Sales Techniques To Grow Your Ecommerce Business

Whether you pitch your product to a buyer at another company or directly to your target audience, sales techniques can help structure your approach. 

A 2026 HubSpot study found that 90% of sales leaders still use a formal sales methodology. 

In this article, learn about different sales techniques and get tips from business owners for guiding buyers down the sales funnel.

What are sales techniques?

Sales techniques are the strategies sales professionals use to persuade potential customers to purchase products or services. They help salespeople structure their approach to customer interactions to achieve repeatable success. 

Marketing-led businesses can also use sales techniques in their copy and creative. For example, an ecommerce business could use a solution-oriented sales technique in their marketing materials by emphasizing how their product solves a specific customer problem. 

Key sales techniques

• SPIN
• SNAP
• NEAT
• Solution selling
• Challenger
• Gap selling
• RAIN

You can choose from a variety of sales techniques, but some may suit your business better than others. Here are several well-defined sales methods to consider:

SPIN 

The SPIN (situation, problem, implication, and need-payoff) method involves asking open-ended questions to understand customers’ pain points. Coined by the sales consultant Neil Rackham in his 1988 book, SPIN Selling, this technique advises sales professionals to ask questions in these stages: 

• Situation: Ask customers to describe their current situation. Uncover what’s working and how they define success.

• Problem: Pinpoint their biggest frustration with their current approach.

• Implication: Ask about the consequences they’ll face if the problem goes unsolved.

• Need-payoff: Prompt them to consider how a solution would change things.

The goal is to guide the potential buyer to recognize that they need your product. As the seller, take a conversational, fact-finding approach rather than pushing a hard sell.

Gloria Hwang, founder of the bicycle helmet company Thousand, says on Shopify Masters, “When you go in for a sales pitch, the first 15 minutes of it really should just be trying to understand what the person’s problems are and what you can potentially solve.”

SNAP

The SNAP sales technique, which stands for simple, “iNvaluable,” aligned, and priority, prioritizes a straightforward and effective sales process. Created by Jill Konrath, who describes the technique in her 2010 book, SNAP Selling, this method encourages you to: 

• Keep the sales message simple

• Demonstrate why your solution is invaluable

• Always align with the buyer’s goals

• Help the buyer see why solving this problem should be a top priority

The SNAP sales technique can keep you from overwhelming your customer with too much information. The coffee concentrate brand Kloo believes leading with one simple message is most effective because it stands out in customers’ minds.

“I think you always want to communicate 10 different things that make your product great,” Cofounder Claudia Snoh says on Shopify Masters. “But at the end of the day … no one is going to remember what makes your product unique. They’re going to remember one thing about your brand, so make a list of all the value props that you offer and really prioritize the one thing that you want to be known for.” 

Kloo’s main selling point is that they have the equivalent of a sommelier crafting their coffee concentrate. They repeat that story everywhere, including elevator pitches, email campaigns, social media, and their website. Staying on message helps them find and connect with buyers looking for a craft coffee concentrate.

NEAT

The NEAT (needs, economic impact, access to authority, and timeline) method centers on the customer’s perspective to understand their core needs and pain points. 

According to the Harris Consulting Group, whose founder Richard Harris developed the technique, NEAT is for selling to customers who have done their research and want a conversation, not a sales pitch. 

The NEAT technique isn’t linear. The four parts can take place at any point since NEAT encourages open-ended conversation:

• Needs: Understand the customer’s core needs and challenges. What main problem and potential solutions have they identified?

• Economic impact: Demonstrate the economic impact of the product or service. What do they already know about how you can help them save time or money?

• Access to authority: The buyer you’re speaking with may not be the final decision maker. What other information do they need to persuade the authority figure or final decision-maker?

• Timeline: Set a timeline for the decision-making process. How can you help them track progress?

Vitamin brand First Day markets to moms because they see moms as the household’s purchasing authority.

“If you can build a good relationship with her as the main household purchaser, then you’re in a good spot,” Founder Alice Li says on Shopify Masters. “Almost all of them purchase for multiple members of the family. There’s really this incredible power about finding the right buyer for you.” 

Solution selling

Solution selling emphasizes understanding your potential customers’ needs and challenges so you can offer customized solutions built around your products. Independent consultant Frank Watts developed the concept in the 1970s, and sales professional Mike Bosworth, author and founder of the Solution Selling network, formalized it.

With this approach, your sales team acts as knowledgeable consultants, demonstrating the value and benefits your products can bring to prospective customers’ lives or businesses.

To effectively use this sales method, you must:

• Understand your customers’ obstacles. What unique challenges do they face? What environment are they operating in? 

• Know your products well. Train sales reps to understand your products’ strengths and limitations, based on firsthand experience and customer feedback.

• Present your product as the solution. What tangible value can you provide? Using the customer data you’ve accumulated, how can you package products and/or features into tailored solutions?

T-shirt brand True Classic used solution selling in their early digital ads to show how they solved three customer problems: fit, cost, and comfort. 

“I had to get that across in the early content to sell t-shirts,” Cofounder Ryan Bartlett says on Shopify Masters. “If I were to just show funny ads, it would’ve never worked in the beginning.”

Challenger 

Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson introduced the Challenger method in their book, The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation. It’s built on deep knowledge of the buyer’s business and pushes sellers to challenge the buyer’s point of view.

The concept stems from Matthew and Brent’s research into five sales rep types: the hard worker, the challenger, the relationship builder, the lone wolf, and the problem-solver. They found that the challenger, who has a different worldview and feels comfortable pushing the customer, was the most successful. They also believe the Challenger approach suits customers who research extensively before interacting with a sales rep. 

Here are the key components of the Challenger:

• Instead of leading with questions, show you already understand the buyer’s problem and provide insight that surprises them. 

• Tailor your messaging to fit each buyer. 

• Take control by asking customers to commit. 

Although the Challenger was created as a business-to-business (B2B) technique, consumer brands can employ its core idea in their marketing. For example, canned water company Liquid Death sees itself as a “healthy beverage platform,” but refuses to conform to the traditional healthy-brand status quo. 

“For decades, healthy brands have decided that they couldn’t be compelling,” says VP of Creative Andy Pearson on Shopify Masters. “They had to speak in a specific way to people, and they had to look healthy and feel healthy. We looked at the fact that the most fun brands in the world also happen to be the ones that are maybe the worst for you—beer and energy drinks and candies and chips. And we said, ‘Hey, what if we took that energy but just pointed it towards something that was better for you?’”

In this way, the brand has taken control of the sales conversation with a surprising voice and identity.

Gap selling 

Gap selling focuses on the difference between where a customer is and where they want to be. Coined by Jim Keenan in his 2018 book, Gap Selling, it’s concerned with what’s not working, what that costs, and what needs to be fixed.

Here’s where to start with gap selling: 

• Learn how the problem impacts the buyer and/or their business.

• Pinpoint the cause of the problem.

• Determine how their current state makes them feel. 

Conversations with potential customers taught Knix Founder Joanna Griffiths that period leaks left many feeling embarrassed. The situation hurt their self-confidence, affected their relationships with their partners, and even pushed some to quit sports. 

This inspired Joanna to create brand messaging that directly addressed those emotions. For example, the Knix website says they believe customers should live unapologetically and free from self-doubt, positioning Knix underwear as the bridge to that state of being. 

RAIN

RAIN is a sales technique that encourages authentic conversations with customers, giving them a chance to talk about themselves and their problems. Created by the RAIN Group, this method has four parts:

• Rapport. Make genuine connections with customers.

• Aspirations and afflictions. Take a positive approach to problem-solving by focusing on customers’ aspirations.

• Impact. Uncover what happens if aspirations don’t become reality.

• New reality. Paint their new reality when they use your brand.

One way the bridal brand Truvelle encourages genuine connections is by training salespeople to speak to customers as they want to be spoken to, rather than forcing them to adopt a rigid brand persona. That way, Founder Gaby Bayona says on Shopify Masters, “It all can just come naturally to the people that are within my team, chatting to our clients.” 

Tips for effective selling

• Highlight solutions across your copy
• Hook buyers with a sample
• Tell a story
• Invest in your website
• Highlight customer testimonials
• Provide personalized recommendations
• Analyze, test, and optimize

Even if you aren’t selling via one-on-one interactions with customers, you can still employ strong sales techniques in your business. Here are a few tips to help you sell effectively: 

Highlight solutions across your copy

Let your sales technique of choice inform the marketing copy that appears on your website. 

Shawn Khemsurov, cofounder of design and development firm Electric Eye, says that whether you use bullet points or longer copy, you must highlight what your product does in a digestible way. 

“The point is to concisely explain what your product will do for your customer and what problem it solves,” he says. “This is the basis of sales, so it’s important to get right. Step back and ask yourself what questions your customer would have and the top things they need to know.”

Hook buyers with a sample

According to Krysten Kauder, founder of candle brand Candier, it’s hard to say no to samples. 

If you want to offer a free sample to your customers, turn it into a lead magnet with Shopify Forms. Have them fill out their contact and shipping information so you can fulfill their orders and reach out to them again, which Krysten says is a crucial step. 

“You follow up and say, ‘I saw you received our samples. Let me know your thoughts [and] if there’s anything special you’re looking for,” Krysten says on Shopify Masters. 

One way she tries to stand out in follow-ups is by personalizing messages so they don’t sound generic. 

Tell a story

Storytelling is another tactic for connecting customers to your brand, says Charlotte Palermino, cofounder of the skincare brand Dieux.

“Great salespeople are storytellers,” she says on Shopify Masters. “I give you all the details. Then, you make the decision. We don’t feel too salesy. We feel educational, and then you are empowered to make a decision.”

Dieux often incorporates brand storytelling in their social media content. For example, in one Instagram video, they walk viewers through recent developments in the sunscreen industry, how they’ve helped customers navigate past confusion, and how they plan to stay involved going forward. 

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A post shared by Dieux ™ (@dieuxskin)

You can also use storytelling techniques to educate your customers about product ingredients, give them behind-the-scenes looks at your business operations, and help them understand how a founder’s values inform decisions. This can help customers feel more connected to your brand without coming across as overtly salesy.

Invest in your website

Improve your site’s user experience, with responsive design across both desktop and mobile devices. Aim to create an eye-catching website that is also easy to navigate.

“A lot of ecommerce selling is about making people feel comfortable,” Shawn, of Electric Eye, says. “There are so many trust factors—areas where you can gain or lose trust. Your site has to look professional. Customers need to understand what they’re buying and from who. If something feels sketchy, people won’t buy.”

Simplify the sales process with intuitive navigation, clear calls to action, and a user-friendly checkout process.

Highlight customer testimonials

Customer testimonials are a form of social proof, a phenomenon that describes people’s tendency to use others’ opinions to inform their decisions. 

The tabletop grill brand Bola Grills uses this strategy. “I know how important reviews are,” Founder David Levy says on Shopify Masters. “That’s a huge validation for people.”

The brand uses the Judge.me app from the Shopify App Store. Bola Grills highlights reviews at the bottom of their homepage and on each product page. These reviews sometimes include images that help customers visualize the product in their home. 

To encourage customers to leave reviews, you can send a follow-up email after they buy. Consider adding an incentive, like a $5 discount on their next purchase, in exchange for an honest review. 

Provide personalized recommendations

Personalized recommendations create opportunities to upsell and cross-sell additional products.

HVAC and home appliance brand FactoryPure personalizes recommendations using a comparison tool that suggests products based on what customers are already considering. 

“[The tool uses] an algorithm that’s supposed to show you products that are most closely related to the one you’re looking at,” Cofounder Eugene Ravitsky says on Shopify Masters. “If you’re looking at generators, it’ll include the size, the wattage, and the fuel type [of] products that are closely related. And it’ll show you the reviews. It’ll tell you where it is in the ranks of bestselling, No. 1 to number whatever.”

Analyze, test, and optimize

You may need to change your selling techniques over time to adapt to changing customer behavior.

Consider running A/B tests to see how different pricing or positioning affects buyers’ purchasing decisions, or experiment with a new software solution for search engine optimization (SEO). The key is to keep a close eye on your sales data and find new solutions for tactics that are no longer working. 

“If people visit the site but few are buying, you’ll want to focus on improving that conversion rate,” says Shawn. “If you do have a lot of customer sales, but they don’t buy much, you might look to improve average order value.”