{"id":141446,"date":"2025-02-15T15:28:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T19:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=141446"},"modified":"2025-02-19T16:11:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T20:11:20","slug":"how-to-make-a-sale-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-sale-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Sale: 2 Steps and Tips From Gap Selling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Is selling really as simple as showing customers what they want to buy? What separates successful salespeople from those who struggle to close deals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan&#8217;s book, <em>Gap Selling<\/em>, reveals an approach to making sales by identifying and leveraging the gap between a customer&#8217;s current situation and their desired outcome. Learning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-sale\/\">how to make a sale<\/a> requires understanding the psychology behind customer decisions and mastering the art of demonstrating genuine value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look at Keenan&#8217;s proven <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/sales-methods\/\">sales methodology<\/a> that has transformed countless struggling salespeople into top performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-making-the-sale\"><strong>Making the Sale<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Once you understand your customer\u2019s gap, you can leverage that information to make the sale.<\/strong> According to Keenan, you can effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-a-product\/\">sell your products<\/a> and services by first evaluating the value that your solution will provide to your customer by closing the gap and then demonstrating that value. We\u2019ll explore each of these parts below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-evaluate-the-value-of-your-solution\"><strong>Step 1: Evaluate the Value of Your Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve revealed your customer\u2019s underlying issues and their long-term goals, you\u2019ll be able to quantify <em>how much value<\/em> your solution offers them. Keenan explains that<strong> measuring the effect of the solution will indicate how much your product is worth to your customer. <\/strong>The greater the value you provide, the more enticing your solution will appear to your customer, and the more it will be worth. He recommends three steps to calculate the value of the solution: measuring the benefit you provide, measuring the cost to the customer, and weighing the two against one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-measure-the-benefit\">1) Measure The Benefit<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>First, measure the value of closing the gap. <strong>Keenan advises calculating the specific differences between current state and ideal state using the key metrics <\/strong><strong><em>that matter to the customer<\/em><\/strong>, such as revenue growth, close rates, or deal sizes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you\u2019re selling a new customer relationship management (CRM) software to a mid-sized sales team. Through your discovery process, you\u2019ve learned that their current system is outdated, causing inefficiencies and missed opportunities. To measure the effect of your solution, you might calculate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Time saved per salesperson per day (for example, one hour)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional customer interactions made possible (for example, five more calls per day)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improved lead conversion rate (for example from 10% to 15%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The cumulative value of each of these improvements is what you present as the value of your software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-measure-the-costs\">2) Measure the Costs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan also recommends that you <strong>consider the costs and effort the customer will have to make to implement your plan<\/strong>. These include not only the tangible upfront costs, but also intangible costs like implementation time, organizational disruption, training, and compatibility with their current practices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the example of the CRM software, you might want to consider factors such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Software licensing fees (for example, $500 per user per year)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implementation costs (for example, $10,000 for initial setup and data migration)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Training time (for example, two days of productivity lost per salesperson during onboarding)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IT infrastructure upgrades (for example, $5,000 for additional server capacity)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potential temporary dip in productivity during the transition (for example, 10% reduction in sales for the first month)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-evaluate-the-benefits-against-the-costs\">3) Evaluate the Benefits Against the Costs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, weigh the costs and benefits to your customer. If the benefits exceed the costs, then you\u2019re offering the customer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/real-value-paper-value-technological-revolutions\/\">real value<\/a>, and\u2014as we\u2019ll discuss in Step 3\u2014you\u2019ll work to demonstrate that value in your sale. If the costs exceed the benefits, then you\u2019re unlikely to make a sale, and should refer the customer to someone else who may be able to help overcome their issues instead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-demonstrate-the-value-of-your-solution\"><strong>Step 2: Demonstrate the Value of Your Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you understand the value your proposition offers to your customer, you can effectively pitch your solution. It\u2019s important to start with the understanding that <strong>customers only take a risk if they see an obvious benefit to themselves. <\/strong>Keenan explains: While many people claim to want change, most people actually oppose making changes and prefer the status quo because it\u2019s more emotionally comfortable. Thus, your job as a salesperson is to show your customer why the change is worth it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Understanding what motivates customers to prefer the status quo can give you insight into how to best alleviate any concerns they have about the changes you\u2019ll propose.. Psychologists have identified <a href=\"https:\/\/thedecisionlab.com\/biases\/status-quo-bias\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">at least two causes of what they call \u201cstatus quo bias<\/a>.\u201d As we\u2019ve discussed earlier, people are strongly motivated by <em>loss aversion<\/em>, and any change to the status quo often requires a loss. Secondly, people are motivated by <em>regret avoidance<\/em>\u2014meaning that they\u2019ll pick the safest option (often, the status quo) to minimize the possibility that they\u2019ll regret their choice later on. Thus, when crafting your pitch, consider what your customer stands to lose or regret in a sale and prepare explanations for why your customer won\u2019t experience the losses and regrets they fear.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan explains that <strong>you must focus your sale on demonstrating the value your proposition will provide by closing the gap.<\/strong> You\u2019ve now thoroughly researched your client\u2019s goals and issues and made a detailed cost-benefit analysis of your proposed solution. Your job now is to present your proposition in a way that highlights and showcases the specific value it provides to your specific client. Focus your pitch on concrete, measurable improvements that align with the customer\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/set-goals-and-priorities\/\">goals and priorities<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>How to Demonstrate Value<\/strong><br><br>Sales experts build on Keenan\u2019s advice with a few specific methods to help customers see and understand the value you\u2019re trying to demonstrate.<br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/pitch-anything\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Pitch Anything<\/em><\/a>, Oren Klaff says <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/pitch-anything\/1-page-summary#1-introducing-your-pitch-yourself-and-your-idea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">your pitch should answer the question \u201cwhy now<\/a>?\u201d He suggests telling a story about how the business world is changing, and why your solution will help your customer in meeting the challenges of the moment.<br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/little-red-book-of-selling\/part-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Little Red Book of Selling<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>Jeffrey Gitomer advises you to <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/little-red-book-of-selling\/part-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">let your customers speak for you<\/a>. By giving customer testimonials and examples of clients you\u2019ve helped, you can showcase the value your solutions have brought to others.<br><br>Finally, Zig Ziglar, in <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/secrets-of-closing-the-sale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Secrets of Closing the Sale<\/em><\/a>, recommends that you <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/secrets-of-closing-the-sale\/1-page-summary#rule-1-help-the-customer-decide-to-buy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ask questions that get the customer to state the value of the solution in their words<\/a>. When they articulate the value themselves, they\u2019ll feel like they\u2019re making the decision rather than being pressured. This will strengthen their perception of the value your solution provides.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-additional-tips\"><strong>Additional Tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan also offers three pieces of advice to guide you in your sales process: Remember that a sale is made up of little sales, establish yourself as an authority, and stand up to your customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-a-sale-is-a-process-made-up-of-little-sales\">1) A Sale Is a Process Made Up of Little Sales<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan explains that every sale is a process made up of little sales. <strong>Focus on obtaining the next incremental commitment from the customer to keep your deal moving forward<\/strong>, instead of fixating solely on the final close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He breaks down the sales process: First, you need to sell someone on the idea of giving you their time. Then you need to sell them on answering your why questions to reveal their long-term goals and the underlying causes of their issue. You need to sell them on the idea of sharing data with you so that you can evaluate the value of the solution, and you need to sell them on the idea of listening to your pitch so you can demonstrate the value of your proposition. Only then can you actually make the final sale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-establish-yourself-as-an-authority\">2) Establish Yourself as an Authority<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan recommends that salespeople establish themselves as knowledgeable consultants and valuable assets to their customers. He challenges the conventional wisdom that people buy from those they like. Instead, he argues, people buy from those who provide them value. Thus, <strong>focus on providing expertise and solutions rather than trying to be everyone\u2019s friend<\/strong>. For instance, if you\u2019re selling software, be able to discuss not just your product, but also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/industry-change\/\">industry trends<\/a>, best practices, and how your solution fits into the broader technological landscape.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-stand-up-to-your-customer\">3) Stand Up to Your Customer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Keenan emphasizes the importance of<strong> maintaining a balanced partnership with customers throughout the sales process.<\/strong> He cautions against becoming subservient or readily agreeing to excessive demands. Instead, be prepared to stand your ground when necessary, clearly explain your rationale, and propose mutually beneficial compromises.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, he encourages you to tactfully challenge your customer when they change their mind or offer reasons for backing out of a sale. He suggests framing your challenges with language like \u201cI&#8217;m confused, I thought you said\u2026\u201d and &#8220;Could you explain to me why\u2026\u201d This maintains a tone of respect while forcing the customer to clarify and justify their position. Challenging the customer keeps the conversation open and provides an opportunity for you to continue convincing your customer of the value you can provide.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is selling really as simple as showing customers what they want to buy? What separates successful salespeople from those who struggle to close deals? Keenan&#8217;s book, Gap Selling, reveals an approach to making sales by identifying and leveraging the gap between a customer&#8217;s current situation and their desired outcome. Learning how to make a sale requires understanding the psychology behind customer decisions and mastering the art of demonstrating genuine value. Take a look at Keenan&#8217;s proven sales methodology that has transformed countless struggling salespeople into top performers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":141614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,103],"tags":[1745],"class_list":["post-141446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-sales","tag-gap-selling","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Make a Sale: 2 Steps and Tips From Gap Selling - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can make a sale by closing your customer&#039;s value gap with a data-driven solution. 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