IS Decision Making & Problem Solving 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A prospect is happy with their current vendor. What inbound sales problem-solving approach is most appropriate?
- Criticize the competitor to create doubt
- Ask questions to explore whether gaps or risks exist in the current solution (Correct answer)
- Offer a free trial immediately to compete
- Accept the objection and close the call
Correct answer: Ask questions to explore whether gaps or risks exist in the current solution
Exploring gaps in the current solution helps the prospect self-discover reasons to consider a change.
Question 2: You discover mid-sale that a prospect's budget is significantly lower than your minimum contract size. What is the best decision?
- Continue the sale hoping they'll find more budget
- Immediately offer a steep discount
- Disqualify the lead honestly and suggest a better-fit alternative if possible (Correct answer)
- Escalate to a manager to approve an exception
Correct answer: Disqualify the lead honestly and suggest a better-fit alternative if possible
Honest disqualification saves both parties time and preserves your credibility and brand reputation.
Question 3: What does 'gap selling' mean in the context of inbound sales problem solving?
- Identifying the difference between a prospect's current state and their desired future state (Correct answer)
- Filling schedule gaps with cold calls
- Selling to prospects who were missed by competitors
- Offering discounts to close deals faster
Correct answer: Identifying the difference between a prospect's current state and their desired future state
Gap selling focuses on quantifying the distance between where the prospect is and where they want to be.
Question 4: A prospect keeps postponing a decision meeting. Which action best addresses this pattern?
- Continue rescheduling without addressing the delay
- Ask the prospect directly what is preventing a decision (Correct answer)
- Threaten to withdraw the offer
- Send more case studies and white papers
Correct answer: Ask the prospect directly what is preventing a decision
Directly naming the delay opens a conversation about the real barrier, whether it's internal approval, budget, or competing priorities.
Question 5: When should an inbound salesperson involve a sales engineer or solutions consultant in the process?
- Only after a contract is signed
- When the prospect's technical questions exceed the salesperson's expertise (Correct answer)
- At the very first discovery call with every prospect
- Only when the deal is over $100,000
Correct answer: When the prospect's technical questions exceed the salesperson's expertise
Bringing in technical experts at the right moment ensures accurate information and prevents credibility damage from speculation.
Question 6: A prospect is comparing your solution to two competitors. What inbound sales decision-making approach helps you stand out?
- List every feature advantage you have
- Help the prospect build an evaluation framework aligned to their specific goals (Correct answer)
- Offer the lowest price to win
- Ask the prospect to eliminate competitors before continuing
Correct answer: Help the prospect build an evaluation framework aligned to their specific goals
Helping the prospect create their own evaluation criteria positions you as a trusted advisor and often benefits your strengths.
Question 7: Which best describes root-cause analysis in an inbound sales context?
- Identifying the deepest underlying business problem driving the prospect's surface-level need (Correct answer)
- Reviewing why a deal was lost after the fact
- Analyzing competitors' pricing strategies
- Auditing your CRM for data entry errors
Correct answer: Identifying the deepest underlying business problem driving the prospect's surface-level need
Understanding the root cause enables you to position your solution as solving the real problem, not just a symptom.
IS Decision Making & Problem Solving 3
A prospect is happy with their current vendor.
What inbound sales problem-solving approach is most appropriate?