigger deals, with less friction, and stronger close rates — lead with value, not features.
🔹
Value Selling (Pocket Guide)
✅ Qualify
Only pursue deals with real urgency and authority.
🧠 Discover
Dig into pain, goals, and measurable problems.
🎯 Demonstrate Value
Show exactly how your solution delivers business outcomes.
🏁 Negotiate & Close
Tie pricing to impact, not features. Confirm ROI, not curiosity.
Value Selling helps buyers justify the deal — and helps you win it.
Solution Selling: Sell the Fix, Not the Features
If your product isn’t one-size-fits-all — and your buyers have complex problems — Solution Selling is one of the most practical, flexible methodologies you can learn.
Instead of leading with your product, this method starts with your buyer’s problems. It helps you guide them through what’s broken, what’s possible, and how your solution bridges the gap. It’s especially effective when your offering has multiple use cases or needs to be customized.
🧠 What Is Solution Selling?
Solution Selling is a problem-first methodology. You’re not there to pitch. You’re there to diagnose.
The approach is simple:
- Understand the buyer’s situation
- Uncover the problems that need solving
- Help them define what the solution should look like
- Position your offering as that solution
It’s collaborative — you’re working with the buyer, not talking at them.
🔧 The Solution Selling Process
1️⃣
Diagnose the Situation
Start by asking about how things work today. You want to find friction, waste, or inefficiencies.
- “Walk me through your current process.”
- “What tools are you using now?”
- “Where do things tend to break down?”
This builds context and rapport.
2️⃣
Identify Pain and Consequences
Once you know what’s going on, zoom in on what’s not working — and what that’s costing them.
- “How is that impacting your team’s productivity?”
- “What happens if this keeps going another quarter?”
- “What have you tried to fix this?”
This is the emotional driver. You’re creating urgency.
3️⃣
Envision the Ideal Outcome
Now you pivot to what “better” looks like.
- “If you could wave a magic wand, what would this look like?”
- “What does success mean to you in this area?”
- “How would your day-to-day be different if this were fixed?”
You’re helping them articulate what they want — which makes it easier for you to sell the right piece of your solution.
4️⃣
Position the Solution
Once you’ve defined their pain and ideal outcome, you frame your offering as the bridge between the two.
- “Here’s exactly how we’d help fix that.”
- “These are the features that align with the outcomes you mentioned.”
- “Let’s walk through how we’ve solved this for similar companies.”
It’s not a product dump. It’s tailored, specific, and framed around them — not you.
5️⃣
Validate, Close, and Deliver
Finally, you confirm:
- The impact of solving the problem
- The cost of doing nothing
- Their willingness to move forward
Then you agree on next steps and map out implementation if needed.
🧩 When Solution Selling Works Best
- B2B products with technical complexity or modular offerings
- Selling to buyers who don’t fully understand their own problem yet
- Discovery-heavy sales cycles
- Teams with flexible pricing or use-case dependent packages (like SaaS tiers or custom services)
💡 Final Thoughts
Solution Selling is more than just a method — it’s a mindset. You’re not there to pitch a product. You’re there to solve a problem. And when you solve the right problem, the buyer sees you as a partner — not a vendor.
In a world full of reps pushing features, this approach cuts through with clarity.
🔹
Solution Selling (Pocket Guide)
🩺 Diagnose
Understand the buyer’s current process, tools, and workflow.
🔍 Identify Pain
Find what’s broken, frustrating, or costly — and why it matters.
🌄 Envision Outcome
Help the buyer define what “better” looks like.
🧩 Position Solution
Show how your offering is the bridge between pain and outcome.
✅ Validate & Close
Confirm urgency and map next steps. Solve, don’t sell.
Solution Selling isn’t about persuasion — it’s about fit.
Final Thoughts: Find Your Formula
There’s no one perfect way to sell — but there are proven frameworks that give you a serious edge.
Whether you’re working a long enterprise cycle, building pipeline in SaaS, or navigating multiple decision-makers in cybersecurity or AI, having a few solid sales methodologies in your toolbox gives you structure, control, and a way to move with purpose.
These methods aren’t meant to be followed like gospel. They’re starting points. Filters. Battle-tested approaches you can use, remix, or evolve into something that fits how you sell.
Here’s the real play:
- Use MEDDIC when you want to qualify like a pro and forecast with accuracy.
- Use Challenger when you need to change how the buyer thinks.
- Use SPIN when you want to ask smarter questions and run better calls.
- Use Sandler to stop chasing and start leading.
- Use NEAT when you want a clean, modern way to qualify fast.
- Use SNAP when you’re selling to busy people and need to cut through noise.
- Use BANT when you just need a quick filter and don’t want to waste time.
- Use Value Selling when your buyer needs to justify ROI to the C-suite.
- Use Solution Selling when the product’s flexible and the problem is murky.
Each one works — but none of them work if you don’t actually use them.
So test them. Steal from them. Combine them. Break them if you need to.
Just stop winging it.
Because the truth is: sales isn’t about pressure — it’s about process.
