The Sandler Selling System: Principles and steps for sales success

Think fancy automation tools and email templates are the keys to sales success? Think again.

It’s easy to get caught up in the thousands of B2B sales tools on the market and neglect the basics of sales excellence. In 2022, a Salesforce study found that just 28% of sales professionals expected to meet their quotas. This decline in morale and performance is a serious concern that drives sales leaders to so-called “silver bullet” software that often comes up short.

Sometimes, it’s best to take a step back and examine your broader methodology, and that’s where the Sandler Selling System, the 1960s brainchild of David Sandler, comes in. Let’s explore this sales methodology together and figure out if the Sandler system would suit your team.

Why do most sales professionals fail?

It’s no secret that B2B buyers hate high-energy, pushy salespeople. You know, the ones that act more like extras from The Wolf of Wall Street than people genuinely interested in your needs.

Here’s what the traditional sales process has looked like and why it fails from the buyer’s perspective:

The traditional sales process

The traditional sales process isn’t a catch-all term for legacy marketing. It dates back to 100+ years ago and is credited to St. Elmo Lewis. 

Everyone has experienced the traditional sales process. It’s an overbearing salesperson trying to aggressively sell you a product or service, regardless of whether or not it’s right for you. The worst ones will even lie to win your business.

Ironically, St. Elmo Lewis also went to prison for violating anti-trust laws, so what does that tell you about the traditional sales model?

The buyer’s decision-making process

Pushy, traditional sales tactics are a recipe for failure in the long run. Sure, they may lead to closed won deals in the short term, but for sustained success, there has to be more of a focus on the buyer experience.

Modern buyers have automatically adopted a self-defense strategy to deal with traditional salespeople who are often seen as manipulative. Unfortunately, the buyer’s decision-making process under this model begins with a natural state of distrust as the default response.

In most cases, even if a salesperson manages to gain a lead’s email or phone number for follow-up, it’s often just a ploy to get the salesperson to stop talking to them. In short, it’s a model built on negative emotions.

And negative emotions are a bad place to start. The Sandler Selling System looks to transform this narrative.

What is the Sandler Selling System?

The Sandler Selling System is a sales methodology that turns traditional sales methods upside down by focusing on building mutual trust and respect between sales reps and prospects.

David Sandler emphasized positioning the sales rep as a trusted advisor rather than someone who’s just trying to make a buck. Understanding the prospect’s needs and concentrating on how you can fulfill them has become the launchpad for various modern sales systems.

And it works.

This is what customers want. Another Salesforce study revealed that  73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs. The Sandler system helps B2B sales reps meet this expectation by replacing aggressive communication styles with honest, dynamic communication.

Under this model, the buyer and seller hold an equal stake in the sales cycle. This approach helps sellers close deals, improve their sales KPIs, and see higher levels of buyer satisfaction.

The Sandler submarine: 7 steps to the Sandler selling system

David Sandler used a submarine to illustrate his sales methodology — why? Mainly because Sandler loved World War II movies and recognized the similarities between how submarines and salespeople operate.

He coined Sandler sellers as stealthy and more successful by operating beneath the surface. In contrast, loud, annoying traditional sales reps were like battleships.

With that in mind, let’s examine how the Sandler submarine acts with these seven stages:

1. Build rapport

B2B sales cannot be won on a discovery call, but they can be lost there. The Sandler Selling System begins not with a hard sell but with laying a foundation of respectful communication.

Whether using inbound marketing or cold calling, the first touch must always show interest in the prospect and demonstrate a desire to help them rather than sell them something. Make this a part of your brand; Accenture found that 84% of B2B buyers are willing to pay more for great branded experiences.

2. Establish an upfront contract

The Sandler Selling System relies on setting an equal business stature between buyer and seller. Establishing expectations upfront is vital to avoid wasting either party’s time.

As a side note, this is also a great way of breaking the tension with prospects who are naturally wary of salespeople. But what does creating an upfront contract for your meeting look like? Sandler breaks this down into five parts:

1. Set an objective about what you want to achieve and what you hope they’ll get out of it.
2. Lay out what you’ll be doing as part of the meeting.
3. Share what you think the prospect will get from each part of the meeting.
4. Establish a strict timeline.
5. Repeat your goals, and disclose what will happen next.

Why is establishing these “rules of engagement” so important? Because it’s a show of respect and equality in the sales conversation. Moreover, it demonstrates your motives and clearly communicates your intentions.

3. Identify the prospect’s pain points

Positioning yourself as a trusted advisor only happens when you understand your prospect's problems and how your solution can help. The Sandler sales method uses the Sandler pain funnel to understand each prospect’s needs.

This system acknowledges that prospects tend to be emotive about their problems. Most B2B sales professionals struggle to get past the emotion and define the root of the matter, but that doesn’t have to be your story.

A good question flow to help you go beyond just pain point identification might look like this:

• What’s your biggest concern right now?
• Can you give me some more details about this issue?
• What solutions have you tried so far, and have they worked?
• What’s causing this issue?
• What are the consequences if you can’t solve the problem?

4. Uncover the prospect’s budget

Lead suitability is irrelevant if a prospect lacks the budget for your solution. So, find out what their budget is as soon as possible. Likewise, you want to inform them of how much your solution costs because this is part of the qualification process.

Questions to ask to qualify the prospect include: 

• How much are you spending right now on XYZ solution?
• How much is this problem costing you?
• Who’s in charge of signing off on the budget?
• Who signs off on purchase decisions?
• What’s your ballpark figure for how much are you willing to spend on solving your problem?

5. Identify the decision-making process

Assuming your prospect has the budget for your solution, it’s time to determine who makes the final decision. Most companies have multiple decision-makers involved in the process. This isn’t necessarily bad because you get multiple touchpoints and the opportunity to multi-thread the deal.

The Sandler sales method explicitly talks about identifying who has the final say in the buying decision and understanding what information they need to make a choice.

Questions to ask include:

• What does your decision-making process look like?
• What’s your timeline for making a decision?
• Who else is involved in making purchasing decisions?
• What must happen before a purchase can be approved?
• Has anyone else submitted proposals?

6. Fulfill the agreement

Step six is the closing phase of the Sandler Selling System. Any prospects still onboard have been qualified and deemed suitable for your solution.

In the fulfillment phase, the goal is to make the case for why your product solves the buyer’s pain points better than any other solution. 

Sandler split this into four distinct steps:

• Step #1. Review all of the information gained from the buyer, including pain points, budget, and their decision-making process.
• Step #2. Present your product as a solution that meets and exceeds their needs.
• Step #3. Close the prospect and confirm they’re happy to move forward.
• Step #4. Confirm everything you’ve discussed to ensure the buyer is primed to move forward.

7. Confirm the post-sale process

Sales reps focus on getting the “yes,” but experienced agents know sales can still fall short of the final hurdle. After a verbal “yes,” work to get a contract signed quickly so your onboarding team can jump in and deliver a great new customer experience.

Pro tip: Schedule regular follow-ups with these closed-won prospects and ask them questions that are designed to make them feel even more satisfied with their buying decision. 

Questions you should be asking include: 

• Are you happy with your decision?
• What else can we do to help you get started?
• Do you have any questions about the onboarding process?
• Are there any other concerns I can help you with?

Remember, relationship building doesn’t stop with the sale. Keep building that rapport, and you’ll have a customer who sticks with you for years to come.

What are the benefits of the Sandler sales process?

You now know the basics of the Sandler sales process, but why should you make this methodology part of your operations? Sandler’s system offers several advantages over other models, including:

• Improved qualification: Most steps involve some element of confirming a prospect is a good fit for your solution. Proper lead qualification saves time for everyone involved.
• Establishes mutual respect: Sandler’s system ultimately builds relationships that lead to sales.
• Avoids pushy sales tactics: This method moves away from dated, aggressive sales tactics to close more deals using skills like active listening and thoughtful exploration.
• Enhances communication: Sandler’s model is built on open, upfront communication. It sets clear expectations from day one, which makes prospects more receptive to your solution.
• Builds long-term relationships: With the Sandler method, there’s a focus on the quality of relationships instead of the quantity of relationships that serves as the foundation for your company’s growth.

How to implement the Sandler Selling System on your next sales call

Sandler’s system is effective because it can be implemented across any industry and with teams of any size. Plenty of free videos exist online if you want to assemble a Sandler Selling System for your own team. However, based on our research, it seems like the best way to incorporate the system into your workflow is by taking some of the official Sandler courses.

You can take Sandler sales training courses online, and choose the format that suits your company and individual learning styles. Options include podcasts, online quizzes, articles, and in-person sales training.

With formal Sandler training, you and your teammates could:

• Have more control over the discovery process
• See better lead qualification
• Remove sales stalls
• Eliminate last-minute concessions
• Avoid investing in the wrong people

Make your sales efforts even more successful with Streak

Sales leaders and managers have used the Sandler Selling System for 60+ years because it’s adaptable. Modern tools have enhanced its effectiveness, enabling organizations to grow.

One of the tools that works well with a method like Sandler’s is Streak, the CRM for Gmail that 750,000+ people love. Sellers manage their relationships easily using Streak because it tracks all of their deals and KPIs in one convenient location. With features like funnel reports and saved views, sales teams that use Streak have everything they need to deploy and maximize the Sandler Sales System.

Think it’s worth a shot? Find out if Streak is right for you with a free 14-day trial that’ll streamline your sales pipeline in a matter of seconds.