Four frameworks. One shared vocabulary.
Every campaign playbook names one primary framework. This page is the shared vocabulary so playbooks don't re-explain theory. Read it once; return when a playbook references a move you've forgotten.
The lead’s biggest obstacle is a wrong belief — overpricing based on an old comp, "waiting for rates to drop," "Zillow says my house is worth X."
The Challenger leads with an insight that reframes how the lead sees their situation, then holds firm on process and price. The core move is the teach: replace the flawed assumption with data before pitching anything. The supporting move is constructive tension — being willing to respectfully disagree, because agreement with a wrong belief is a disservice.
The lead has a real problem they are underestimating — self-managing landlords, cramped homeowners "just browsing," sellers with no stated urgency.
Four question types in strict order: establish facts (Situation), surface the difficulty (Problem), magnify its downstream cost (Implication), and let the lead articulate the value of solving it (Need-Payoff). The sale is won or lost at Implication — the question that turns a shrug into urgency. The classic failure is skipping from Problem straight to pitch.
The lead wants your work without commitment — unqualified tour requests, free CMA hunters, "just send me the list."
Two moves matter most. The Upfront Contract sets the rules of an interaction before it happens — agenda, time, and what each side will decide at the end. Disqualification is the willingness to walk away early; paradoxically, it makes qualified leads chase you. Sandler’s law: you can’t lose what you don’t have — time spent on an unqualified lead is the loss.
The lead’s current state and desired state must be made explicit — recruitment, investors, "we’ll wait a year" leads.
Define the current state precisely, define the desired future state precisely, and quantify the gap between them. The sale is the bridge. If no gap exists, disqualify gracefully — and if the lead thinks no gap exists, your discovery questions either reveal one or confirm there’s no deal.
Most real calls blend two — a Sandler upfront contract wrapping a SPIN discovery is the most common pairing in these playbooks. The primary framework named on each campaign page is the one that closes that lead type.
Example
The Sandler Wrap: It sets a strict time limit ("five minutes"), gives the lead an easy out ("part as friends"), and secures a micro-commitment on the agenda ("fair enough?").
The SPIN Core: Instead of a generic agenda, the stated purpose of the call is explicitly focused on the Implication stage of SPIN (quantifying the cost of the problem).