Everything I Know About Gap Selling: What It Is And How To Make It Work For Your...

The framework "gap selling" was coined by Keenan (yes … just Keenan; before you question me, he only goes by his last name) in 2018 in his best-selling book titled - yep, you guessed it - Gap Selling. In his book, he explores how gap selling has the potential to:

• Generate more leads
• Increase customer conversion rates
• Minimize sales cycles
• Maximize the average deal size

Despite what you might be thinking, gap selling doesn't involve a whole lot of strong-arming prospects or dazzling them with fancy features to achieve these results. Instead, it's all about playing detective.

As a salesperson utilizing the gap selling technique, you're really responsible for digging into the gap between where your prospect is now (their current situation) and where they really want to be (their ideal situation). The more significant the gap, the more they'll need you to help them bridge it.

Now, Keenan covers lots of gems in his book … I can't share all of them, but I can highlight the ones that really matter, check out some of his must-know info below:

1. Know your prospect's intrinsic motivation.

Keenan advises that every salesperson should know their prospect's intrinsic motivation(s). This is their definable, objective goal. Whether it be to maximize a prospect's company growth rate by a specific percentage or to reduce operational inefficiencies to save time and money, this very particular, very strategic reason is behind what Keenan acknowledges as a prospect's "future state" (more on this later).

Nevertheless, once you've identified your prospect's intrinsic motivation and can understand their desired future state, Keenan suggests that "all that's left is to make sure they not only believe that that future state can happen, but that you can make it happen better than anyone else."

2. Consider thinking about your customers' future state as a three-part entity.

Keenan recommends that salesfolks consider a prospect's future state in three parts:

• Technical future state (ex: A new software that could increase sales, improve workflows, simplify the buying process, etc.)
• Business future state (ex: How technical improvements will increase customer satisfaction, WOM will spread, etc.)
• The core of the future state (ex: How the technical and business improvements will help your company beat the competition)

Ultimately, the point here is this: All of these individual components contribute to an overall goal, one that positively impacts all parties involved.

The Gap Selling Identification Chart Explained

Additionally, the gap selling problem identification chart emerged as an extension of Keenan's gap selling methodology. In short, this chart is a tool designed to help sales professionals clearly map out and understand the gap between a prospect's current situation and their desired future state.

Here's how it works:

1. It clarifies the future state.

The gap selling problem identification chart helps you detail your prospect's current situation, including their challenges, inefficiencies, and pain points. This step is crucial for understanding what isn't presently working for them.

2. It defines the future state.

This part of the chart helps uncover your prospect's goals, aspirations, and desired outcomes. This is where you learn what the prospect ultimately wants to achieve.

3. It highlights the gap.

In this section of the gap selling problem identification cart, you'll compare the current state with the desired future state; the chart visually represents the gap, aka what's missing or preventing your prospect from reaching their goals.

4. It pinpoints the root cause.

At this point, you'll have completed the chart enough to identify the underlying reasons for your prospect's problems, which is key to demonstrating how your solution addresses these issues at its core.

5. It quantifies the impact.

Finally, with all of the information you've gathered, the gap selling problem identification chart will prompt you to assess the problem's business or personal impact (e.g., financial, operational, or emotional). This helps to emphasize the urgency of addressing the gap your prospect is experiencing.

And, if you're more of a visual learner like me, take a look at a version of the infamous gap selling problem identification chart below:

How to Use The Gap Selling Methodology in Your Sales Strategy [With Examples]

As I mentioned above, refining your own spin on gap selling really does take a few tries. But if you're feeling 100% ready to give it a try, here are a few tips I can offer on behalf of Sean Muccio, Small Business Account Executive at HubSpot:

1. Be constantly curious.

Sean's biggest piece of advice? "Be genuine when you're asking a customer questions," he revealed to me.

In Sean's eyes, reps should "earn the right" for prospects to give them an honest, real answer, one that'll help them solve their customer's problems. "You have to earn the right for them to give you an answer versus brushing you off, and earning this right comes from displaying some relevance."

Now, "earning the right" to chat with a prospect could be done in many ways. Sean recommends sticking with the "show them you know them" technique (aka heavily researching a customer before you cold call or email them, then leading with that specific information in your prospecting conversations). This technique can also be done through social proofing.

2. Use the "probe and provoke" method (coined by Ronan Pessar).

I asked Sean about any other Sean cites Ronan Pessar's "probe and provoke" methodology as a great way to implement the basics of gap selling into your sales approach.

"It starts with basic generalized questions to understand where the prospect is currently at from a tech adoption standpoint. Then, sales reps can ask 'probing questions' to uncover any potential value," he explained. "Questions should be so clear and simple - with no marketing jargon - so they can make the prospect really think."

Here's an example of what the probe and provoke method could look like:

3. How you say things is way more important than what you say.

Sean's last recommendation for employing the gap selling approach is, believe it or not, pretty simple. It doesn't involve memorizing complex scripts or following rigid sales tactics. Instead, it's all about syntax.

"How you say things is more important than what you say," he told me. Oftentimes, rephrasing information can completely change the way it's received. It's not just about the words themselves but the tone, delivery, and timing that make an impact.

So, whether you're tailoring language based on who you're prospecting with or adjusting your delivery to fit the sales situation, the way you communicate can mean the difference between connection and confusion. In sales especially, mastering how you say something is a game-changer.

Sales Statistics You Should Know Before Trying Out Gap Selling

If you're curious whether adopting the gap selling approach is worth it, check out some HubSpot Sales Trends Report statistics. These insights shed light on what prospects are both thinking and doing pre-discovery, as well as how sales professionals are strategizing to close deals:

• The top methods for building rapport on a sales call are being attentive and engaged (38%), finding common ground (29%), and researching the prospect before calling (25%)
• 42% of B2B sales pros say researching a prospect's company to determine its challenges and opportunities is the most effective way to make the sale
• Only 25% of prospects do significant research before taking a sales call
• 66% of sales professionals believe AI helps them better understand customers and provide personalized experiences
• 48% of sellers struggle with effectively communicating value to potential customers
• 36% of sales managers think follow-ups sent to high-quality leads are the most important tracking metric
• 82% of sales professionals see building strong relationships as the most crucial and rewarding aspect of the sales process

Given all of this information, it's clear that gap selling aligns perfectly with building strong relationships and deeply understanding your prospects, all of which, according to HubSpot's Sales Trends Report, are non-negotiable for successful selling in this day and age.

Gap Selling: Benefits and Challenges

1. Pro #1: Gap selling can deepen your relationships with your customers.

Gap selling focuses on understanding your prospect's current challenges and goals and the "gap" between them, naturally fostering a deeper connection. By taking the time to listen and uncover what truly matters to them, you position yourself as a trusted advisor, not just another salesperson pushing a product.

2. Pro #2: Gap selling takes a value-driven approach, which makes prospects feel more seen.

Instead of leading with tangents about product features, gap selling highlights how your solution solves specific problems and delivers real value. This approach makes your prospects feel understood and validated, demonstrating that their challenges are important and not just another checkbox on your sales call agenda.

3. Pro #3: Gap selling positively impacts close rates.

When you identify a meaningful gap between your prospect's current situation and their desired future state, the urgency of solving that problem becomes clear. By focusing on outcomes and impact, you create a compelling reason for prospects to take action, which can lead to faster decisions and higher close rates.

1. Con #1: Getting good at gap selling takes some time.

As I've already noted, gap selling is a skill you have to polish. Over time, you learn to ask the right questions to uncover root problems. If you're an emerging sales professional, developing the confidence and expertise may take a few attempts to execute this method effectively.

2. Con #2: Gap selling doesn't always work for every sales environment.

Gap selling shines in consultative or complex sales where uncovering problems and solutions is key, but it's less effective in transactional environments. This approach can feel overly involved or unnecessary for quick, low-cost sales with minimal decision-making.

3. Con #3: Your prospects may put up a fight.

Truthfully, not every prospect will be open to discussing their challenges or admitting a problem to solve. Some people may resist answering probing questions or present as defensive, making it harder to identify their gaps and effectively align your solution. If the gap selling technique will become a regular strategy that you revisit, this is something you'll need to get used to.

Pro Tip: To make things easier, build a solid prospecting strategy using HubSpot's Sales Plan Template. You can also refine and identify lots of other sales essentials with this resource, including a budget, your target market, and a sales cadence.

So, Does Gap Selling Really Work?

So, does gap selling really work? Absolutely. Will it require you to do a lot of work to secure your prospects? Yes, it will.

But when done right, gap selling shifts your focus from pushing a product to solving real-world problems. It helps you connect with prospects on a more meaningful level and drives results that matter. By leaning on gap selling, you can effectively discover what your prospect needs, what challenges are holding them back, and what success truly looks like for them.

Everything considered, gap selling is worth giving a try - because who doesn't want to go from just selling to actually solving?

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