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

by Keenan

People don't buy from people they like. No! Your buyer doesn't care about you or your product or service. It's not your job to overcome objections, it's your buyer's. Closing isn't a skill of good salespeople; it's the skill of weak salespeople. Price isn't the main reason salespeople lose the sale. Gap Selling shreds traditional and closely held sales beliefs that have been hurting salespeople for decades. For years, salespeople have embraced a myriad of sales tactics and belief systems that have unknowingly created many of the issues they have been trying to avoid such long sales cycles, price objections, no decision, prospects going dark, last minute feature requests, and more. Success at sales requires more than a set of tactics. Salespeople need to understand the game of sales, how sales works, and what the buyer is going through in order to make the decision to buy (change) or not to buy (not change). Gap Selling is a game-changing book designed to raise the sales IQ of selling organizations around the world. In his unapologetic and irreverent style, Keenan breaks down the tired old sales myths causing today's frustrating sales issues, to highlight a deceptively powerful new way to connect with buyers. Today's sales world is littered with glorified order takers, beholden to a frustrated buyer, unable to influence the sale and create value. Gap Selling flips the script and creates salespeople with immense influence at every stage of the buying process, capable of impacting the sales metrics that Gap Selling elevates the sales world's selling IQ and turns sales order takers into sales influencers.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Psychology, Professional Development, Entrepreneurship, Buisness, Education

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised by the fact that the author barely contradicts himself. So apparently the best salespeople are those who identify the problems and can provide solutions to the problems. Thus, to sell really well you’d have to have the skills of an expert consultant in the field/ industry in which you operate. It actually makes sense, but then you would rather want the title of expert consultant and would want to charge appropriate rates for your time and effort.

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to a person’s second book I’m always interested which way will somebody go? Will they take a “bucket to the well” from where they got their first book and do a first book part 2? As many people pressurised me to do and something Keenan could have done. No, he has decided to come up with his own sales methodology. Now sales methodologies have been around for years, looking at Google there are at least 10 in circulation today. So why did Keenan go down a path already well trodden with the danger he will create, yet another “me to” process?

In “Gap Selling” Keenan brings the sales methodology up to the modern day, using modern tool and techniques. Putting it another way, it’s a 21st century methodology and not a 20th century methodology. The book is fast paced and if you follow any of his videos or blogs on social media, it’s written in his “take no prisoners” approach.

It’s a modern day approach, for a modern day buyer.

One world of warning, if you are a lazy salesperson, this book isn’t for you. Keenan is proud of us sales people and he expects us to perform at the highest levels of professionalism, in the office, in front of customers and how we forecast. If you are a Sales Manager buy this book for your team, if you are a sales executive, buy the book for yourself!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best sales book I've read in a long time

Simply the best info that has been provided in a book in recent memory. I loved reading every word in this book

[Ben Brooks]

- This book was really entertaining and it made me think deeply about the way that I'm engaging with potential customers. I think my asks for time are often not valuable enough in the "prospect's" eyes. Holding off on actually rating this until I close a sale...

Attaching some notable quotes:
- “The number of questions you ask early in the sale cycle increases your chance of making the deal.”
- “Good salespeople have to be able to ask questions that subtly test and challenge the customers’ perceived current state to see if the gap is bigger than anyone realized. Your role is to crystallize the stakes for them and help them conclude the salesperson who possesses something that can make that future state come true is selling something of real value.”
- “Don’t say or send anything that wouldn’t compel you to pay attention if the roles were reversed. Everything you send out, every communication, every engagement should address a problem or a set of problems with which your target customer could be struggling. The communication should be them-centric—their business, their production facility, their customer service, their sales organization, their supply chain, their whatever. Your goal is to get them to engage with you on a problem or set of problems. You have to be a problem finder. Become fanatical in that endeavor.”
- "Every time you delve for information, it should feel like a friendly conversation. These formulations will help you avoid making your customers feel like you’re badgering them, and instead give them a sense of control.”

[Javier HG · Rating 4 out of 5]

El oficio de vender está absolutamente denostado, a pesar de ser la clave de cualquier negocio. Sin venta, no hay negocio. Llevo varios años como ventas, y pienso que ese desprecio se debe a los malos ejemplos que hemos visto o experimentado. Desde llamadas de call-centers a la hora de la cena, a ventas que mienten o son especialmente agresiv@s. Por no hablar de responsables de ventas que no tienen ni idea de lo que es vender. Una anécdota: en una de las empresas en las que trabajé, un responsable de zona hablaba de la "pasión a la hora de vender". Y es ahí cuando te das cuenta de que no sabe lo que está diciendo. Porque vender no tiene nada que ver con la pasión, sino con un método que se pueda enseñar y replicar.

Y de eso trata "Gap selling", de enseñar un método para vender mejor en el entorno de empresas para empresas. El autor explica que se trata de entender primero muy bien lo que nuestro cliente objetivo necesita, y es más encontrar una solución a sus problemas que vender un producto o servicio. Esto puede parecer una obviedad, pero muchos ventas se centran en hablar del producto o servicio de manera automática, sin pensar primero en cómo su oferta podría impactar positivamente.

Para l@s que se dediquen a ventas, este libro es muy recomendable porque te motiva y te hace reflexionar sobre cómo prospectas y cómo vendes. En pocas palabras: te hace mejorar.

100% recomendable.

[Andrea Angella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The product doesn’t drive the sale, the problem does

What your customer think is real might not be. Challenge the buyer assumptions

Listen. Get facts. Let the prospect envision how their world would look like if all their problems would be solved. Only focus on problems your product can solve!

Don’t worry about being liked

Problem -> solution -> impact

Don’t accept open ended answers. Ask for details. Get them explore deeply their problems. … what happen when you..? Have you had a time when…? If you do X what do you think would happen?

Validation questions…are you saying…? I am understanding correctly..?

I am confused. You said… (challenge your buyer and get them own why they want what they say they want)

6.8 buyers are requires to make a sale

Don’t ask for a chance to talk. Ask for a chance to provide value

[Sheary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sales are all about your EQ. It determines how well you're in this field.
This book does not teach you how to close a deal, sales are not about closing a deal, it is all about the ability to identify and help others for their problems.

Sales aren't scary, you're scared because of your lack of ability to fill in the gap between your customer's current state & future state. You're just pitching not helping.

How do I know this? I read this book.

[Manohar_shresthahotmail.com]

What this book is about?
Lots of things changed because of the internet revolution. However no matter how much we wish we did not have to ‘sell’ anymore to sell our products and services, because it is there on the internet, we have found out the bitter truth that we still need to ‘sell’.

Selling before was about convincing the client by providing information about the product. However now the client has too much information now.

Zig Zalgar in his famous book , “Ziglar on Selling” published in 1991, popularized the following selling structure:
1 Opening
2 Objection Handling
3 Closing

This model was adversarial. But it was used as the standard model of selling across the world.

This book offers a new structure of selling:
1 Discovery of the Gap
2 Recommendation by salesman
3 Decision to fill the gap by client

Yes it is that simple.

In this model the salesman positions himself as a consultant to the client, akin to a doctor who tries to discover the cause of the symptoms of the patients.

Through many examples Keenan is successful at convincing us that the old dashing model of selling it ‘dead’. I doubt it is totally dead but his arguments are so convincing that my foundations are shaken.

Something similar to Keenan’s approach was consultative selling but again in those days it was part the of ‘opening’ and the objective was to get a ‘close’.

Gap selling differs totally as it starts right from the initial prospecting stage, the first call, the first email. The theme of discovery is carried out till the very end until the client naturally makes the ‘decision’ he wants your product / service.

Being a consultant myself, after reading this book I felt my lack of updated knowledge on selling made me lose many selling opportunities, although I cannot blame myself too much as this book was published in 2018 only.

Looking back most of my successful selling were loosely based on this model of ‘gap selling’ even though I did not know at that time.

Basically this gap selling model requires the following assumption to be true:
1 No client will buy unless they realize that they have a problem that your product/service can solve
2 however most clients do not know that they have a problem that your product/service can solve and the ‘discovery’ process will help them see that problem clearly, and they will be thankful for it
3 in cases even after the ‘discovery’ process where clients really do not have a problem that your product/service can solve, forceful closing will cause pain to both the client and salesman, so just drop the deal and move on: So simple

This book opened my eyes to a new world of selling that I know I can excel at but never knew. This approach is most suited for any high value , abstract products, although I can see it work for selling cars or even cheaper products/services.

This book like any good book extols the qualities requied to do gap selling which are quite obvious but still just to inform you in case you will look for such salespeople who can do gap selling, taken from https://www.leveljump.io/blog/gap-sel...

“- Understanding of the business: Gap Sellers invest in themselves learning customers’ industries, their challenges and opportunities. Essentially, they must become specialists in their field, committed to solving problems and helping customers.

- Deliberate learning: Never let up on growing your business knowledge. You have to keep up with the latest developments in your industry especially as pertains to your products. Take learning seriously.

- Listening capability: Salespeople are trained to talk, but at the right time it’s best to shut up and let the customer figure out things for themselves.

- Problem-solving capability: That’s what you’re there to do! You’re not parroting a features-list, you are listening to a prospect and figuring out a solution to their problem.

- Empathy: Emotions are part of the prospect’s current state and future state. You need to be able to connect to these emotions to truly understand them to suggest the best solution.

- A questioning attitude: You have to want to know more about the customer’s problem. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And you need to ask good questions, which you’ll be able to do with more understanding of the business and practice.

- Future thinking: You should be able to connect the dots and see into the future, so you can predict potential problems your prospect might run into and cross-sell later on.

- Coachability: No one is perfect, and there’s always room for improvement. A Gap Seller is confident, but also aware that they can always learn more, and are open to feedback.”


How is it useful to you in your :

Life
x

Business
If you are the CEO or the owner of a business, this book is very important. The world has changed right in front of our nose and many of us have no idea it did. Then we complain things don’t work like before. We find many things to blame from incompetent staffs to economy to politicians. But at the core of everything is our inability to ‘sell’ and make our people ‘sell’. This book defines the present and future of selling. The old school of selling the hard way is ‘dead’. Now we must sell the ‘smart way’.

Careers
Without the ability to sell, you can’t progress in any career. Learn Gap selling and secure your future.

Conclusion
Recently I began a new project with a big college in Nepal to give counseling to 3000+ students of grade 11 and 12. It had started before corona, pause and now resumed.

What I found is that is that at the age of 16 to 18, people are so pure in thought, intention. If they have a problem, well it is a problem and they will listen to the solution and if they are convinced they will follow it.

Then as the same people grow older, the older they grow the following symptoms develop:
1 deny they have a problem(s)
2 attack even the doctor who shows them their problem
3 doubt, disbelieve any solution given if it doesn’t fit in their current world-view
4 in case they accept the problem and also the solution, they will not follow it : like an old dog refusing to learn a new trick

I have trained all age groups, levels of hierarchy and sectors, and the above 4 symptoms are present the older they get and the higher they go and the more glamorous the sectors get.

It is sad.

However I believe it should not be like this and doesn’t have to be this way. So I have another project of sending learning inspirational quotes everyday to 250+ leaders in my acquaintance. This is a lifetime project to make top guys curious, open to reflection and eager to transform to greatness.

If you are not getting these messages on viber or whatsapp, send me your number in those platforms and join my ‘enlightened leaders’ movement.

[Nandish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only reason I would like to rate this book 5 star is because it proved me wrong. It took time to complete but parallely testing it on the sales team was completely an eye opener. The author hooks us to change our traditional sales methodology and focus on gap selling. Gap selling is an amazing concept that focuses majorly on trying to solve the problem the prospect faces in the current state and make them realise what their future state will look like with the product or service or your expertise you have to offer. 3 major drawings from the book - Problem identifications, their impact on business and their root cause that help you define whether you can be of any help to the prospect in solving his current state and bring him to the future state. The art of making your client agreeing to something at every step - make them say 'yes' is what makes you come closer to the closing of deal and eventually a successful gap sell sales. The author majorly works on the above concept providing techniques to follow to lead the sales funnel.at every state. Keenan also introduces the concept of healthy pipeline to understand the projections and commitment done by the sales team to achieve results. Finally, the final chapter works on how a sales leader works - in short you have to become to coach for your team guide them and not.manage the team.and their progress report. Asking the right question to.your team gives you accurate state if he / she is on track with his current pipeline sales. Also, some major pointer are highlighted by the author as to what qualities to look for or imbibe in a gap sales team mate. To sum up, you have to.practice this book in your work environment to see massive breakthrough on your conversions and winning over prospects thought process and making them believe what it looks like to use your help to see a brighter future state. Happy reading.

[Jeff Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Simply brilliant!

Keenan lays down the law in this book on understanding the process of selling. Even more so in his LinkedIn LiveCASTS where he "takes on" live callers as they try to GAP SELL KEENAN their goods and services.

Spoiler Alert:

The GAP that Keenan is focused on is a simple concept but not easy to apply in the heat of the presentation. At least not the first few times you try. What is the GAP? In his words, "It is the space between the current state and the future state. The gap is where the value of the sale lives."

In the world of Constraints Management [aka Dr. Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints (TOC)] we would call it the work required to go from the "Current Reality" to the "Future Reality" as you craft a pitch to your prospect. In Goldratt's terms, we build "logic trees" to describe in detail the current situation (CRT) and then with some effort, a more perfect union as it would appear in a future reality tree (FRT).

I found it very easy to overlay Keenan's valuable insights over top of my use of The Logical Thinking Process of TOC to ensure that sales teams are "selling" the correct solutions to the most pressing needs. What we call the weakest link.

If you must sell or if you use some selling in your marketing efforts, you need to read Keenan's book. Now. Even better, buy the Kindle book and get Amazon's Alexa to read it to you.

P.S. His use of story telling with real examples from his adventures make it a quick read. However, if this is your first time with some of the concepts, comprehension may come a little slower.

[Parker Machado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was great. The author does a great job at staying consistent throughout and keeping a clear message. In the end, while some of the ideas he presents aren’t new, he presents the information in a method that’s adapted to the modern world. The writing style can be a bit lackluster, although that’s subjective.

[Kair Käsper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes together well with The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation. I'd recommend this to any non-sales person who needs practical advice on building a sales function.

[Andy Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sales strategy centered around question asking. One that I am eager to make my focus as I grow in this profession. Too quickly we assume we know the answers before we have set to address or fully understand the problem. Highly recommend for anyone in sales. Hint, we’re all in sales 😃

[Via · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berikut adalah **rangkuman bab "The Nine Truthbombs of Selling"** dari buku *Gap Selling* oleh Keenan, dalam **bahasa Indonesia**, tanpa mengubah konteks dan kontennya:

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### **Bab 2: The Nine Truthbombs of Selling**

Dalam bab ini, Keenan memperkenalkan **sembilan kebenaran mutlak (truthbombs)** yang menjadi dasar dari pendekatan *Gap Selling*. Kebenaran-kebenaran ini menggambarkan realitas mendasar dari setiap proses penjualan dan menjadi fondasi untuk memahami bagaimana menjual dengan benar.

---

### **1. No Problem, No Sale**
Jika tidak ada masalah, tidak akan ada penjualan. Orang membeli karena mereka memiliki masalah yang perlu dipecahkan. Masalah menciptakan urgensi, nilai, dan kebutuhan—tanpa itu, tidak ada alasan untuk membeli.

---

### **2. In Every Sale, There's a Gap**
Setiap penjualan melibatkan **"gap" atau kesenjangan** antara **kondisi saat ini (current state)** dan **kondisi yang diinginkan (future state)** oleh pembeli. Nilai dari penjualan terletak pada seberapa besar gap tersebut dan seberapa penting bagi pembeli untuk menjembataninya.

---

### **3. All Sales Are About Change**
Inti dari setiap penjualan adalah **perubahan**. Pembeli ingin berpindah dari kondisi yang tidak nyaman ke kondisi yang lebih baik. Maka, tugas penjual bukan hanya menjual produk, tapi memfasilitasi perubahan.

---

### **4. Customers Don't Like Change**
Meski pembeli ingin perubahan, mereka pada dasarnya **tidak suka berubah**. Mereka cenderung memilih kenyamanan dan stabilitas. Maka, penjual harus menyadari adanya resistensi ini dan mempersiapkan diri untuk menghadapinya.

---

### **5. Sales Are Emotional**
Penjualan bukan soal logika saja—**emosi sangat berperan**. Perubahan memicu ketidakpastian, ketakutan, dan kekhawatiran. Penjual yang efektif mampu mengenali dan mengelola emosi-emosi ini dalam proses penjualan.

---

### **6. Customers Like Change When They Feel It's Worth the Cost**
Pembeli hanya akan menerima perubahan jika mereka merasa **hasil akhirnya sepadan dengan biaya atau usaha yang dikeluarkan**. Tugas penjual adalah meyakinkan pembeli bahwa perubahan itu **layak dan aman**.

---

### **7. Asking “Why?” Gets Customers to “Yes”**
Mengajukan pertanyaan "mengapa" membantu penjual menggali lebih dalam dan **memahami motivasi serta akar masalah** dari pembeli. Ini membuka jalan untuk menjual solusi dengan lebih tepat sasaran.

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### **8. Sales Happen When the Future State Is a Better State**
Penjualan terjadi ketika pembeli yakin bahwa kondisi masa depan yang ditawarkan **lebih baik secara signifikan** dari kondisi saat ini. Penjual harus mampu melukiskan future state itu dengan jelas dan meyakinkan.

---

### **9. No One Gives a Sh*t About You**
Pembeli tidak peduli dengan penjual, produk, atau perusahaan penjual. **Yang mereka pedulikan hanyalah diri mereka sendiri dan masalah mereka.** Penjual yang berfokus pada solusi untuk pembeli akan jauh lebih sukses daripada yang hanya bicara soal produk.

---

Kesembilan truthbombs ini membongkar banyak **mitos tradisional** dalam dunia penjualan dan menjadi **kerangka berpikir utama** dalam pendekatan Gap Selling. Keenan ingin para penjual berhenti menjual hanya untuk menjual, dan mulai menjadi **problem-solver sejati**.

Kalau kamu mau, aku bisa bantu lanjutkan ke bab selanjutnya juga ya!

Mengapa Current State Penting?
Karena tanpa memahami posisi awal pelanggan, penjual tidak akan bisa:

Mendiagnosis masalah yang sebenarnya

Menyusun argumen logis untuk perubahan

Menilai seberapa besar gap menuju kondisi ideal (future state)

Menentukan nilai nyata dari solusi yang ditawarkan

Kamu tidak bisa menjual ke gap yang tidak kamu pahami, dan kamu tidak bisa memahami gap tanpa mengetahui current state.
Komponen dari Future State:
Bisnis yang lebih baik: Efisiensi, peningkatan revenue, pengurangan risiko, dll.

Kondisi operasional yang lebih ideal: Sistem lebih cepat, tim lebih produktif.

Kondisi emosional: Merasa aman, percaya diri, puas, atau lebih tenang.

Perubahan spesifik: Seperti jumlah waktu yang dihemat, penurunan biaya, peningkatan output.

3 Alasan Kenapa Hubungan Bukan Lagi Penentu Utama:
Waktu Terbatas:
Para pembeli sibuk. Mereka tidak punya waktu untuk “membangun hubungan” yang panjang jika tidak ada nilai nyata yang diberikan.

Transparansi Informasi:
Di era internet, pembeli bisa membandingkan produk, membaca ulasan, dan mencari solusi tanpa berbicara langsung dengan penjual.

Keputusan Berdasarkan Data:
Keputusan pembelian kini lebih rasional, berdasarkan ROI, efisiensi, dan dampak nyata—bukan sekadar “feeling good” dengan si penjual.

Hubungan Bisa Jadi Bonus—Tapi Bukan Fondasi
Keenan mengatakan, hubungan yang baik akan tumbuh secara alami jika penjual benar-benar membantu pembeli:

Menemukan dan memahami masalah mereka

Mendiagnosis dengan akurat

Menyediakan solusi yang relevan
Hubungan adalah hasil dari nilai, bukan syarat untuk menciptakan nilai.

Inti Pesan Bab Ini:
✅ Bangun kepercayaan melalui kompetensi, bukan keakraban.
✅ Buktikan bahwa kamu bisa membantu sebelum berharap mereka menyukaimu.
✅ Jika kamu menyelesaikan masalah mereka, hubungan akan datang dengan sendirinya.

Semakin besar gap-nya:

Semakin urgent masalahnya

Semakin besar risikonya jika tidak berubah

Semakin tinggi nilai solusi yang kamu tawarkan

Semakin besar kesempatan closing

Orang tidak membeli karena mereka memahami kamu. Mereka membeli karena kamu memahami mereka.

Apakah gap ini cukup besar dan penting untuk mendorong pembelian?”

Inti Utama Bab Ini:
Tidak semua gap layak untuk dikejar. Terkadang, gap-nya:

Terlalu kecil

Tidak berdampak besar secara bisnis

Tidak cukup penting bagi pembeli

Tidak mendesak untuk segera diatasi

Kalau gap-nya tidak layak, jangan dipaksakan. Fokuskan waktumu ke prospek lain dengan potensi lebih tinggi.
Apa yang Membuat Sebuah Gap "Worth It"?
Ukuran Gap-nya Besar
➝ Semakin besar perbedaan antara kondisi sekarang dan kondisi ideal, semakin besar urgensi dan nilai jualnya.

Dampaknya Signifikan
➝ Apakah gap ini memengaruhi profitabilitas, efisiensi, reputasi, atau risiko bisnis?

Ada Motivasi Internal dari Pembeli
➝ Pembeli harus benar-benar merasa gap ini perlu ditangani sekarang juga.

Ada Dukungan dari Pengambil Keputusan
➝ Apakah orang yang punya otoritas juga menyadari dan peduli pada gap ini?

Waktu dan Sumber Daya untuk Berubah
➝ Apakah perusahaan siap dan mampu melakukan perubahan?

Jika gap-nya tidak menyakitkan, pelanggan tidak akan bergerak.”

Tanda-Tanda Gap yang Tidak Layak:
Pembeli hanya "penasaran" tanpa niat beli

Masalah terlalu kecil atau belum mendesak

Tidak ada impact jelas terhadap bisnis

Tidak ada urgency untuk bertindak sekarang

Tiga Level “Why” dalam Penjualan:
Level 1 – Surface Why
Contoh: “Saya butuh sistem baru.”
➝ Ini masih permukaan. Belum cukup kuat untuk mendorong pembelian.

Level 2 – Business Why
Contoh: “Sistem lama terlalu lambat, jadi tim saya sering telat mengirim laporan.”
➝ Mulai mengarah ke masalah bisnis nyata.

Level 3 – Personal Why
Contoh: “Kalau laporan telat terus, saya kena tegur manajer. Saya ingin sistem yang bantu saya kerja lebih lancar.”
➝ Ini adalah motivasi emosional pribadi yang paling kuat.

“Orang membeli karena alasan pribadi, bukan logika semata. Mereka membenarkan dengan data, tapi membeli karena merasa perlu.

Mengapa Mengetahui “Why” Itu Kritis?
Membantu penjual memosisikan solusi dengan tepat

Menunjukkan empati dan pemahaman terhadap kondisi pembeli

Membantu menciptakan urgensi untuk membeli

Menumbuhkan kepercayaan—karena pembeli merasa dipahami

Menggunakan demo sebagai cara “menjual” produk, bukan sebagai alat untuk membuktikan solusi

“Tujuan demo bukan membuat orang terkesan, tapi membuat mereka berpikir: ‘Produk ini bisa menyelesaikan masalah saya.’

Ciri-Ciri Demo yang Sukses (Kickass Demo):
Didasarkan pada Discovery yang Kuat
➝ Demo dimulai setelah penjual memahami current state, future state, dan gap-nya.
➝ Semua yang ditampilkan harus berhubungan langsung dengan masalah yang telah ditemukan.

Fokus pada Dampak, Bukan Fitur
➝ Jangan hanya bilang “fitur ini bisa melakukan A”, tapi jelaskan apa artinya fitur itu bagi pembeli.
Contoh: “Dengan fitur otomatisasi ini, tim Anda bisa menghemat 10 jam kerja tiap minggu.”

Ceritakan Kisah yang Relevan
➝ Gunakan narasi singkat berdasarkan kasus nyata: bagaimana fitur menyelesaikan masalah serupa.

Interaktif dan Tertuju pada Audiens
➝ Ajak prospek berdiskusi selama demo: “Apakah ini bisa membantu tim Anda mengatasi [masalah X] yang tadi kita bicarakan?”

Ciptakan “Aha Moment”
➝ Beri penekanan khusus pada bagian demo yang langsung menyentuh “why” pembeli. Ini yang akan membuat mereka berkata: “Itu dia yang saya butuhkan!”

Mindset yang Harus Dibawa Saat Demo:
Demo adalah validasi solusi, bukan presentasi penjualan

Lebih baik menunjukkan 3 fitur penting yang relevan, daripada 30 fitur yang tidak berdampak

Setiap menit dalam demo harus menjawab: “Apakah ini membantu prospek mencapai future state mereka?”

Masalah Umum dalam Pipeline:
Prospek macet di satu tahap terlalu lama

Banyak "deals zombie" – kelihatan hidup tapi sebenarnya mati

Penjual terlalu takut menekan prospek, jadi membiarkan ketidakpastian berlarut

Fokus ke aktivitas, bukan kemajuan nyata

Berikut adalah **rangkuman bab “Move Your Deals Through the Pipeline”** dari buku *Gap Selling* oleh Keenan, dalam **bahasa Indonesia**, tanpa mengubah konteks dan kontennya:

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### **Bab 12: Move Your Deals Through the Pipeline – Menggerakkan Deal-mu Lewat Pipeline**

Dalam bab ini, Keenan membahas cara menjaga **momentum dalam proses penjualan** dan bagaimana memastikan setiap prospek **bergerak maju secara sehat dan strategis** melalui pipeline (alur penjualan).

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### 🚨 Masalah Umum dalam Pipeline:
- Prospek **macet di satu tahap terlalu lama**
- Banyak **"deals zombie"** – kelihatan hidup tapi sebenarnya mati
- Penjual terlalu **takut menekan prospek**, jadi membiarkan ketidakpastian berlarut
- Fokus ke **aktivitas**, bukan **kemajuan nyata**

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### 🧭 Prinsip Utama Gap Selling untuk Pipeline:

#### 1. **Gunakan Discovery Sebagai Fondasi Pipeline**
- Deals hanya boleh masuk pipeline jika discovery sudah dilakukan dengan baik.
- Jangan masukkan prospek hanya karena mereka “tertarik” atau minta proposal.
- Validasi: Apakah kamu benar-benar sudah tahu current state, future state, dan gap mereka?

#### 2. **Setiap Tahap = Komitmen Nyata dari Pembeli**
- Jangan anggap “mereka bilang iya” sebagai sinyal pasti.
- Ubah setiap tahap pipeline menjadi **tindakan nyata**, misalnya:
- Mereka bersedia mengundang pengambil keputusan
- Mereka memberi akses ke data penting
- Mereka minta proposal yang spesifik

#### 3. **Kualifikasi Terus-Menerus**
- Prospek harus **terus layak** untuk berada di pipeline.
- Kalau setelah 2 minggu tidak ada pergerakan, **tanyakan langsung**:
> “Apakah ini masih prioritas buat tim Anda?”
Jika tidak, **keluarkan dari pipeline**.

#### 4. **Miliki Kontrol—Tapi Jangan Mengontrol**
- Penjual harus **mengontrol proses**, bukan memaksa keputusan.
- Bantu prospek tetap on-track melalui check-in yang sopan, ringkasan meeting, dan follow-up yang jelas.

#### 5. **Fokus pada Perubahan, Bukan Closing**
- Jangan terobsesi untuk menutup secepatnya.
- Fokuslah untuk **mendorong perubahan yang berarti** dan menyelesaikan masalah mereka—closing akan terjadi secara alami jika gap-nya valid.

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### 📉 Tanda-Tanda Deal Tidak Bergerak:
- Prospek sulit dihubungi
- Tidak ada urgency yang bisa diidentifikasi
- Tidak ada follow-up atau feedback yang konkret
- Proposal sudah dikirim, tapi tidak ada aksi

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### 🔑 Inti Pesan Bab Ini:

Jangan hanya “mengisi” pipeline—**kelola dan arahkan dengan disiplin.** Pastikan setiap deal di dalam pipeline benar-benar memiliki gap, urgensi, dan komitmen nyata dari pembeli. Deals yang stagnan bukan cuma membuang waktu, tapi juga **membuat kamu salah fokus.**

[Mariana Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read to anybody who's working in Sales. Gap Selling gives you a lot of insights, techniques and tools to leverage your sales game and effectively close a deal.

[Raluca Mitarca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book changed my view of what selling is and should be. It moved the concept to empathy, problem solving, clear communication and bigger picture.
I listened to the audio version and am not much of a fan of the narration. Otherwise it deserves 5 stars.

[Ahmad hosseini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gap Selling is going to teach you what the game of selling is all about and how to win. It’s going to give you the practical advice and executable skills and methods to win more deals, shorten sales cycles, and avoid losing on price. It’s going to show you how to get buyers to partner with you and be an integral part of the sale so they no longer go dark, avoid your calls, and put up unnecessary roadblocks.
This book explains a lot of feelings I experienced as a sale person and it was interesting for me. I like author mindset about finding customer problems and try to use them to satisfy customer for buying a product or service as solution. For finding problems we must use asking questions, a lot of question, and try to find customer current situation and their goal for future. After that use the gap between current and future to satisfy customer. In most case this mindset is true but there are a lot of business outside that they don’t know anything about their business and don’t have any specific goal for future.

[Graham Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strong introductory read for someone starting an SDR role and pairs well with the Challenger Sale. While it doesn’t seek to do anything revolutionary, Keenan’s approach to discovery is a valuable way to reframe your conversations with prospects and to empower salespeople to be problem-solvers rather than product-pitchers.

Like most sales reads, it suffers from some poor analogies, expands into adjacent processes that don’t seem strictly relevant, and is a bit longer than needed. Keenan’s approach to prospecting, discovery, and demoing provide a good anchor for a sales rep who’s looking to be consultative. The “gap-selling” method goes by many different names at different organizations, but it is here to stay.

[Brian Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concepts in this book are mostly common sense. However, I always appreciate a framework, and this book does deliver a framework that could certainly be useful for a sales team.

There are plenty of examples to clarify and reinforce the author's points; it's certainly not one of those books heavy on theory but light on application.

The author's brash manner will make the audiobook somewhat difficult to listen to for some, but he's energetic and communicates clearly.

[Craig Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, this is the best, most important Sales book I’ve ever read. I’ve already read it twice, and look forward to deconstructing specific chapters to dissect certain ideas even more. I have zero doubt this book has already improved my Sales skills, and will take my Sales career to the next level.

[Adam Murfet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good sales concepts in here and the Gap portion is great. However also found some themes contradictory and some to not dig too much.

A whole chapter on discovery and not giving enough examples of discovery questions and then referring to someone else’s book.

For a book that preaches Show Me- Economy over Tell-Me Economy, it did more telling than showing.

[Daniel Tolson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

This book confirmed everything I’ve been doing, however with one difference. It showed me how to do it consciously and build customer loyalty into the GAP selling process.

Buy this book today or take the risk of losing another sale.

[Yana Abramova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book!

[Carol De · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gap Selling by Keenan . is written for sales professionals, but it really hit home from a sales enablement front and I recommend it to any sales enablement professional looking to build effective programs. I also loved how he added so humour and I was so engaged, I ate this book up FAST.

I'll give a practical example. At my company, we emphasize Value Based Selling techniques, which means my training programs should educate our sales teams on how to do it effectively. This book drew a clear and actionable picture about what value-based selling (or gap selling) looks like, with examples that make it easy for anyone to understand.

Here are some of my key takeaways from the book (sales teams, this is also for you). Thank you Keenan!

💡 No one cares about your product or company
The hard truth? Prospects aren’t interested in your product’s features or how long you’ve been in business. They care about one thing: can you solve their problems? You're not selling a product—you're selling change.

💡 Selling is all about understanding the customer’s problem
To sell effectively, you have to first discover the root problem and show that you understand why they’re struggling. Only then can you highlight how your solution will get them to their desired future state.

💡No discovery, no demo
Never jump into a demo before fully understanding the prospect’s situation. No discovery, no demo. Tailoring the solution to their specific needs is key to proving your value.

💡The sale isn’t one big yes—it’s many small yeses.
Don’t focus on closing the deal immediately. Instead, focus on the next yes. Every little win, whether it’s agreeing to a meeting or a demo, moves the sale forward.

💡Focus on Future-State: When addressing objections, always steer the conversation toward the future-state. Help customers envision how your solution will bridge their current challenges and lead to improved outcomes.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Approaching sales as being 'problem-centric' was the game changing shift in my psyche I needed. Before I get into what I loved, I want to first address what I disliked. Keenan's style of educating is conversational and it's more or less pretty non-formal. I liked that for the most part, but there were instances where it felt cheap. Don't get me wrong; it was great to have things explained and elaborated in a way that was casual but there are also instances where it felt too conversational. It's hard to explain but perhaps that's because I don't typically read books that are written in conversation-form.

That being said, this is one of my first sales development books and it's a great read. You're not selling a product, you're selling a solution to a company's pains and problems. If the prospect doesn't know what the problem is or the extent of it, you'll have a hard time selling them what you offer and the climb to do so gets steep. I like Keenan's experiences he touches upon and the importance of making it about the prospect and not about you. If you get past the conversation-style, or if it's not a problem at all, then this book is great for opening up your eyes to holes in your sales game!

[Simone Bocedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keenan says it very well himself: this is not a book to replace other sales books, but to overcharge them, to add what was missing or still unclear from books like Fanatical Prospecting or New Sales Simplified. So what it adds? I walked away with two main ideas:
- Filling the gap is all that matters
- Think always about them, not you or your company/product/service

The Gap is the difference between the current state and the wished state, the future in which things work better. So you have discovered the pains of the prospect, what are you going to do with them? Just propose your solution? The way to go around it is to create a compelling vision to aim at. And even, what would a future look like if things don't change. It's very similar than what we do in coaching, where we get leverage and understand what NOT acting would mean for us in the future. Then talk about that all the time. The compelling vision. And the horrible future without the right tools / service / products.

Think about them! Does the email subject has your company in the subject? Does the email sound just like a sales pitch? Correct them all, think about them and what they really need.

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agree with Eric Baum 'As the founder of A Sales Guy, a sales consulting firm, Keenan knows what it takes to drive real sales results in today's digital world. His first book, Not Taught, explores what you and your team need for finding success.

His recent session at Inbound 2018 made a huge impact on the audience, where he discussed problem-centric selling. He explained how first you need to help prospects acknowledge they have a problem so you can then deliver value.

This is where gap selling comes in. The gap between their current state and future state is where value lives. In their current state, customers know they have a problem, they understand the impact, the root cause, and the emotions they experience.

You're selling the outcome — the future state. And this is what his new book, Gap Selling, explores. Releasing in late 2018, the book will dive deep into his selling methodology, which puts the buyer front and center and is focused on showing them where their future state can be.

Now that we understand that it's about them and their problem, at the root of every single sale you ever make is change.

- Keenan, Inbound 2018 '
- https://www.bluleadz.com/blog/5-books...

[Jeramie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was well done for the most part. There are so many of these selling books that have the same message, just rebranded or written with "more energy."

I like this strategy of selling because it doesn't just focus on what the sales person thinks someone needs, or that they think everyone needs their product. It comes from a place of asking questions to truly understand the customers situation, problem and what they need to fix that problem.

There was one part (where he talks about a hypothetical IT/Security team's concerns) where the author slipped into the pattern of delegitimizing a concern from a department in the customer's company. I think the better approach, if possible, is to try and help the customer resolve those internal concerns and have the salesperson actually include those other people in the conversation. In fact, he even talked about doing that later in the book, so maybe the first page wasn't the intended message...

[Constantine Theophylactou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gap selling was a very insightful book for anyone interested in how to be an effective salesperson.

The author, Keenan, goes into detail on what exactly "gap" selling is. Gap selling is often referred to helping your customer through change, finding and targeting their intrinsic motivation to why they would want to make that change.

I would recommend this book to every salesperson who is looking for more simple insights on how to improve their game. This book is not complex, and is easy to follow while being straightforward.

Even if you are not a salesperson, I would also recommend this book as a potential read in the future. The material discussed in this book also help with your day-to-day relationships, whether at work, home, friends/family, or anyone.

All in all, 'Gap Selling' was a solid read. Would recommend!

[Justin Wiebelhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quality book about modern-day selling. Like the focus on problem-finding and asking questions.

Great audio if you are out on the field!

Now that I am moving away from a sales-specific role some parts of the book remind me how much of an echo chamber sales communities can be. Things like "You need to keep emailing them every day/ week because YOU ARE PROVIDING VALUE IN YOUR EMAIL. Never stop emailing them until they tell you so because you never want to say no to your prospect." I understand this as a salesperson and why in the end this works to your advantage, I just don't love the sales platitudes of how much you are helping them all the time. Of course, that is true but in the end you are trying to make the sale...