CST Sales Methodologies & Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the 'Assumptive Close' technique?
- Asking the prospect directly if they are ready to buy
- Acting as though the prospect has already decided to purchase (Correct answer)
- Offering a discount to create urgency for a decision
- Presenting two product options and letting the prospect choose
Correct answer: Acting as though the prospect has already decided to purchase
The Assumptive Close involves speaking and acting as if the deal is already done, which subtly guides the prospect toward a positive commitment.
Question 2: A CST trainer is reviewing a rep's discovery call. The rep asked, 'What would it mean to your team if this problem were solved?' This is best described as a(n):
- Implication question
- Need-payoff question (Correct answer)
- Problem question
- Situation question
Correct answer: Need-payoff question
Need-payoff questions (from SPIN Selling) get prospects to articulate the value of a solution, making the benefit feel self-generated.
Question 3: In the Miller Heiman Strategic Selling framework, a 'Coach' is defined as:
- An external consultant who assists with negotiations
- An internal champion who provides information and guides the sales team (Correct answer)
- The sales manager who oversees large account strategy
- A prospect who has already purchased from the company
Correct answer: An internal champion who provides information and guides the sales team
In Strategic Selling, a Coach is an ally inside the buying organization who feeds the seller information and helps navigate internal politics.
Question 4: Which objection-handling technique involves agreeing with the prospect before pivoting to a counterpoint?
- The Boomerang Method
- The Feel-Felt-Found Method (Correct answer)
- The Direct Denial Method
- The Interrogation Method
Correct answer: The Feel-Felt-Found Method
The Feel-Felt-Found method acknowledges the prospect's concern ('I understand how you feel'), normalizes it ('others have felt the same'), and then redirects ('what they found was...').
Question 5: Social selling primarily leverages which type of activity to generate pipeline?
- Cold calling scripts and voicemail sequences
- Digital relationship-building via platforms like LinkedIn (Correct answer)
- Direct mail and printed collateral
- Exclusive in-person networking events
Correct answer: Digital relationship-building via platforms like LinkedIn
Social selling uses social media platforms to build credibility, share insights, and develop relationships that convert into pipeline opportunities.
Question 6: In account-based selling (ABS), what distinguishes a target account list (TAL) from a standard lead list?
- A TAL contains only inbound marketing leads
- A TAL is a curated set of high-value companies selected by ICP criteria (Correct answer)
- A TAL is generated automatically by the CRM
- A TAL focuses only on previously churned customers
Correct answer: A TAL is a curated set of high-value companies selected by ICP criteria
A TAL in ABS is a strategically chosen set of accounts matching the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), ensuring resources focus on the highest-potential opportunities.
Question 7: The primary purpose of a sales playbook in a methodology rollout is to:
- Replace the CRM system with a manual process
- Standardize best practices and provide repeatable frameworks for the team (Correct answer)
- Limit what reps are allowed to say on calls
- Document customer complaints for product feedback
Correct answer: Standardize best practices and provide repeatable frameworks for the team
A sales playbook codifies winning strategies, talk tracks, objection responses, and process steps so that methodology is applied consistently across the team.
CST Sales Methodologies & Techniques 3
Which of the following best describes the 'Assumptive Close' technique?