The SONCAS method: Selling better thanks to the 7 profiles of the SONCASE method

What is the SONCAS Method?

SONCAS Method Definition

The SONCAS method is a sales technique theorized in 1993 by Jean-Denis Larrabet, a sales executive at GNFA (National Automotive Training Group). This technique offers a psychological approach to selling based on the principle that each customer tends to evaluate a purchase opportunity following a particular bias.

Each bias corresponds to one of the letters in the SONCAS acronym:

• ‍Security ‍
• Pride‍
• Novelty ‍
• Comfort ‍
• Money‍
• Sympathy

The SONCAS method makes it easier to identify a customer's psychological profile to activate the right triggers and improve sales statistics. This method remains relevant today and continues to evolve, as environmental considerations have recently been added as a purchase motivation.

What's the Difference Between SONCAS and SONCASE?

It's simple—SONCASE is an evolution of the SONCAS method. As the most common purchase motivations expanded to include environmental considerations, SONCASE adds the "Ecology" profile.

From our experience at Sales Odyssey, this is rarely the dominant profile regardless of the product. However, many people will be sensitive to environmental and sustainability factors in their purchase decisions, and this can make the difference between salespeople.

The 7 SONCASE Profiles: Finding the Right Sales Arguments

1. The SONCASE "Security" Profile: Reassuring Your Potential Buyer

This is typically the profile that pays attention to every detail because they don't like taking risks. The customer seeks a solution to mitigate the risk that a purchase represents.

But this need for security can also constitute a purchase motivation by highlighting that without this purchase, they put themselves in "danger."

Whatever the context, this type of person wants to be reassured. For them to buy a product, you need to emphasize everything related to customer references, support, certifications...

SONCAS Usage Example:

A security profile will be sensitive to your solution's reliability and your ability to handle potential failures. Arguments like responsive support based in the US or ISO 27001 certification that reassures about data security. You can also use reliability and safety arguments about your solution versus what they currently use to encourage them to switch.

2. The SONCASE "Pride" Profile: The Prospect and Their Self-Esteem

Acting from pride, customers seek to be valued and compare themselves to others. They need to have the best in terms of product/service. They'll be sensitive to "premium" offers and their exclusive nature. Money won't necessarily be a barrier to the sale. From start to finish of the sales process, you must value them and highlight what they'll gain with this purchase compared to their competitors.

SONCAS Usage Example:

You're selling marketing automation software—you'll emphasize that it's software used by the best companies, those whose maturity allows them to be serious in their marketing automation approach. You can highlight the relevance of their desire to innovate and the fact that they'll gain a definite advantage over competitors by deploying such a tool.

Game, set, and match... Sign here.

3. The SONCASE "Novelty" Profile: The Curious Customer

This customer type loves novelty and isn't afraid of change. They expect you to offer them the latest available products. They might have the best product on the market from a few months ago, but they'll still seek to get a similar product with a few additional features (little nod to Apple 📱). This profile can also be sensitive to getting products or services a few days before the "official" release. This last argument is especially effective for prospects who are also sensitive to pride—it works every time!

SONCAS Usage Example:

For this customer type, you should emphasize that your marketing automation software is an innovative solution and the only one on the market with such features. For example, you're currently the first software to integrate deep learning to improve the relevance and personalization of nurturing sequences sent with your tool.

Not sure I understood what I just wrote, but it sounds new, right? Don't replicate this in your business—don't sell hot air; it only works in movies.

4. The SONCASE "Comfort" Profile: The Customer You Shouldn't Rush

This customer doesn't like leaving their comfort zone. They dislike change and are resistant to it. You'll need to take time to explain things and reassure them. You should use vocabulary closest to their habits and work with comparisons so they evolve in familiar territory close to their current comfort.

SONCAS Usage Example:

Regarding your marketing automation software, you'll reassure them by explaining that it won't change their current setup. This tool doesn't change their habits because it fits into the continuity of what they do. The architecture will be the same as what they know but easier and more effective.

This is a complex profile for acquisition because by definition, they'll have strong resistance to change, but they're relatively easy to retain.

5. The SONCASE "Money" Profile: The Budget-Conscious Customer

This customer is interested in price. They don't want to "throw money out the window." Whatever happens, they'll seek to reduce costs. They'll search for everything available on the market. Once they find the cheapest option, they'll finally look at functionality. It's stereotypical, but you'll easily recognize this profile—money is the main decision factor and will come up very quickly in conversation.

Reducing immediate costs can help convince them, as can your ability to demonstrate an attractive return on investment.

SONCAS Usage Example:

When presenting the software, emphasize the good value proposition. You'll also explain that by using this software, they can eliminate tools they currently use because the functionality is integrated, reducing their costs. Also offer a free trial—they'll be receptive to it.

6. The SONCASE "Sympathy" Profile: The Customer Who Brightens Your Day

This customer is very open to dialogue. They need to feel confident with the salesperson. You must create a genuine relationship of proximity with this customer. They'll buy the salesperson along with the product/service because a real connection was established before discussing the product.

You'll need to support them throughout the entire sales process.

SONCAS Usage Example:

When selling marketing automation software, you'll take time to build rapport with this customer. You should also introduce them to another person they can contact for software issues: the CSM (customer success manager). Take time to explain that this person will accompany them in managing the tool and will be their single point of contact throughout their software usage.

Bonus: find your most likeable CSM!

7. The SONCASE "Ecology" Profile: The Environmentally Conscious Customer

Environmental context has added a customer profile to the original method. More and more people have conscious consumption habits and are vigilant about product origins and/or manufacturing processes. With this profile type, you must prioritize craftsmanship and local sourcing. This customer seeks quality and authenticity; price isn't necessarily a barrier because they're aware of the efforts required for local production.

SONCAS Usage Example:

For marketing automation software, you'll emphasize that this software has been optimized to reduce carbon footprint. You can also tell them that data is hosted in the US and the company meets ISO 14001 standards.

How to Use SONCAS During Sales Meetings

The 4 Commandments of the SONCAS Method

1. Practice Active Listening to Define Your Prospect's SONCAS Profile

The first commandment of sales is active listening. This practice involves carefully listening to your counterpart during meetings to establish trust. You should rephrase what the customer says to:

1. Validate that you understood correctly

2. Deepen the most important topics by creating dialogue

Without good listening and reformulation skills, it's impossible to identify the customer's profile.

2. Ask Questions

The second commandment for successful sales meetings is asking questions. Open-ended questions allow your customer to respond more freely and help you identify their profile and needs. Closed questions are only useful for getting prospect validation or confirming their needs.

There's a complementary method for finding the right questions to ask: SPIN SELLING.

This technique involves asking four types of questions to perfectly understand their needs and highlight the importance of addressing them. This helps you gain your prospect's trust and fully understand their challenges.

3. Adapt Your Sales Pitch

The third commandment is adapting your pitch. Sales isn't about using every possible argument about your solution and throwing them at your prospect hoping it's enough! You must find which arguments you can use for THIS prospect and which ones you absolutely shouldn't use with them.

To go further, you can even use the DISC method. It helps you better understand individual behaviors and classify them into 4 different typologies/colors:

• ‍Dominants (red), corresponding to energetic and hurried individuals
• ‍Influencers (yellow), corresponding to warm and demonstrative individuals ‍
• Steadies (green), corresponding to calm and attentive people
• ‍Compliant (blue), corresponding to organized and thoughtful individuals

The benefit of this combination is that SONCASE helps you identify the right argument types, while DISC helps you identify how to deliver them.

4. Adapt How You Handle Objections

Finally, the fourth commandment: adapt how you handle objections. Objections are important in sales, so you must prepare for them. Using the CRAC method, you can effectively counter objections by:

• ‍Clarifying the objection to understand where it comes from
• ‍Reformulating the objection to show you understood it ‍
• Arguing to reassure and defend your offer
• ‍Controlling to verify the objection has been addressed

The CRAC method coupled with SONCAS helps you better understand an objection by being aware of your prospect's main bias and sensitivity. It also helps you choose better arguments to overcome the objection. The goal is to show you understood the problem's source while adapting your response to your counterpart.

Building Your Pitch: How to Create Effective CAP SONCAS

Prerequisite: Before creating your sales pitch, you must precisely identify the customer's profile and needs.

To create a compelling sales pitch, there's a method: CAP SONCAS.

CAP SONCAS Method Definition

The CAP SONCAS method is a sales technique that projects your potential customer into using your product to encourage purchase. It offers numerous advantages for structuring your commercial argumentation. Like SONCAS, CAP gets its name from an acronym: Characteristics, Advantages, Proof.

• ‍Characteristics: These are descriptive elements of your product: size, material, weight, color... This section highlights technical aspects that constitute the product and/or service. Depending on the customer's profile, you'll only present characteristics relevant to their psychological profile. ‍
• Advantages: These correspond to perceived benefits from all product characteristics. Product advantages should be highlighted based on the customer profile and precisely address their needs. ‍
• Proof: This involves proving product benefits based on presented characteristics. These arguments should convince customers they need this product. Don't hesitate to show warranty documents, let them test the product...

CAB: CAP SONCAS Method Variant

The CAB method is a variant of CAP SONCAS. It replaces Proof with Benefits, becoming Characteristics, Advantages, and Benefits. The customer benefits concept is broader and allows valuing the emotional aspect of sales. It lets customers project themselves into product usage and helps salespeople better structure their sales pitch.

By combining characteristics and advantages, you create clear, readable communication. Your customer feels valued and heard because you provide all the information they need.

Limitations of CAP SONCAS Argumentation

But—because there's always a "but"—while CAP SONCAS is a simple, easy technique for effectively presenting arguments, it's not sufficient. Today, clearly highlighting technical characteristics to win a sale isn't enough. Competition is numerous, and similar products/services to yours continuously appear.

To convince, you must tap into emotions—the 7 SONCASE psychological profiles are much more important to master than these two variants. To close sales, you must develop your ability to create connections and be impactful to capture your counterpart's interest and have a chance to sell. Hence the importance of mastering this sales method.

When to Use SONCAS During the Sales Process

The SONCAS method is an effective technique for better understanding and convincing prospects, but it's insufficient alone for structuring your sales process.

The good news is it combines very well with other methods to succeed in all your sales! This is particularly true with Q2C selling, which helps you create a complete, effective sales process.

Using SONCASE During the Discovery Phase

Qualification is the first stage of the sales cycle. Its objective is simple—you must answer these two questions:

• Is your prospect a potential customer?
• Are you the right solution for them?

If the answer to either question is negative, the sales process MUST stop. Sales have a cost, and pursuing a doomed process is disastrous for company profitability and sales efficiency.

Next, if both answers are yes, your mission is to build rapport with your counterpart and understand what they're sensitive to.

You cannot leave a qualification exchange without identifying your counterpart's SONCAS profile.

Examples of conversations that can reveal your counterpart's profile:

• ‍Problem conversation: When discussing your prospect's problem, the elements they emphasize are important. Will they talk about cost? Need for innovation? Reliability problems with existing solutions? ‍
• Future conversation: An interesting exercise is projecting your counterpart into future collaboration and asking what would make them say in 2-3 years that they're delighted with your collaboration. Each element they mention is a key clue for identifying their profile.

Using SONCAS During Value Proposition

This is SONCAS method's main objective—the value proposition is where you deploy your sales pitch to convince your counterpart.

To succeed at this stage, first ask yourself which arguments are most likely to convince your counterpart. These main arguments will naturally be most directly linked to your counterpart's SONCASE profile.

But that's not all—you must also consider how to present arguments that don't seem adapted to their profile. This is often where excellence lies: all your arguments can be presented and described in a way adapted to your counterpart's profile.

For example, price can be presented 7 different ways depending on your prospect's profile:

• ‍Security Profile: "This price includes daily backup and 99.99% availability guarantee"
• ‍Pride Profile: "This price is reserved for the most advanced companies among our clients; we'd be proud to count you among them"
• ‍Novelty Profile: "This is a special price reserved for first customers using this new technology"
• ‍Comfort Profile: "Everything is included in this price, from setup to maintenance with a dedicated account manager based in the US who can visit your site" • Money Profile: "We're the most competitive in the market"
• ‍Sympathy Profile: "Our conversation has been a pleasure; I negotiated a special rate with my manager just for you"
• ‍Ecology Profile: "For each license, we donate X% to a deforestation-fighting organization"

Yes, these examples are somewhat stereotypical, and I count on you to do better while keeping one thing in mind: ALL ARGUMENTS can be adapted to your prospect's profiles. Sorry, I correct myself—all arguments MUST be adapted to your prospect.

Closing with SONCAS

By the time you reach closing, you should have done the necessary groundwork. What matters here is triggering the decision.

This phase is generally misunderstood and poorly mastered by salespeople. We've created a dedicated guide with a complete video to help you: Master Your Closing.

The SONCAS method can help you trigger decisions by leveraging your prospect's dominant profile to create appropriate urgency.

For example, you can emphasize the urgency of acting quickly to secure the company with a security profile, or a time-limited price with a money profile.

Be smart—it's all about preparation. Talent and improvisation are for children.