What is the foundation of any sales manager’s success? It is their ability to master various sales techniques, apply them skillfully, and combine them effectively in order to close a deal. In a previous article, we outlined the general principles and algorithms that contribute to the success of a novice salesperson while preventing a professional from experiencing long-term burnout. In this article, we will focus on the practical application of a technique called ARMOR. Like the SALO technique mentioned previously, it will be useful for beginners and experienced sales managers working in both B2B and B2C environments. By using it, you will improve your sales skills through consistent steps and increase the quality of customer interactions.

What is ARMOR?

First of all, let’s decipher the acronym:

A – Analysis of the client.

R – Risks present.

M – Matters of threat.

O – Options for resolution.

R – Resolution alternatives.

Looking ahead: This is a kind of action plan with a clear sequence. Each step should lead you to maximum efficiency, so you cannot skip, bypass, or shorten any steps. The technique must work as a monolith, otherwise you will not achieve the desired result.

ARMOR has proven itself to be a universal and effective tool in both B2C and B2B sales, although no one has taken away the need to adapt it to the specifics of your product/service. That’s why every sales manager should make adaptations for his own tasks – this is also part of the success and creative part of the job. Below we will analyze the steps and the “backbone” of the technique in detail.

A – Analysis of the client

This means quality preparation before the first face-to-face contact with a customer – gathering as much data as possible about the customer and their business. Even if it’s a simple lead or a standard inquiry with a phone number, name, and a brief description of the inquiry, you need to get the most out of the information available.

What you can do as a first step:

  • Inquire about all areas of the company’s operations;
  • Analyze the website;
  • Find out the names and positions of the key people you will be communicating with;
  • Clearly understand the responsibilities of each specialist in the client’s company.

If the client has already indicated in the request what problem he wants to solve with the help of your agency, conduct an audit in this direction and study the competitors in the niche. When preparing for a personal meeting, prepare a list of clarifying questions and a visual aid. A good option is a presentation with case studies, screenshots, and other related material where you have successfully solved similar problems – this demonstrates your company’s expertise.

Demonstrating genuine interest and a deep understanding of the client’s business will distinguish you from competitors who are just beginning to explore the topic during the introduction.

Good preparation is a guarantee that you will be remembered against the background of others, and further dialogues will be warmer, which is a significant advantage at the beginning.

Thorough preparation and information gathering does not mean that you have to “overload” the client. A good manager should not talk 90% of the time without letting the client speak. You need to show commitment and awareness, but at the same time have an equal dialogue, ask clarifying questions, and let the client speak.

R – Risks present

The second step, after getting to know the client and receiving input, is to identify the problem the client has brought to you. Here it is important to proceed in a measured and calm manner, as the client may not be fully aware of the main problem due to a “blurred view”. Your task as a professional, after a detailed briefing and clarifications, is to understand whether the key question is correctly formulated, whether it is not in another area. Therefore, you should not agree with the client on everything and accept all his conclusions. From the whole range of information, it is necessary to identify the main problem of the client, his most pressing question, for the solution of which he turned to you. Then analyze the problem, ask a lot of clarifying questions and draw your own conclusion – it may coincide with the client’s or differ from it. Then show the client what you think the solution is, and make a strong case for why you think it’s the right one. At this point, it’s important to get the client to agree that this is the core problem and to support your arguments.

How deeply you analyze and how attentive you are at this stage will determine whether the customer agrees with your formulation of the problem and is interested in continuing to work with the company.

M – Matters of threat

If, in the previous step, you were able to identify the key problem and establish a common understanding of its significance, it is now time to demonstrate its potential consequences.

What does this mean? In the third stage, your arguments should no longer focus on the problem itself, but on the possible negative consequences of not addressing the problem. In simple terms, you need to paint the maximum number of negative scenarios in the customer’s mind of what to expect from further inaction. The scenarios should be truthful and reasoned, preferably supported by numbers.

Example from the digital niche: «Your advertising account has no semantics, no minus words, which has already led to inappropriate spending of the advertising budget in the amount of $1200 in 30 days, i.e. your business has lost $3600 in the last three months. If you do not work on semantics and do not add minus words now, next month inappropriate spending can grow to $2 thousand and even more, because the active season is coming and you planned to increase advertising budgets. Negative dynamics of advertising campaign indicators will lead to even bigger losses».

Business people love numbers, so numerical visualization will work well. The brighter and more persuasive you speak, the more arguments with numbers you provide, the greater the chance that the client will work with you. At this stage, your job is to create a sense of urgency and loss so that decisions are made faster and the deal cycle is shortened. Risks should prompt action and minimize the standard refusals of “I’ll think about it,” “We need more time,” and so on. The problem is real and procrastination is fatal, it’s time to act!

O – Options for resolution

So, you have managed to create a clear picture of the danger in the customer’s mind and clearly communicate all the risks of delay. Now it’s time to offer a solution – to present your services/goods that will definitely solve their problem. Here you need to carefully and reasonably convey how and in what timeframe you will achieve their goals, and most importantly – what is your uniqueness, why you are the lifeline.

The presentation should be clear and as specific as possible. This means that you no longer rely on past experience from other projects, but instead use the example of the client company to show what you can offer and what the results will be.

At this stage, your objective should be to focus on solving a specific problem, rather than selling additional perks, promising bonuses, and so forth. Furthermore, it is important to avoid creating unrealistic expectations, presenting the client with an overly positive view of the situation, or glossing over potential challenges. Otherwise, the client may not be able to trust your recommendations. If there are risks, it is essential to be transparent about them. However, more importantly, you should clearly outline how these risks can be avoided or minimized.

R – Resolution alternatives

This is a pivotal stage, yet one that is frequently overlooked. The final sentence is often the determining factor in whether a speech will result in a deal or not.

Here you summarize everything that has been said before and tell the client the next steps – signing the contract, paying the invoice. In other words, you present a clear and specific plan of action for the commencement of work or the purchase of goods.

The key is to phrase the question in a way that conveys your confidence in collaborating with the customer while avoiding any implication of rejection.

For example, for B2B the question may sound like this: “Based on everything we discussed earlier, do you want to start cooperation only in the direction of SEO, or is it more convenient for you to start at once in a complex with the development of a new website?”.

The question does not imply a negative response. Rather, it is an explicit indication of the client’s willingness to cooperate. There is simply a matter of nuance at play.

In the context of B2C, the issue in question can be any aspect related to product bundling or bonuses, for instance:

  • “Is one piece enough for you, or would you like to get a second pair of glasses for your wife right away?”
  • “Are you happy with the standard set, or would you like a case and a lens care kit?”

These are examples where you provide an alternative, allowing the customer to choose from options that are convenient for YOU, where they both have a successful transaction.

The fifth step can be called a cardinal truth of successful sales, although in practice I have repeatedly seen salespeople lose focus, skip this step, and as a result, many money deals went out the window at the last moment. The customer began to feel the salesperson’s insecurity and, without a clear question, began to doubt the product/service being offered.

Conclusion

The ARMOR Technique is a powerful tool for structured and effective selling that helps sales managers better understand customers, identify key issues, increase motivation to solve those issues, and confidently close the deal. By following all the steps without simplification, you can minimize abandonment, shorten the deal cycle, and increase customer loyalty.