Sandler Sales Methodology: How AI drives team adoption and performance

If you want to learn about the Sandler Sales Methodology, are familiar with it, or need help implementing it, this guide is for you. 

We’ll break down Sandler’s principles, explore modern challenges, and show how generative AI can help you stay in control and identify potential objections in real-time.

What is the Sandler sales style?

The Sandler Sales Methodology was introduced by David Sandler in 1967. It revolutionized the sales process by shifting focus from aggressive selling to consultative selling.

The method focuses on understanding needs and building long-lasting client relationships. This approach has been known to increase win rates. Sandler claims that salespeople using this method are 50% more likely to hit their quotas, and 88% say their sales strategy improved. Plus, it helps sales reps create loyal clients, leading to higher lifetime value (LTV) for the business.

The three core stages of Sandler Selling

1. Building relationships: The foundation of any successful sale is trust. In this stage, sales professionals engage in open dialogue with prospects to build rapport. They demonstrate genuine interest through active listening and insightful questioning.
2. Qualifying opportunities: Not every prospect is a good fit. This stage involves digging deep into potential client's pain points. The goal is to determine if they genuinely need your solution. By qualifying leads early on, sales teams can focus their efforts on those most likely to convert.
3. Closing the sale: Once trust is built and the opportunity is clear, closing the sale becomes a smooth next step. Rather than using high-pressure tactics, salespeople show how their product solves the prospect’s specific problems.

7 steps of the Sandler process

The 7 steps of the Sandler process guide sales teams through a structured, no-pressure approach. Here’s how it flows:

1. Bonding and rapport: Build mutual trust by genuinely connecting with the prospect. People buy from those they trust — no shortcuts here.
2. Up-front contracts: Set clear expectations upfront for each interaction. Who doesn’t appreciate knowing what’s next?
3. Pain discovery: Ask the tough questions to uncover the real challenges. Without pain, there’s no sale.
4. Budget: Discuss budget considerations early. If the budget doesn’t align, it’s a waste of time.
5. Decision-making process: Who decides, how, and when? Get clarity on the key decision makers before you move forward.
6. Fulfillment phase: Present your solution only if the fit is right. Solve, don’t sell.
7. Post-sell phase: Reinforce the commitment and prevent buyer’s remorse. No last-minute surprises.

Each step keeps you in control and ensures mutual commitment. If done right, by the end, your rep should feel confident, and the buyer should see it as a no-brainer. Isn’t that the goal of every sale?

Sandler vs Challenger: What's the difference?

People often wonder how the Sandler method differs from the Challenger sales method. Here’s a quick breakdown:

The Challenger method focuses on challenging a prospect’s assumptions, offering insights, and guiding the conversation through a teach-tailor-take-control approach.

In contrast, the Sandler method emphasizes the mutual qualification process and relationship-building. It treats sales as a collaborative dialogue where both sides determine fit early in the process.

Implementing Sandler Selling System with Generative AI technology

Sandler system focuses on building relationships with prospects and every step matters. But let’s be real, holding your team accountable to actually follow the Sandler Sales Process is easier said than done.

That’s where generative AI steps in. It helps your team be consistent and make sure no steps are skipped. Plus, AI can provide insights into how Sandler helps improve your reps' performance over time.

AI can also help with rep’s day-to-day busy work so they can solely focus on building rapport and trust with the buyer to move the deal forward.

How Generative AI can increase the close rate with Sandler selling

1. Automated AI notes & email follow-ups: Reps can focus on truly listening during the meeting instead of worrying about taking notes or crafting follow-up emails. This helps them engage more personally and make the buyer feel heard.

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2. AI-powered Scorecards based on Sandler: Every call gets scored by AI using the Sandler framework. If something’s missed, like not discussing pain points or asking about the decision process, it gets flagged in real-time. It’s easy to overlook a few steps, but this ensures reps stay on track and consistent. AI will go through every interaction to determine how well each step was executed with a clear justification behind it.

3. Performance dashboards: Track how your reps are improving over time. Are they missing key questions or not diving deep enough into certain topics? You can use this info to create focused coaching programs that address these areas for growth.

 4. Automated CRM Entry: Another time-consuming post-call routine for sales reps is entering details into CRM. AI tools can automatically log key details into your CRM, capturing each client’s specific needs and preferences. You can focus on the conversation while AI ensures your data is accurately tracked and synced.
Avoma's AI auto-detects topics discussed during the meeting and syncs in CRM properties for you. The deal-level details are synced in both directions, and you always have updated information in Avoma and your CRM.

The Sandler Scorecard: Perfecting discovery calls with Avoma

Many sales leaders see the value of the Sandler system. But getting their teams to follow it consistently is a struggle. Even with solid training, sales reps often miss key questions during calls. They don’t have a real-time guide to help them stay within the Sandler process. It’s like driving without a dashboard. It’s easy to lose track of what matters.

Leaders struggle to track if the process is being followed or where coaching is needed. Without a clear understanding, it’s difficult to know how to help their team improve.

Reps often don’t receive feedback on their calls, which makes progress slow and uncertain. Without clarity, refining their approach becomes a guessing game.

How Avoma helps with the Sandler Scorecard

Avoma helps sales teams analyze their conversations using the Sandler Scorecard to score each stage of the sales process. By using AI to evaluate key elements of the Sandler Selling System, Avoma identifies strengths and areas for improvement.  Like having a mentor review the calls, it spots what the reps are doing well and where they can level up. This helps teams execute better, stay consistent, and close more deals.

The criteria Avoma uses to score each stage of the Sandler system

1. Establish Bonding & Rapport

Question: How well did the rep establish a personal connection and build trust?
Scoring Options:

• No effort to build rapport; the conversation lacked trust or connection.
• Minimal engagement; interaction felt surface-level.
• Some rapport established; comfortable but not deeply connected.
• Friendly, engaging conversation with mutual trust and respect.
• Strong connection; open and honest communication fostering engagement.

2. Set up an Up-Front Contract

Question: Did the rep clearly define roles, expectations, and objectives for the conversation?
Scoring Options:

• No objectives or expectations discussed.
• Objectives partially defined but unclear on next steps.
• Objectives defined, but expectations and next steps remain vague.
• Clear objectives, some discussion of next steps, but not fully aligned.
• Well-defined objectives, expectations, and next steps, with quantifiable metrics.

3. Identify the Prospect’s Pain

Question: How effectively did the rep uncover the prospect’s problems and their impact?
Scoring Options:

• Pain points not discussed.
• Partial understanding of pain points, lacking depth.
• Surface-level pain points identified, but no deeper probing.
• Pain points and some impacts discussed, but metrics are unclear.
• Pain points, causes, and measurable impacts fully explored and quantified.

4. Uncover the Prospect’s Budget

Question: Did the rep explore the prospect’s investment capacity in terms of time, money, and resources?
Scoring Options:

• No discussion of investment criteria.
• Brief mention of criteria but lacking clarity.
• Budget discussed, but no mention of time or resources.
• Budget and one other factor (time/resources) discussed but incomplete.
• Clear and detailed discussion of budget, time, and resource commitments.

5. Identify the Decision Process

Question: Did the rep thoroughly understand the prospect’s decision-making process, including stakeholders and timelines?
Scoring Options:

• No discussion of decision-making process.
• Partial discussion; key elements missing or unclear.
• Basic details (decision-makers and timeline) covered, but lacked depth.
• Decision-makers and timelines discussed, but decision criteria unclear.
• Comprehensive understanding of decision-makers, timelines, criteria, and rationale.

6. Present a Tailored Solution

Question: Did the rep propose a solution aligned with the prospect’s needs, budget, and decision-making process?
Scoring Options:

• Generic solution misaligned with the prospect’s needs.
• Partially aligned solution; gaps in budget or process fit.
• Relevant solution fitting needs and budget but not decision process.
• Mostly aligned solution; minor gaps in addressing the process.
• Comprehensive solution perfectly addressing needs, budget, and process.

7. Confirm Post-Sell Process

Question: Did the rep establish clear next steps and expectations for future engagement?
Scoring Options:

• No next steps or follow-up scheduled.
• Basic next steps discussed but lacking clarity or follow-up.
• Follow-up scheduled with clear next steps, but no additional stakeholders involved.
• Follow-up scheduled with additional stakeholders and action items partially defined.
• Clear follow-up, next steps, and action items defined, involving multiple stakeholders.

By using this structured scorecard, sales teams can objectively assess discovery calls, identify areas for improvement, and ensure alignment with the Sandler Selling System principles.

Conclusion

We hope this article helped you understand the Sandler Sales Methodology and how it can improve your sales approach. If you feel inspired, give it a try!

Already know the Sandler method and want to use it more easily? Avoma’s AI Scorecards can help. They let you track your team’s performance and make steady improvements.

Want to learn more? Connect with our product specialists. They’ll show you how Avoma’s Sandler Scorecards can help your team win more deals. Let’s make your sales process easier and more effective!

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