Premium GTM Methodology
Gap Selling
Current State → Future State. The Gap IS the Value.
Based on Keenan's Gap Selling methodology. The distance between where your prospect is and where they want to be is the only thing that matters. Make the gap tangible.
"No gap, no sale. The gap is everything. If there's no gap between where someone is and where they want to be, there is no reason for them to buy anything."
— Keenan, Gap Selling
The Gap Framework
| Element | Purpose | Focus On |
|---|---|---|
| Current State | Where they are today | Problems, metrics, root causes, impact |
| Future State | Where they want to be | Goals, desired outcomes, success metrics |
| The Gap | The distance between them | This IS the value. Quantify it. |
| Cost of Inaction | Price of staying put | Creates urgency without pressure tactics |
The Philosophy
Gap Selling flips traditional sales on its head. Instead of focusing on your solution, you focus entirely on the prospect's problem. The gap between their current state and future state IS the value of your solution. No gap = no sale.
This methodology creates urgency without pressure tactics. When a prospect truly understands the cost of inaction—what staying in their current state costs them over time—the decision to buy becomes obvious. You don't have to push; the gap pulls.
Key Characteristics
- →Problem-centric, not solution-centric. Understand the problem before you ever mention your product.
- →Quantify the gap. Vague problems get ignored. Specific, quantified gaps demand action.
- →Cost of inaction creates urgency. What happens if they do nothing for 12 months?
- →Future state is emotional. People buy the vision of where they want to be, not the features that get them there.
- →No gap, no sale. If they're content with their current state, there's no deal to be made.
When to Use
Best For
- • Complex B2B with long sales cycles
- • Prospects who don't know they have a problem
- • Creating urgency without manipulation
- • Deals stuck in "maybe" / no decision
Avoid When
- • Prospect already knows exactly what they want
- • Simple, transactional sales
- • RFP responses where requirements are fixed
- • They're already at their desired future state
The Prompts
Cold Email
Write a cold email using the Gap Selling framework. Context: - Prospect: [NAME], [TITLE] at [COMPANY] - Signal: [What triggered this outreach - funding, hire, product launch, etc.] - My product: [What you sell] - The gap I help close: [Current state problem → Future state outcome] Gap Selling Email Approach: - Reference their current state with specificity (what you've observed). - Hint at where they probably want to be (the future state). - Quantify the gap if possible—the cost of staying where they are. - Don't pitch your product. Pitch the conversation about the gap. - Create urgency through the cost of inaction, not artificial scarcity. - The goal: make them feel the distance between where they are and where they could be. - Under 100 words. Make the gap tangible. Tone: Direct, problem-focused, future-oriented. Like a consultant who's already diagnosed half the problem.
Discovery Call Questions
Generate Gap Selling discovery questions. Context: - Prospect company: [COMPANY] - Their industry: [INDUSTRY] - Suspected current state problem: [WHAT'S LIKELY BROKEN] - Future state my solution enables: [IDEAL OUTCOME] Gap Selling Discovery Structure: CURRENT STATE QUESTIONS (understand where they are) - What does their world look like today? - What's working? What's not? - What are the metrics that matter? - What have they already tried? - What's the root cause, not just the symptom? FUTURE STATE QUESTIONS (understand where they want to be) - What does success look like? - If this problem was solved, what changes? - What metrics would improve? - What would they do with recovered time/money/resources? GAP QUANTIFICATION QUESTIONS (make the gap tangible) - What's the cost of staying in the current state? - How long can they afford to wait? - What's at risk if nothing changes? - What's the opportunity cost? Generate 3-4 questions for each category. The gap IS the value. Make it impossible to ignore.
Objection Handling
Handle this objection using Gap Selling principles. The objection: [PASTE OBJECTION HERE] Context: - My product: [WHAT YOU SELL] - Why we're better: [KEY DIFFERENTIATOR] - The gap we close: [CURRENT STATE → FUTURE STATE] Gap Selling Objection Framework: - Objections usually mean the gap isn't big enough or clear enough. - Go back to the current state. Did you fully understand it? - Go back to the future state. Did they articulate what they want? - Quantify the cost of staying in the current state. - The bigger the gap, the smaller the objection. - If price is the objection, the gap isn't big enough to justify it. Generate: 1. A question to revisit the current state pain 2. A question to clarify the future state desire 3. A reframe that makes the gap feel larger 4. A cost-of-inaction statement
LinkedIn Message
Write a LinkedIn message using Gap Selling principles. Context: - Recipient: [NAME], [TITLE] - Connection point: [How you're connected or what triggered this] - What I want: [Discovery call or conversation] - The gap I help close: [CURRENT STATE → FUTURE STATE] Gap Selling LinkedIn Approach: - Reference a current state challenge relevant to their role. - Hint at the future state they probably want. - Imply the gap without overselling. - Ask if exploring the gap is worth a conversation. - Under 60 words. Make the gap feel real in few words. Tone: Problem-aware, forward-looking, low-pressure.
Gap Analysis Builder
Create a Gap Selling analysis for this prospect. Context: - Prospect company: [COMPANY] - Their role: [TITLE/FUNCTION] - Industry: [INDUSTRY] - What I sell: [PRODUCT/SERVICE] Generate a complete Gap Analysis: CURRENT STATE - Environment: What does their world look like? - Problems: What's not working? (symptoms) - Root Cause: Why isn't it working? (underlying issue) - Impact: What's the business cost today? - Emotions: What does this feel like for them? FUTURE STATE - Ideal Outcome: What do they want to achieve? - Success Metrics: How would they measure it? - Business Impact: What would change? - Timeline: When do they need to get there? THE GAP - Gap Size: How far are they from the future state? - Cost of Inaction: What happens if they stay in current state for 12 months? - Urgency Drivers: What makes now the right time? - Your Role: How do you close this gap? The bigger and more tangible the gap, the more urgent the sale.
Example Output
Subject: The gap between 2% and 4.7% Sarah, Your job postings suggest you're scaling the SDR team from 4 to 10. Here's the gap I keep seeing: most SDR teams at your stage run around 2% meeting rates. The best run 4-5%. On 3,000 monthly emails, that's the difference between 60 meetings and 140 meetings. Same team, same effort, 80 extra at-bats per month. The gap isn't the people. It's usually the research process before the send. Worth exploring whether you're closer to 2% or 5%—and what's creating the difference? — Marcus