25 Sales Techniques That Still Work (And When to Use Them)

Sales isn’t guesswork—it’s execution. Great reps don’t wing it. They deploy specific techniques based on psychology, persona, and deal stage. That’s the difference between "stuck in pipeline" and "closed-won." Here’s the tactical breakdown.

Six Core Buckets of Sales Technique

• Discovery & Questioning
• Trust & Relationship Building
• Value Framing
• Objection Handling
• Negotiation
• Closing

You don’t need all 25 techniques—but you do need the right ones, deployed with intent.

Discovery & Questioning

• SPIN: Unpack pain by moving from symptoms to root causes
• Mirroring: Repeat their last few words to prompt elaboration
• 5 Whys: Rapid-fire to the core issue
• Contrast Questions: Show the gap between today’s mess and tomorrow’s results

Trust & Relationship

• Pre-call intel: Personalization > small talk
• Storytelling: Anchor your point in a customer win
• Empathy-first: Acknowledge the human and the business challenge
• Active listening: Repeat, confirm, reframe

Value Framing

• Challenger: Teach, tailor, take control
• ROI framing: Show business value in metrics that matter
• Before/After: Show the buyer’s journey visually
• Day-in-the-life: Make the outcome personal and concrete

Objection Handling

• Feel-Felt-Found: Classic three-part empathy + proof
• Question-led deflection: Understand before defending
• Future pacing: Reframe inaction as risk
• Reframe: Flip the blocker into a win

Negotiation

• Anchoring: Set the high bar early
• Trade, don’t discount: Get a commitment in return
• Menu pricing: Package options to guide the close
• Strategic silence: Let them break the tension

Closing Techniques

• Assumptive: Act like the next step is expected
• Either/Or: Offer two yes-based options
• Summary close: Recap value, ask for commitment
• Next-step: Don’t ask to buy—ask to progress

Pulling It All Together

Top reps don’t rely on scripts—they rely on systems. Use discovery with new leads. Shift to ROI with execs. Rebut when the deal stalls. Stack techniques based on stage and persona.

Practice. Personalize. Iterate. Track what works—and turn your technique into a playbook.

How Apollo.io Helps Reps Execute

Apollo.io helps reps sell smarter. Access verified data, real-time buying signals, and prebuilt workflows that let you focus on selling—not searching.

With Apollo Engage, test messaging, track reply rates, and optimize sequences for what actually drives meetings and closes.

Try Apollo free or book a demo to start landing more revenue with less guesswork.