Gap Selling: Getting the Customer to Yes: How Problem-Centric Selling Increases Sales by Changing Everything You Know About Relationships, Overcoming Objections, Closing and Price

"Gap Selling" by Keenan isn't just a book; it's a revolution in the sales world, and it's been the best ride of my sales life. This book grabs you, shakes you, and wakes you up to what real selling is about. Keenan's no-nonsense, laser-focused approach hits you with the hard truths about selling, debunking stale sales myths and replacing them with a dynamic, problem-centric framework that's all about the gap - the gap between the buyer's now and their better tomorrow.Here's what slams home:Sales isn't about you, your company, or your product. It's about the buyer's pain, their problems, and how you can bridge their gap.Forget being a salesperson; you're a change agent, a consultant, an advisor. Your role is to expose and shape the gap, making the buyer see the value in change.It's not about building friendships; it's about delivering value, even if they don't like you. Show them a future that's so compelling they can't help but move towards it.Provoke, question, and don't take the buyer's needs at face value. Dig deep to uncover the real problems and their impacts.Keenan's energy is contagious, and his insights are a goldmine. This book is a must-read for anyone in sales, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out. Keenan teaches you how to be more than a salesperson; he teaches you how to be a sales badass. "Gap Selling" is the wake-up call the sales industry needed, and I can't recommend it enough. Get ready to change how you sell and transform how you see sales. This book isn't just a read; it's an experience.

Even though it doesn't really give you any actionable steps, this book is, by far, the best in explaining what sales actually is. Discovery is everything. Great read.

A word of warning to those of you purchasing the audio version... Don't listen to this before bed! Keenan is very energetic, and he'll get you jacked and ready to sell something. Then again, maybe that's a good thing...As sales continues to evolve and become more focused on technology, salespeople forget the fundamental pillars of effective selling. Gap Selling provides a framework for gaining your prospect's attention, getting them to trust you enough to tell you about their problems and provide you with a vision for their ideal future state.Here are my biggest takeaways:1. At the heart of every sale, there’s a gap. It’s a gap between what buyers have now and what they believe they want in the future, between who they are now and who they want to be tomorrow, or even where they are now and where they want to go. This gap represents the value of the sale to the buyer and the salesperson. Without it, there is no sale.2. Problems get you to the impact and the impact is where urgency, value, and need live and where the sale takes root. You have to know the problem your buyers and prospects are struggling with and the impact it’s having on them. Without it, there is no sale.3. The worst thing in the world you can do at the beginning of a sale is to take your buyer’s word for granted or sell to a need. I know it’s what we’ve been taught to do but a need assumes the customers know what they want, and that’s a bad assumption. Sure, they think they know what their problem is, but what if they’re wrong?4. Customers Don’t Like Change. However, Every sale is about change. Change is emotional. Therefore, every sale is emotional. And emotions are complicated. That, in a nutshell, explains why selling is so hard and why so many people are bad at it.5. Knowing your customer’s intrinsic motivation allows you to solve for the problems your customers didn’t know they had. Getting to the bottom of your customers’ intrinsic motivation for change takes time and patience. And sometimes it’s frustrating, because in the process you may discover that your product can’t provide the exact solution they need. So you will have to learn to dig deep and not give up your line of questioning until you thoroughly understand the driving force behind your customer’s motivation to change.6. There is a direct correlation between how much a salesperson knows about their buyer’s current state and the probability they will win the deal. The majority of the information and elements you need to influence the sale come from understanding exactly where your buyer is today, what they are dealing with, how they’re operating, who’s involved, why it’s happening, the outcomes they’re currently experiencing and more—all part of the current state.7. Your number one job when selling is to get the customer, buyer, or prospect to let you help them. No matter what you’re selling, until you can get buyers to trust you enough to be vulnerable, open up, share information, offer you insight into their current state, and expressly ask you for your help, you will not make progress. Customers have to be ready to initiate and embrace this sales journey, or ain’t nothing gonna happen.8. Selling is a giving profession. Every time you engage with a customer, or send an email, or create something, you have to ask yourself, “What am I giving?” The answer should be “industry information,” or “insight into the market,” or “tips that will make their jobs easier,” or “the solution to a problem they haven’t been able to solve.” It should never be, “More information about myself.”9. Problems are only problems when the impact is negative and uncomfortable. So, knowing the problem and the impact it’s having matters. Keep this firmly in mind: You’re never selling a product. You’re selling the impact your product will have on your buyer’s current environment. You’re selling change.10. The gap is rarely clear to buyers initially. The win then becomes your ability to expose and shape the gap. Salespeople can manipulate the size of the gap by helping the buyer see things they didn’t see before. There is no way customers can understand the value of your life-saving pill if they don’t realize they are dying. That’s why you have to spend so much time exploring their current state and helping them envision their future state. Unlike a traditional salesperson, you’re not going to accept their problems at face value and then offer a solution. Instead, you’re going to help your customers make sure they understand the full extent of their problems and let them figure out for themselves what will happen if they don’t do something about it.

Easy read and engaging. I definitely learned a few things. However, as someone whose approach to sales is already quite consultative, it was like reading about my own thought process. So a bit repetitive, especially when, like most business books, they do drill in the concepts. There were definitely some good points and strategies, or even different ways of articulating or explaining selling styles. I did appreciate that aspect. Plus the author is not shy about referencing other authors, books, and selling styles which makes me believe that their approach is genuinely well rounded.

I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve been in sales and marketing for 20 years and just now I’m learning the sales method. If you are in sales, you need to buy this book now!

The authors in this brilliant collaboration have truly given salespeople everywhere a potentially career changing gift. Imagine trying to operate a vehicle that has no oil in it. How long can that last. The ideas and frameworks provided in this book are like oil that add to the smooth operation of your sales career, and make it sustainable. No need to burn out in your sales career doing things that cause you stress. The discussion around prospecting was especially valuable to me as I read the book. Not only are you getting page after page of solid ready to implement sales ideas on every page but there is an additional bonus here. Ian Altman has the best business podcast I have ever heard. It is called same side selling. I regularly listen to his podcast now. It is world class! He has one of a kind guests on practically every episode. You cannot afford to miss the additional leverage and excellent training you will gain in your sales career if you miss the podcast. For the price of the book and the great podcast this is a can't miss investment in your sales career. You will be pleased with the ideas and content in this book and the podcast episodes. I know I am. Dig in and enjoy the insights from these great sales leaders!

I wish I’d read this book sooner. I was a part of a traditional sales culture at a small company and I could never figure out why it just felt wrong to me. This book was a revelation into how I want to conduct myself as a sales consultant. I’m definitely all in on Gap Selling. Keenan does such a wonderful job to break it down and it still applies today in 2023.

I can't recommend this book enough! It totally shifted my perspective on selling and at the same time gave me solid, actionable advice. Also the author's writing style makes it fun to read.

Amazing work!

The book is about how to maximize the sales providing real added value to the customers. It does provide tips and examples as to how to use it. Highly recommended

A must buy for everyone who wants to excell at sales, no gimmicks, no bs, pure gold, changed my fundamental understanding of sales, best sales book ive read this year