How to Follow the Pain Down Instead of Moving on.
A buyer mentions a problem during discovery - something like 'our process is a bit slow' or 'we lose candidates at the offer stage' - and the AE nods and moves to the next question.
Surface pain is rarely strong enough to move a decision. A casual complaint is just a signal that something real might be underneath. The Sandler Pain Funnel is built on one insight: people buy to relieve pain, and you have to go deep into a single problem before its full weight - business and personal - is on the table. Moving across to the next topic before going down into this one leaves the buyer with a mild itch, not a burning reason to act.
Where it goes wrong
You end the call with a list of five problems, none of them owned deeply by the buyer. The deal drifts. The buyer goes quiet. You lose to 'no decision' because nothing felt urgent enough to justify the disruption of buying.
What you'll be able to do
The AE can take a single admitted problem and, through a short sequence of questions, surface its full cost - how long it has been there, what has already been tried, what it is doing to the business and to the person sitting across from them.
How to do it
When a problem appears, stop
When a problem appears, stop. Do not move to the next topic. Say: 'Tell me more about that.' Then wait.
Ask how long it has been going on
Ask how long it has been going on. A problem that has existed for two years without being fixed tells you something important about urgency and about what you are up against.
Ask what they have already tried
Ask what they have already tried. This surfaces failed attempts, internal politics and the real blockers you will need to navigate.
Ask how they feel about that
Ask how they feel about that. It sounds simple. It is the question that moves the conversation from a business problem to a personal one - and personal stakes drive decisions.
Ask what it is costing them, roughly, over a
Ask what it is costing them, roughly, over a year. You are not asking for a precise number; you are asking them to think out loud about size. That act alone raises urgency.
Only move to the next topic once you have
Only move to the next topic once you have heard the buyer describe the problem in their own words with real weight behind it.
See the difference
Buyer: 'Our time-to-hire is pretty slow.' Rep: 'Got it. And how many roles are you hiring for this year?'
Buyer: 'Our time-to-hire is pretty slow.' Rep: 'Tell me more about that - where does it slow down?' Buyer: 'Mostly at the interview scheduling stage.' Rep: 'How long has that been the case?' Buyer: 'Honestly, a couple of years.' Rep: 'What have you tried to fix it?' Buyer: 'We bought a scheduling tool but the team just went back to email.' Rep: 'How do you feel about that?' Buyer: 'Frustrated. We are losing good candidates to faster-moving companies.' Rep: 'Roughly what do you think that is costing you - in lost hires or in time your team is burning?' Buyer: 'Hard to say exactly, but we probably lost three senior hires last quarter alone.'
The AE can take a single admitted problem and, through a short sequence of questions, surface its full cost - how long it has been there, what has already been
How you'll know it's working
You have got it when the buyer has described a problem in detail, told you how long it has existed, what they have tried, and what it is costing them - all before you have said anything about your product.
Questions people ask
How do you follow the pain down instead of moving on?
Surface pain is rarely strong enough to move a decision. A casual complaint is just a signal that something real might be underneath. The AE can take a single admitted problem and, through a short sequence of questions, surface its full cost - how long it has been there, what has already been tried, what it is do
What is the most common mistake to avoid?
You end the call with a list of five problems, none of them owned deeply by the buyer. The deal drifts.
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