How to use the Sandler pain funnel to close high-intent deals?

No CEO or VP is going to open a discovery call by saying, “Here's what's really keeping me up at night.”

They'll talk about missed deadlines or disjointed tools. But the real pain? That stays hidden, unless you know how to earn their trust and guide the conversation there.

This is where most deals stall. Prospects ghost. Pipelines dry up.

To create urgency, build trust, and close faster, you need to dig deeper, beyond the symptoms, into the stakes. And there's one proven way to do that: the Sandler pain funnel.

This strategic sales questioning technique helps you uncover a buyer's true motivations, the emotional, financial, and operational pains they often hide behind politeness.

In this guide, we'll explain exactly how the Sandler pain funnel works, break down its three levels, share the key questions, and show you how to apply it in your next discovery call.

What is the Sandler pain funnel?

The Sandler pain funnel is a structured questioning technique from the Sandler Selling System that guides prospects from vague surface challenges to deep, emotionally charged pain points.

The Sandler Selling System is a broader 7-step framework, and discovering the prospect's pain points is a key component that drives real discovery. That's where the pain funnel lives and where deals are truly won or lost.

The pain funnel is based on a simple insight:

People buy to avoid pain, but they won't share that pain unless you earn their trust and ask the right questions.

Developed by David H. Sandler in the late 1960s, the funnel helps salespeople uncover the emotional impact behind a problem, both financial and personal, through progressively deeper, open-ended questions.

Instead of pitching features, you lead a conversation that helps buyers realize the cost of inaction. Let's move to the three levels of pain in Sandler's sales methodology.

The three levels of pain in the Sandler method

To sell effectively, you need to uncover why the buyer is motivated to change, not just what's not working.

The Sandler pain funnel helps you do that by guiding the prospect through three levels of pain: surface, impact, and emotional.

Each level reveals deeper insight into the buyer's situation, and reaching the third level is what creates a sense of urgency and trust.

Here is a Sandler pain funnel image for better clarity:

1. Surface pain

This is the first layer of sales discovery, the symptom that the buyer is willing to admit early in the conversation. It's usually operational or process-related.

How the potential buyer sounds:

• "We're missing deadlines"
• "Leads are slipping through the cracks"
• "We're using too many disconnected tools"

Surface pain is a conversation starter, but it rarely drives action. If you stop here, you'll end up pitching a solution to a low-priority problem.

2. Impact pain

This is the measurable consequence of the problem, specifically how it affects the prospect's business in terms of revenue, retention, or results.

How the potential buyer sounds:

• "It's costing us clients."
• "Our churn rate has jumped."
• "We're losing deals to competitors."

This is where the problem becomes a business issue. It signals financial and organizational impact, justifying budget allocation and the need for urgent resolution.

3. Emotional pain

This is the most important level, the internal consequence of the issue. It's how the problem is making the buyer feel, perform, or fear future outcomes.

How the potential buyer sounds:

• "I feel like I'm constantly putting out fires."
• "My team's losing faith in me."
• "If this keeps up, I'm going to burn out."

Emotional pain creates urgency and forms an emotional connection between the buyer and the problem, making it impossible to ignore.

Let's walk through one of the most practical Sandler pain funnel examples to see how the three levels unfold in a real sales conversation.

Imagine you're an AE at a SaaS company that sells project management software.

You're speaking with the CTO of a mid-sized creative agency. Your goal isn't to use a great sales pitch, but to uncover real motivation through discovery.

AE: "What prompted you to explore project management tools?"

CTO: "We've missed a few delivery timelines recently." (→ Level 1: Surface symptom)

AE: "What kind of impact has that had on your business?"

CTO: "Clients are frustrated. A few have threatened to leave." (→ Level 2: Business impact)

You: "How's that affecting you and your team personally?"

CTO: "Honestly? Morale's down. The team's burned out. And I'm under pressure from the CEO." (→ Level 3: Emotional pain)

What just happened?

You asked the right questions, listened with intent, and followed the pain, from surface friction to personal pressure.

So, in just three steps, the conversation shifted from a tactical problem to a strategic priority.

And because you listened instead of pitched, you built a deeper connection, one grounded in trust, not transactions.

How does the Sandler pain funnel work?

The Sandler pain funnel is a questioning technique designed to help buyers uncover the true cost of their problems on their terms.

Instead of pushing product features, the funnel helps prospects realize the true cost of doing nothing, on their terms.

The 5-step flow of the Sandler pain funnel:

Each question is carefully crafted to move the buyer from surface-level symptoms to the underlying pain that drives urgency and action.

1. Start broad to establish the pain

Potential buyers rarely lead with their biggest problem at the beginning of the sales conversation. You need to give them room to start where they're comfortable.

To achieve this, try starting with open-ended sales discovery questions that invite context.

Here are some broad sales discovery questions to begin with:

"Can you walk me through what's happening right now?"

"What made you start exploring solutions?"

2. Probe for specifics

Once you've identified the surface issue, dig deeper to uncover the recurring patterns and hidden consequences.

Here are the kinds of questions a sales rep would be asking:

• "How often is that happening?"
• "When did this first become a problem?"
• "What have you tried to fix it?"

Through such pain funnel questions, you clarify whether it's an isolated issue or a systemic challenge and whether they've already failed to solve it.

3. Expose the business impact

Once you've gained your potential buyers' confidence, shift the conversation from the process to the price they're paying.

Here's what sales reps should be asking:

• "What's that costing you in time or revenue?"
• "How is that affecting your team's performance?"
• "Are you missing any targets because of it?"

Pain-funnel questions, like the above, help surface the cost implications of inaction and lay the foundation for ROI in later stages.

Understanding how the issue affects goals and performance provides insight into the prospect's decision-making process, revealing the factors that might accelerate or block a deal.

Also read: Discovery meeting: How to do it successfully?.

4. Guide toward emotional cost

Here, you're not trying to manipulate, you're trying to uncover what's driving change. That's what buyers commit to.

So, ask questions that surface personal stakes:

• "How is this affecting you personally?"
• "How do you feel about where things stand today?"
• "If this continues, what happens to your team?"

5. Let silence and reflection do the work

Avoid rushing. Let the prospect reflect and process their thoughts out loud; this is often when the real truth surfaces.

You ask, "What happens if this doesn't change?" Then pause and listen. This moment of active listening often leads to the most honest insights.

Silence is uncomfortable, which is exactly why it's powerful. It creates space for honesty.

The Sandler pain funnel is effective because it earns trust by listening, rather than pitching.

By the time you've guided a buyer to emotional-level pain, they're often saying:

"Yeah… this is a bigger issue than I realized."

And when they say that, you're no longer just another vendor, you're someone who helped them see clearly. That's when the real sale begins.

15 Top Sandler pain funnel questions you must use

The Sandler sales pain funnel is built on progressive, open-ended pain questions that guide a prospect from vague symptoms to real, emotional buying motivation.

To use it effectively, group your questions by the depth of pain you're trying to uncover. Start shallow, then dive deeper as trust builds.

These questions follow the same progression outlined in the funnel flow above, but are categorized here for easier coaching and team use.

1. Surface-level questions: Identify symptoms

The goal here is to get the buyer talking and open the door to more meaningful discussion.

Questions to ask:

• "Can you tell me more about that?"
• "What made you start looking for a solution?"
• "How long has that been an issue?"
• "What have you tried so far to fix it?"
• "Is this a one-off or something you see regularly?"

2. Impact-based questions: Explore business consequences

Once surface-level pain is confirmed, your job is to understand how the problem is affecting performance, revenue, or results.

Questions to ask:

• "What's this costing you in time or money?"
• "How is it affecting your team's productivity or morale?"
• "Are there any goals or metrics being missed because of this?"
• "Has this created any friction with other departments or leadership?"
• "How is this impacting your customers or clients?"

3. Emotional-level questions: Reveal personal pressure

These are the most important and most underused questions in sales discovery. They uncover how the pain is affecting the buyer as a person, not just their metrics.

Questions to ask:

• "How do you feel about where things stand right now?"
• "What happens if this problem continues for another 3–6 months?"
• "How much of your time or headspace is this taking up?"
• "What kind of pressure are you under to fix this?"
• "If this doesn't get solved, what are the long-term risks for you or your team?"

The emotional level pain funnel questions move the conversation from logic to emotion, which is where most buying decisions are made. This is where you uncover urgency, ownership, and motivation to act.

Insightful read: 14 Best B2B AI automation trends to watch in 2025.

How to train your team on the Sandler pain funnel?

The Sandler sales training pain funnel isn't something reps can memorize in one sitting; it requires consistent coaching, real conversations, and a feedback-driven culture.

Here's how high-performing sales teams embed the Sandler sales methodology into their training process.

1. Run realistic roleplays

Sales conversations rarely follow a linear path, so training shouldn't either.

Set up mock scenarios where buyers push back, stay vague, or avoid the real issue. Then, coach your reps to stay curious, ask deeper questions, and manage silence effectively.

Such mockups are one of the most effective high-pressure sales tactics that help reps develop the emotional resilience and listening skills necessary to navigate complex discovery calls.

2. Use AI call reviews

Use AI-driven call tools that record, transcribe, and surface pain cues automatically. Furthermore, you must score calls made by your representatives based on how thoroughly they explored the pain points.

Businesses that evaluate training ROI report 24% higher profits than those that don't, according to ATD research.

Track metrics like:

• Did the rep reach level 3 pain?
• How many layered, open-ended questions were asked?
• Did the buyer articulate urgency in their own words?

This type of analysis would undoubtedly create a shared language around call quality and provide managers with real data for targeted coaching.

3. Build persona-based question banks

Generic questions don't land in high-stakes B2B conversations. Tailor your Sandler-style prompts to match the buyer persona.

For example:

• For a CFO: "What's the financial risk if this continues?"
• For a Head of Ops: "What happens to your team's efficiency if this doesn't change?"

Create a shared library categorized by role, industry, and type of pain. Successful reps are walking into calls prepared to ask context-aware questions. It increases credibility and accelerates trust.

Get your free buyer persona templates and craft campaigns your ideal customers can't ignore.

4. Capture pain points in your CRM

If discovery insights live only in a rep's notebook, they're lost to the team.

Structure your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution to document surface, impact, and emotional pain.

Utilize templates or custom fields to maintain consistency throughout your sales pipeline management.

Pain alignment informs everything from follow-ups to deal strategy. It also reduces friction across multi-rep or multi-touch deals.

Make pain discovery a coaching priority. Instead of just reviewing deal stages in pipeline meetings, ask one critical question:

"What emotional pain are we solving for?"

That's the signal of a team that knows how to sell with clarity, confidence, and control.

Explore: Master Generative AI for sales [ Learn with use cases]

Turn pain into progress with Salesmate CRM

Uncovering pain is only half the battle; acting on it is where deals are won.

The Sandler Pain Funnel is a powerful tool for surfacing buyer motivations. But without the right system to operationalize those insights, they often go to waste.

That's where Salesmate could play the biggest role in your sales strategy success:

Salesmate CRM is designed for teams that want to close deals based on genuine buyer motivation, not assumptions.

It helps you:

• Log pain points: Use Custom Deal Fields to capture surface, business, and emotional pain in every deal.
• Coach smarter: Analyze Call Recordings and Conversation Insights with AI Employee to improve discovery and uncover real buyer pain.
• Ask the right questions: Embed Sandler-style prompts into Sequences and Playbooks for consistent, effective selling.
• Follow up across channels: Use omnichannel messaging and Marketing Automation to send pain-based follow-ups via email, SMS, chat, and more.
• Track what closes: Use Deal Insights, Reports, and Analytics to see which pain points drive revenue.

When your CRM reinforces the right sales behavior, your team spends less time chasing the wrong deals and more time closing the right ones.

Final thoughts

When you help a prospect recognize the emotional and financial stakes of inaction, you shift the conversation from product features to meaningful change.

The Sandler pain funnel gives your team a way to earn trust, uncover urgency, and sell with empathy, not pressure. 

-> Try the pain funnel in your next five discovery calls.
-> Track how often you reach emotional-level pain and uncover the true pain points that influence buying decisions.
-> Watch how deals move faster when you do.

When used consistently, the pain funnel becomes a repeatable part of your sales process, guiding reps from surface symptoms to deep emotional motivation.

Want to see how Salesmate can help your team master pain-driven selling? Try Salesmate free and experience the difference clarity makes.