Triangle Selling: The Simple Framework

Introduction

Triangle Selling offers a straightforward yet effective approach to closing big B2B deals. Hilmon Sorey and Cory Bray developed this method, which centers on three key components: Reason, Resources, and Resistance. This framework helps salespeople to understand what motivates buyers, what they require, and what obstacles they face.

You can use this technique on its own or combine it with your existing sales strategies. It provides clear tactics such as the H.E.L.P. and G.R.O.W. models to keep sales progressing. Triangle Selling can be a good starting point if you want to streamline and boost your sales process.

Understanding the Triangle Selling Framework

The Triangle Selling framework has emerged as a modern triage approach to closing complex B2B deals. Industry veterans Hilmon Sorey and Cory Bray created this system that gives salespeople worldwide a practical methodology to hit their targets consistently.

What is Triangle Selling?

Triangle Selling brings strategy and execution together in a complete methodology. Traditional sales approaches depend on charisma or product knowledge alone. This framework gives you a well-laid-out system to evaluate, influence, and respond to buyer actions throughout the sales process.

You can implement it as a standalone system or use it to improve your current sales approach, which makes it truly valuable. The framework was specifically designed to enable front-line managers, creating clear accountability that arranges perfectly with leadership goals.

The three pillars: Reason, Resources, Resistance

Three equally important "corners" form the foundation of every successful sale in the triangle framework:

• Reason: This pillar gets into why prospects buy - either to avoid pain or seek reward. Organizations experience problems, but individuals feel pain, making this pillar deeply personal.
• Resources: This pillar looks at what must be accessed, directed, or changed for a purchase to happen. Seven significant resource types exist: emotional, intellectual, human, technical, financial, political, and energy.
• Resistance: This pillar identifies obstacles during the buying process. These fall into three categories: reactance (resistance to the process), skepticism (resistance to the solution), or inertia (resistance to change).

Why it works for high-value B2B deals

Complex B2B environments are where the Triangle framework really shines. Successful selling needs more than just product knowledge - it combines people skills with the right attitude.

The system relies on knowing how to find information and ask questions throughout meetings. You can move conversations away from resistance and back to reason or resources while building rapport. This helps you tackle complex sales cycles systematically. You create urgency and selling opportunities by finding real pain points instead of just addressing organizational problems.

You'll get clear actions for each situation, which works especially well when you guide high-value enterprise deals with multiple stakeholders and lengthy decision processes.

Corner 1: Reason – Why prospects buy

Sales success depends on understanding the first corner – Reason – when looking at deals through the triangle selling lens. A simple yet profound question lies at its core: What makes your prospects want to buy?

Pain vs. reward: the two motivators

The triangle framework shows that two basic motivators drive prospects: they either avoid pain or seek reward. Research from behavioral economics tells us something interesting - people are twice as likely to act to avoid losing something than they are to gain something new. This explains why sales professionals get better results by highlighting the "pain of same" – what happens if nothing changes – rather than talking about future benefits.

A significant difference exists between problems and pain. Organizations face problems, but individuals feel pain. This matters because real people, not companies, make buying decisions.

Types of questions to uncover Reason

You need a strategic questioning approach to discover genuine buying motivations. These question types work well:

• Probative questions: "Can you be more specific?" – These help prospects express their situation more clearly
• Socratic questions: "Why did you ask that? Is there a particular reason?" – These reveal underlying motivations
• Qualifying questions: "What are your top priorities right now?" – These establish importance and urgency

Note that these questions should help the prospect, not just serve the salesperson. Asking permission before diving into difficult questions helps alleviate any negative effect on the prospect's status.

How to personalize your pitch using Reason

Your prospect's true motivations let you personalize effectively. Focus on solving their specific problems instead of pushing what you want to sell.

Show that you really understand their situation and share their concerns. Your messaging should target their specific pain points based on priority and how much they affect the business. The best sales pitches reflect each partner's unique business situation and context.

Triangle selling builds relationships beyond transactions. David Fisher, a Sales Hall of Fame inductee, puts it perfectly: "My sales philosophy is to be of service to others, to provide value by helping them make decisions more easily, more quickly, or with less risk".

Corner 2: Resources – What’s needed to buy

The second corner of the triangle selling framework gets into Resources – a key element that shows whether your prospect can actually make the purchase. Resource understanding takes you beyond knowing why prospects want to buy. It confirms they have everything needed to complete the transaction.

The 7 resource types explained

The triangle framework breaks resources into seven distinct categories you must identify and address:

• Emotional: The feelings and attitudes prospects have toward change
• Intellectual: Their understanding of your solution and its implementation
• Human: People who must be involved in the buying decision
• Technical: Systems, infrastructure, and technology required
• Financial: Budget and funding necessary for purchase
• Political: Organizational dynamics and power structures
• Energy: Time, attention, and effort needed to complete the purchase

Each resource type becomes either a constraint or enabler in your sales process. A separate look at each helps you pinpoint where you need to focus your efforts.

How to assess buyer readiness

You can gage resource readiness by asking targeted questions about each category. "Who else needs to be involved in this decision?" helps assess human resources. "What's your timeline for implementation?" reveals energy resources.

Watch for signs of resource constraints. Hesitation during budget discussions points to potential financial resource issues. Postponed meetings often indicate energy resource limitations.

A simple checklist for each deal helps track resource status. This lets you prioritize accounts with abundant resources and develop strategies for those lacking them.

Using social proof and past experience

Prospects with limited resources need reassurance that your solution deserves their investment. Social proof becomes a great way to get results in the sales triangle approach.

Share relevant case studies of similar companies that successfully implemented your solution despite limited resources initially. Show how these companies overcame resource constraints and ended up benefiting from the change.

Your past experience builds credibility. "I've worked with three companies in your industry facing similar resource challenges" builds trust better than generic claims. Plus, understanding their resource limitations positions you as a partner rather than just a vendor in the trust triangle selling relationship.

Corner 3: Resistance – What’s stopping the deal

The final corner of the triangle selling framework tackles the toughest challenge: Resistance. Your ability to understand what blocks a deal's closure makes the difference between hitting targets and watching promising opportunities slip away.

Reactance: resistance to the process

Prospects demonstrate reactance when they feel their choices are limited or they face pressure to decide. This psychological response shows up as pushback against your sales process. You might hear phrases like "I just need to think about it" or "Let me get back to you next quarter."

Start by accepting reactance as natural. Give your prospect back control by presenting choices instead of directives. Match their comfort level with your pace because rushing creates immediate resistance.

Skepticism: resistance to the solution

Skepticism shows up when prospects doubt your solution's ability to deliver results. This resistance surfaces through detailed technical questions or requests to confirm claims.

You can tackle skepticism with solid evidence. Companies as with your prospect's situation provide great case studies. Third-party confirmation and open discussions about limitations help build trust. Of course, complex sales require more evidence to overcome doubt.

Inertia: resistance to change

Inertia stands as the strongest form of resistance. Prospects might see both the problem and your solution's value, yet stick with what they know. Change takes energy, attention, and risk—resources prospects often avoid spending.

Breaking through inertia means making the current situation more uncomfortable than change itself. Show them rising costs of doing nothing and quick wins from taking action.

How to reframe objections using trust triangle selling

The trust triangle selling approach revolutionizes objections into opportunities through three steps:

1. Confirm concerns without getting defensive
2. Bridge to value by linking to their core motivations
3. Pivot to action with a clear next step

This technique shifts conversations from resistance back to reason or resources. Building rapport stays crucial—you guide rather than push. You might ask: "If we could solve this concern completely, would you be ready to move forward?"

Conclusion

Triangle Selling gives you a handy framework to secure complex B2B deals. It zeroes in on three key areas: the Reason (why customers buy), the Resources (what they need to buy), and the Resistance (what's stopping them). Getting a good grip on these helps you steer deals more.

You can use this method on its own or to boost your current sales tactics. It offers a clear roadmap to uncover pain points, spot all the resources needed, and tackle objections with confidence—helping you land big-ticket deals more often.