Sandler Sales Training: A Beginner’s Guide

If you’re looking for a proven, structured methodology for overcoming objections and closing more deals, the Sandler sales training framework should interest you.

In our comprehensive guide, we’ll introduce you to the Sander selling system and all its nuances, including what to expect from training, the seven steps of the system, pros and cons to this methodology, and how to implement it at-scale across organizations. 

What Is Sandler Sales Training?

Sandler sales training is the specific framework that the Sandler company uses to train sales enablement leaders. It’s one of the best sales training companies out there. With Sander sales training, there’s a special emphasis on aspects like handling objections and building relationships with buyers.

Overall, it’s a more assertive methodology that aims to help sales reps close more deals efficiently. Folks using this framework are encouraged to guide the buyer toward a sale and take control of the situation. 

What is the Sandler sales training methodology?

The Sandler sales training methodology hones in on three main features: building better habits, reinforcing positive beliefs, and using innovative strategies. There’s also a bigger emphasis on the qualifying stage as opposed to the closing stage.

The reinforcement strategy in particular is something specific to this methodology. It emphasizes a “continuous improvement journey” which encourages leaders in sales to assess their reps’ progress and adjust the course as necessary. 

According to Sandler, the reinforcement aspect of its sales training methodology:

• Gives participants time to learn new techniques and shift their current assumptions 
• Encourages them to question their beliefs, and form better habits and behaviors 
• Empowers participants to swap out non-productive habits and behaviors
• Gives participants opportunities to practice what they’ve learned  

What’s the Sandler Success Triangle? 

Another aspect of the Sandler sales training is its success triangle. David Sandler examined everything needed for success not just sales, but in any area, and narrowed it down to three simple factors that make up the triangle: attitude, behavior, and technique.

With regard to attitude, this training method emphasizes taking a hard look at yourself, including your long standing assumptions, beliefs, and perceptions about who you are, your organization, and the current marketplace. These aspects play a large role in not just how you sell, but what you’re willing to give in order to achieve success. 

In terms of behavior, participants need to look at their own plans, goals, and actions, and how often those align. How quickly and often you’ll succeed is a direct result of your disciple, according to Sandler sales training. 

The technique component — which includes your own tactics and strategies — can significantly impact your success overall and your behavior and attitude over time. 

Once you connect all the points of the Sandler Success Triangle, the result is selling success. 

What to expect with Sandler sales training

The Sandler sales training program is a certification program that, in a nutshell, aims to improve sales teams’ performance and close more deals. The program leans on the Sandler Success Triangle, along with essential training and techniques, to optimize selling success.

Participants who explore this type of sales training can expect specialized learnings on: 

• Seeking out and closing deals
• Assisting leads and prospects navigate the “buyer journey” 
• Using discounts and concessions to reduce profit margins
• Learning to leverage customer success to expand accounts

This training also includes specific solutions depending on your needs. From sales foundations to enterprise selling and negotiations, there are plenty of specialized trainings to transform your team.

7 Steps of the Sandler Selling System

The Sandler sales training is a tried-and-true framework for shortening the sales process, improving forecast accuracy, and increasing margins. When applied correctly, this methodology can revolutionize how your team approaches sales. The overall Sandler selling system can be broken down into a handful of steps. 

Here are the seven steps of the Sandler selling system that can help you close deals more efficiently.

1. Build rapport.

As mentioned above, relationship-building is extra important in the Sandler sales training methodology. Building rapport with the potential client is the first step of the Sandler selling system. This allows reps to build credibility and trust with the customer. 

2. Establish expectations.

Early on, you’ll want to establish some clear roles and expectations. This is a good time for reps to set some ground rules and introduce the assertive approach that is key to Sandler sales training.

Although you don’t want to come off as overbearing or too confrontational, you do want to feel empowered as a seller and in control of the situation.   

3. Identify pain points.

During the qualification phase, you’ll identify the top pain points of your potential buyer. This includes pinpointing the client’s needs, wants, challenges, and issues they face. Uncovering these pain points will allow you to best position your solution, whatever the product or service may be, as the best solution for their specific issues. 

4. Find out the client’s budget. 

In contrast to other selling methods, with Sandler sales training, reps inquire about the customer’s budget during the qualification phase (as opposed to the end of the sales process). This aspect is part of what makes Sander such an assertive framework. 

Instead of waiting until the end of the process to see if your client can even afford your solution, you’ll know up-front whether or not they’re worth pursuing. It’s comparable to other lead qualification methods such as BANT, where reps get a better idea of which leads to invest in. 

5. Understand the decision-making process.

At this point, the Sandler sales training methodology emphasis reps understand the prospect’s preferred purchasing process. That includes who’s involved and what their role is. This will be the final stage of the qualifying phase. 

6. Propose your solution.

Once you have all that information, you can move on to the sixth step: fulfillment (AKA, proposing your product as the solution to their problem). Here, you’ll kick off the closing stage. 

Your presentation should showcase your solution in the best light, in a way that shows exactly how it can help your client personally. You can use what you’ve learned during the qualification phase to tailor your services directly to the buyer for increased chances of success. 

7. Conduct a post-sale follow-up.

Although it’s often overlooked, especially in other selling methods, conducting a post-sale follow-up is essential for Sandler sales training. Reps should aim to achieve customer satisfaction by fending off any buyer’s remorse and ensuring clients know they’ve made the best decision. 

Using Yoodli for Sandler Sales Training

The skills and techniques you’ll learn in Sandler sales training have the capacity to completely transform how you approach sales. However, you’re not guaranteed a successful year of sales without first putting in the work to practice new techniques and sharpen existing skills. But getting an entire team, let alone an entire organization, to implement practice and training at-scale can be quite the challenge. With a tool like Yoodli, however, it doesn’t have to be.

Using AI technology, the virtual sales coach Yoodli takes some of the complexity out of at-scale Sandler sales training implementation. No matter how big your organization is, sales leaders can train their reps in this methodology with ease and follow their teams’ progress. It works like this. 

Sales reps can employ the skills they learn in their training in simulated but realistic sales roleplays through Yoodli. That allows teams to actually put their abilities to the test in a safe, risk-free environment, without the added pressure of needing to close a deal. 

For example, reps can participate in simulated inbound and outbound discovery or cold calls to put their skills to the test without risking losing a deal. Not only that, but after each simulation, reps will get real, personalized sales coaching feedback for improvement. 

You don’t have to take our word for it. Reputable organizations such as Google, Dale Carnegie, and Korn Ferry have already tapped into Yoodli for boosted seller attainment and decreased ramp.

Google Cloud in particular used Yoodli for at-scale training and implementation for more than 15,000 sales reps. The case study’s results were so impressive that Google expanded its use of Yoodli into other areas, too.  

Discover how you and your sales team can use Yoodli to practice and implement Sandler sales training (or any other sales methodology) at https://yoodli.ai/. 

Sandler Sales Training Pros and Cons

If you’re interested in how Sandler sales can revolutionize sales teams, you’re not alone. Here are the most notable pros and cons to using the Sandler sales training methodology.

Sandler sales training benefits

Like other methodologies such as the Challenger Sales model or MEDDIC, this type of sales training relies on a structured approach to showcase how to close deals more effectively. Relying on such a clear framework is a huge advantage as it makes it easier for reps to understand the skills needed to convert prospects to customers. This takes some of the mystery and uncertainty out of sales interactions. On top of that, its clear framework can be easily adapted depending on the industry you work in or the different kinds of sales environments you might encounter. 

Sandler sales training is known for its efficient objection handling, another great advantage. Managing objects can be tricky for reps of all experience levels, but Sandler is adept at teaching reps better ways to handle objections from prospects. 

Of course, the emphasis on building solid relationships with buyers is another advantage of Sandler sales training. This focus on relationships helps build better rapport and, in turn, adds to a rep’s credibility and trust. 

Lastly, this type of sales training yields measurable results. Sales enablement leaders can lean into this data to boost client satisfaction and overall sales, too.

Cons of the Sandler sales training methodology

However, there are some disadvantages to the Sandler sales training methodology as well. Perhaps the biggest drawback to this framework is its assertive approach. Although more assertive frameworks can definitely be an advantage — especially when it comes to closing more deals — it can be considered a disadvantage for clients who find it too confrontational. Not everyone likes an assertive approach, and as a result, it can dissuade some potential buyers. 

Not surprisingly, this kind of sales training might not work for everyone. Aside from buyers, some sellers report that the Sandler methodology doesn’t necessarily line up with what they feel is their natural style. 

Another significant consideration is the time it takes to implement Sandler sales training. It can be time-consuming to train a team of sales reps on this methodology and then implement it at-scale. Although it’s not an issue for everyone, it’s definitely a factor worth considering. 

The Bottom Line

Pros and cons aside, Sandler sales training is a trusted framework and methodology like plenty of successful sellers swear by. At the end of the day, it’s the at-scale training and implementation that can prove to be difficult. Even so, using a sales enablement tool like Yoodli can facilitate the process and, in the end, lead to more successfully closed deals.

Sources

• Sandler: “Top Corporate Sales & Business Development Training,” “The Sandler Methodology,” “Sales Training Certification for Professionals.”
• HubSpot: “The Beginner’s Guide to the Sandler Selling System, According to Sandler’s Former VP of Sales.”
• Salesman: “What Is Sandler Sales Training? Everything You Need To Know.”
• Gong: “Sandler Selling Method: Everything You Need to Know.”