Summary of Gap Selling by Keenan

If you’re in a sales role of any kind, Gap Selling is a must read. Keenan does a great job in this book of simplifying the complex when it comes to customers’ issues. His explanation and methodology of having the solution become the gap between the customer’s current state and their desired future state is simple to understand and apply in any selling situation. Below are a few of my key takeaways from Gap Selling.

We cannot sell to a customer’s desired future state until we fully understand their current state. We do this through learning - asking good questions, listening, and understanding them, their situation and their challenges. 

We’re never selling a product or service. We’re selling the impact our product or service has on the customer’s current environment and it’s ability to help them reach their desired future state. Stop focusing on us and our offerings, and start focusing on the customers and their issues.

In B2B (business to business) sales, customers can have several desired future states. Be sure to get the entire list of what they are wanting to accomplish and prioritize the list. Here are a few examples.

• An edge over the competition 
• Paths to previously unexplored markets
• Increased profits 
• More rapid path to market 
• Heightened investor interest 
• Millions of dollars in savings 
• Streamlined manufacturing processes
• The eye of the new generation 
• Faster communications 
• Happier, more engaged employees 
• Better customer retention 
• Improved personal service 
• More inbound leads 
• Increased response times 
• Revenue growth

To be an effective Gap Seller, sales professionals need these nine qualities.

1. Curiosity: Gap salespeople are curious and not afraid to ask questions to learn from customers. In fact, the best get really good at it, and customers begin to value their process of questioning and learning.
2. Critical Thinking: Gap Sellers are good at connecting the dots from their curiosity to a solution with an end in mind. Not only are they great at asking questions, but they also develop excellent critical thinking habits throughout the process.
3. Empathy: Salespeople need to connect emotionally to effective gap sell. The customer needs to feel as though the salesperson is on the same side of the table feeling the same degree of pain from the issue. 
4. Problem Solving: Gap Selling is about fixing problems. To fix problems, we sometimes have to help find the problem with the customer.
5. Leadership: Gap sellers are much more than salespeople; they are leaders who invest in themselves learning customers’ industries, their challenges and opportunities. They do not consider themselves merely ‘salespeople.’ They are specialists in their field committed to solving problems and helping customers.
6. Creativity: Effective Gap Sellers have the creative thinking to see ahead into the future. They often see problems ahead of others and are able to plan ahead to avoid or overcome them.
7. Deliberate Learning: These folks are overachievers, top performers, and dedicated to continuous learning. They take learning seriously and believe they can always know more.
8. Coachability: Gap sellers are confident in their abilities, but also self-aware and open to feedback from others. 
9. Business Acumen: Effective Gap Selling salespeople are business-oriented and business-savvy. They’re so committed to learning and growing as a business professional, they never let up on growing their business knowledge. 

In summary, Keenan nails it with Gap Selling. Simple read, great message, and many good learning points. Well worth investing the time and money.