An implication question is a SPIN Selling question that explores the effects of a problem the buyer has described, so the buyer sees what the problem costs and why it is urgent. It is the third of the four SPIN question types.
Using them on a discovery call
SPIN comes from Neil Rackham's research at Huthwaite International, which Huthwaite reports covered more than 35,000 sales calls. Problem questions uncover implied needs: difficulties the buyer is living with. People can live with problems, so a problem alone rarely moves a deal. Implication questions take that problem and follow its consequences into cost, risk, delays and other parts of the business. Need-payoff questions then invite the buyer to state what solving it is worth.
- 01Problem questionsUncover implied needs
- 02Implication questionsFollow the problem into cost, risk and delays
- 03Need-payoff questionsThe buyer states what solving it is worth
Reps tend to skip implication questions because the buyer has just named a problem and the solution seems obvious. Managers coach them by listening for one thing in the call: did the buyer connect the problem to something that matters to them or their boss? The sales methodology guide covers where SPIN sits among methods, and how to run discovery with SPIN questions shows the full call.
Slow quotes, followed to a cost
This example is illustrative. A buyer at a parts distributor says their quoting is slow. The rep asks: "When a quote takes two days, what happens to the deal?" Some customers buy elsewhere. "Do you know how many?" Sales lost three large orders last quarter. "What were those three worth?" Around $120,000 between them. "Who sees those losses?" The sales director, who has a revenue target that is behind. Each question followed the last answer, and the slow-quoting problem now has a cost and an owner.
When a manager reviews a call like this, the line to listen for is the buyer's, not the rep's: did the buyer say the cost out loud, in their own number? "Quoting is slow" is a problem. "We lost around $120,000 last quarter because quoting is slow" is an implication the buyer now owns.
Related terms
- What is SPIN Selling?
- SPIN Selling vs MEDDIC
- How to coach SPIN selling on live calls
- Coaching a team's own sales methodology
FAQ
What is an example of an implication question?
"How does that delay affect your team's targets this quarter?" is an implication question. It takes a problem the buyer already named, a delay, and asks about its effect elsewhere in the business, so the buyer weighs the cost of leaving it unsolved.
What is the difference between a problem question and an implication question?
A problem question finds a difficulty, and an implication question explores what that difficulty causes. "Where does approval slow down?" is a problem question. "When approvals slip, what happens with suppliers?" is an implication question. The second is where the urgency gets built.
Why do implication questions matter in SPIN selling?
Implication questions matter because buyers often live with problems they have not costed. Huthwaite says implication questions help tip the cost of change in the seller's favor by making the buyer consider how not changing will affect the business.