Every B2B startup hits the same question: which sales technique should we actually use? Five frameworks dominate B2B selling today, and each one fits a different commercial reality. Here is a 90-second guide to all five. Or simply jump to our configurator below to find yours.

With a small BD team, speed of qualification is everything. BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) gives you a clear go/no-go framework to protect your calendar and focus energy on winnable deals. Best for high-volume prospecting, short sales cycles, and early pipeline stages where you need to disqualify fast.

Most deep tech buyers haven’t framed their operational problem as something your solution solves. SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff) guides them to that realisation through structured questioning, without pitching. Best for novel technologies and early market education where prospects are unaware of the problem you solve.

No two deep tech deployments are identical. Solution Selling turns your sales process into a diagnostic: you understand their exact environment before prescribing your technology as the answer. Best for custom integrations, proof-of-concept led sales, and technically sophisticated buyers.

Sandler flips the power dynamic. Instead of chasing, you become the advisor who decides whether this is a fit. The Upfront Contract step alone eliminates most ghosting problems in long cycles. Best for high-value 6 to 18 month deals, relationship-sensitive sectors, and repeat business.

The enterprise standard. MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Identify pain, Champion) is built for high-value deals over €150K, long cycles, and 4+ stakeholder buying committees. Requires CRM discipline and structured deal reviews, but it is the near-universal standard at enterprise scale.

Not sure which one fits your startup? Answer 6 questions below. This configurator will recommend the right Sales technique and show you if your team is ready to run it today.

Sales Technique Configurator
Find your Sales Technique in 90 seconds
Built on Business-to-Business outbound experience, qualifying prospects for over 200 tech entrepreneurs.
Which methodology fits your stage and market
Whether your team can run it today
What to do if there is a capability gap
6 questions  ·  90 seconds
What is the right Sales Technique for your Business? 1 / 6
Tell us about your Business
How does your Sales Organisation look today?
A
Founder-Led Sales
Chief Executive or Chief Technology Officer selling directly, no dedicated sales resource
B
First Business Development Hire, no Sales Manager
Informal, self-teachable sales process, limited oversight
C
Sales Manager in Place, Sales Team of 2 to 5
Customer Relationship Management software active, structured onboarding, manager reinforcement available
D
Full Sales Function
Lead generation through Customer Success, dedicated sales enablement team
Tell us about your Business
How novel is your product in the market?
A
Breakthrough Technology
Buyers do not yet have a name for what you do, you are creating a new category
B
Emerging Product Category
Growing awareness, early competitors appearing, buyers are starting to look
C
Established Product Category
Known problem, multiple competing solutions exist, differentiation is key
D
Commodity Market
Buyers compare on specification and price, Request for Quotation is a common practice
Tell us about your Business
Where are you on the growth curve right now?
A
Early Stage, First Customers
Minimum Viable Product, accessing launch customers and pilots, building first revenues
B
Product / Market Fit
Existing product, expanding customer base, building recurring revenues
C
Scale-Up / International Expansion
Established beachhead market, entering new markets and new applications
D
Maturity Stage
Optimising an established commercial engine, large account management, distribution
Tell us about your Market
Is your target buyer clear on the problem you solve?
A
Completely Unaware Buyer
Buyers do not know they have this problem yet, drive awareness before selling
B
Partially Aware Buyer
Buyers sense something is wrong but have not defined the problem yet
C
Fully Aware Buyer
Buyers know the problem and are actively evaluating solutions
D
In Active Procurement
Formal vendor evaluation or Request for Proposal process already underway
Tell us about your Market
How many decision-makers are involved in a deal?
A
1 Person
Sole decision-maker with a straightforward qualification process
B
2 to 3 People
Small technical and product team or dual sign-off required
C
4 to 6 People
Cross-functional committee including technical, commercial and finance stakeholders
D
7 or More People
Enterprise or procurement-led buying process, full stakeholder mapping required
Tell us about your Market
What is your average deal value?
A
Under €50,000
Short sales cycle, speed of qualification is the priority
B
€50,000 – €150,000
Structured qualification and pipeline discipline pay off at this level
C
€150,000 – €500,000
Multi-stakeholder deals where identifying a champion and mapping the buying process is critical
D
Over €500,000
Enterprise sales cycle where buyers expect a rigorous, structured approach
Your result is ready
Where should we send your gap analysis?
Enter your details to get your personalised Sales Technique recommendation, based on your 6 answers.
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Your personalised gap analysis
MEDDIC is best to drive your Sales
200+ Deep Tech Entrepreneurs have partnered with Sparksense to execute MEDDIC, SANDLER and SPIN-based Business Development since 2017. They benefit from our access to key decision makers across Europe and North America.
Talk to us → Download my Sales Technique Guide →

And don’t forget to read our Blog post to get more details about each Sales Techniques!