Choosing the right sales training program can make all the difference when empowering your sales team with the right skills. Two notable options are Revenueify's Customer-Focused Selling (CFS) and the Sandler Selling System. Both programs have their own strengths, but how do they compare across critical criteria for your sales teams?
This detailed comparison evaluates both options based on key factors—such as program structure, customization, industry specificity, delivery methods, and outcomes—to help Sales Managers, sales VPs, and Business Owners make an informed decision.
Program Overview
Revenueify's Customer Focused Selling (CFS)
Originally developed in 1992, Revenueify's Customer-Focused Selling (CFS) program centers around relationship-driven, consultative Selling. The program emphasizes maximizing customer lifetime value (LTV) while leveraging tools like the F.I.N.D. methodology to understand business objectives and Customer Matching through DiSC for Sales. The program blends traditional training with continual coaching and reinforcement for lasting impact.
Key Features:
Starts with a REVUP Assessment to analyze business needs and customize training.
Fully integrates DiSC personality insights throughout the entire sales process.
Prioritizes consultative, outcome-focused selling through the F.I.N.D. system and gaining commitment before creating a quote or proposal.
Delivered through ongoing training subscriptions ($200–$1,200 per person/month).
Sandler Selling System
Initially developed in 1966, the Sandler Selling System is a behavior-focused program built around building rapport, uncovering buyer motivations, and cultivating long-term trust. Its core methodology revolves around a seven-step process for qualifying leads and closing deals effectively.
Key Features:
Focuses on behavior change and forming strong sales habits.
The "Up Front Contract" is used to set clear expectations between salespeople and prospects.
Covers full-funnel sales training, from prospecting to account expansion.
Prioritizes Consultative Selling by understanding customer pain points.
Delivered in virtual and in-person formats ($1,000–$3,000 per participant).
Pre-Assessment
Customer Focused Selling
Most Customer-specific programs start with the REVUP Assessment to evaluate revenue organization gaps, including sales skills, team alignment, and operational readiness.
Provides actionable, data-driven insights that allow for focused efforts in the Customer Focused Selling System.
The assessment allows for high customization of the Customer-Focused Selling System with specific sales processes, metrics, and program materials.
Sandler Selling System
Offers general pre-training evaluations that look at sales abilities and the revenue organization.
Gives sales leaders a holistic view to elevate the skills and stature of every revenue generator.
Verdict:
Customer-focused Selling's structured assessment offers a more profound, more data-driven starting point for organizations. It allows for the launch of a more customized and tailored program for your specific organization.
Training Customization for Individual Customers
Customer Focused Selling
Heavily customized training programs tailored to unique industry needs, roles, and customer challenges.
Uses real-world role plays, industry-specific sales strategies, and references.
Revenueify coaches are industry / vertical-specific, allowing the trainers for Customer-Focused Selling to better understand your organization. This allows for a more customized application of the methodology to the real world.
Specializes in adapting the training program to various industries, ensuring relevance with specific references, role-plays, and targeted techniques.
Sandler Selling System
Provides generalized training modules with limited industry-specific customization.
It allows for program customization but does not offer much in the way of customized content for specific industries.
Strong foundations in consultative Selling but lacks deep customization for specific industries.
Verdict:
Customer-Focused Selling excels in customization, offering flexible solutions for unique organizational needs compared to Sandler's one-size-fits-all approach.
Behavioral Insights Integration
Revenueify CFS
Revenueify CFS excels in integrating DiSC behavioral insights, ensuring they are embedded into all aspects of the sales process. This approach empowers sales teams to create targeted and personalized communication strategies based on an in-depth understanding of client behavior. By equipping sales professionals with tools to identify personality types and adapt their selling techniques accordingly, Revenueify fosters stronger relationships and higher conversion rates. The seamless incorporation of DiSC into every phase of the sales process—from prospecting to closing—makes Revenueify an invaluable asset for teams aiming to elevate their performance with precision and empathy.
Sandler Selling System
The Sandler Selling System also incorporates DiSC principles through Extended DiSC assessments. However, its application is more limited in scope. While the assessments provide valuable insights into behavioral tendencies, they are primarily employed as a supplementary tool rather than an integral framework for the program. This limited use of DiSC suggests that sales teams may not fully benefit from its potential to enhance communication and refine strategies throughout the entire sales process.
Verdict:
Customer-Focused Selling's dedication to consistently embedding DiSC methodology across the sales process underscores its superiority in leveraging behavioral insights for measurable success.
Consultative Selling Process
Customer Focused Selling
The Customer-Focused Selling System is built on the F.I.N.D.® system, designed to uncover the most critical aspects of a customer's objectives. This includes identifying their immediate needs, current challenges, and long-term vision for success. By profoundly exploring these areas, Revenueify allows sales teams to craft tailored, outcome-based strategies that present their offerings as products and valuable business investments. This depth of understanding ensures that every solution is framed to deliver tangible, measurable results that matter to the customer.
Unlike other systems, Revenueify emphasizes customer collaboration and mutual discovery throughout the sales process. It encourages sales professionals to think beyond the immediate sale, prioritizing the development of trust and a shared vision for success. This makes the framework particularly effective for organizations with an advisory-focused sales approach, emphasizing creating lasting partnerships with clients.
Sandler Selling System
The Sandler Selling System takes a slightly different approach, focusing on efficiency and qualification early in the sales pipeline. It encourages sales teams to identify customer pain points as quickly as possible, enabling them to qualify—or disqualify—leads early in the process. While this method is effective for streamlining efforts and prioritizing high-value opportunities, it often stops short of the deeper, collaborative exploration that is central to consultative Selling. Sandler's process does have its merits, particularly for organizations with a transactional sales model or those looking to optimize their lead qualification process.
Verdict:
Both Customer Focused Selling and the Sandler Sales System emphasize consultative, outcome-based Selling. They also share a common belief in asking better questions early in the sales process, which is key to success. However, Revenueify takes things further with a more comprehensive consultative framework that focuses on maximizing the Lifetime Value of Customers. With its emphasis on understanding customer styles through DiSC, aligning with customer business objectives, creating ROI-driven solutions, and crafting outcome-based strategies, Revenueify is an excellent choice for organizations prioritizing advisory-focused sales and long-term customer value.
Training Delivery Options
Customer Focused Selling
Offers a mix of live, virtual, and webinar-based options for maximum accessibility.
Delivered via a subscription model, ensuring consistent engagement and long-term learning.
Includes personalized training plans tailored to team needs.
It has a comprehensive coaching portal that allows for one-on-one coaching on live opportunities throughout the training program.
Sandler Selling System
Provides virtual and in-person training formats but can be more limited in its capabllites in a 1 on 1 basis.
Focuses on structured, methodology-driven training sessions.
Materials are delivered through a fixed curriculum, limiting adaptability.
Offers certification programs for participants.
Verdict:
Both Revenueify and Sandler offer multiple training methods and ongoing subscription model provide more value for teams seeking lasting growth. If you are looking for 1 on 1 coaching for your sales professionals, the Customer Focused Selling program will be a better fit.
Coaching and Reinforcement
Customer Focused Selling
Features a fully integrated coaching platform with one-on-one sessions, group collaborations, and ongoing access to sales coaches.
Revenueify coaches are focused on specific industries/verticals, allowing for more targeted reinforcement and work on real customers.
Provides customizable learning paths tailored to individual and team needs.
All programs end with a Capstone event to become certified in the specific methodology. This ensure thats sales professionals both understand and have applied the methods to real customer interactions.
Sandler Selling System
Offers follow-up sessions and workshops but lacks the robust, tech-enabled reinforcement mechanisms Revenueify provides.
Focuses primarily on in-person training and traditional coaching methods.
Limited access to on-demand digital tools and resources for ongoing learning.
Verdict:
Revenueify outshines Sandler with its extensive coaching portal, reinforcement strategies, and innovative tech-driven tools. In addition, the Customer-Focused Selling System's Capstone events ensure that the methodologies become part of your organization's daily sales process.
Measurable Outcomes
Customer Focused Selling
Reports outcomes like a 10% margin improvement, average 50% Customer lifetime value growth, and a high 90% retention of core sales concepts.
Focuses on ROI-driven results for long-term business impact.
Sandler Selling System
Delivers improvements in sales strategy (88% reported better results) and a 50% increase in quota attainment, but success hinges on proper team adoption.
Verdict:
Both programs have a long history of of success and have strive to ensure your investment in sales training is maximized.
Investment and Cost
Customer Focused Selling
Subscription-based pricing ($200–$1,200 per person/month), offering a flexible, lower upfront cost.
Sandler Selling System
One-time costs per course ($1,000–$3,000 per participant), which may be a barrier for smaller budgets.
Some subscriptions are available.
Verdict:
Revenueify's subscription model allows for more accessible, scalable investments compared to Sandler's higher upfront costs.
Final Recommendation
For organizations seeking highly customized, consultative sales training with ongoing coaching and reinforcement, Revenueify Customer Focused Selling is the clear winner. Its tailored approach, comprehensive DiSC integration, and ROI-driven methodology make it ideal for industries with complex sales cycles.
However, teams focused on mastering foundational sales strategies within a structured framework may benefit from the Sandler Selling System.
Still undecided? Evaluate your organization's needs against the comparison above, and if you're ready to maximize lifetime customer value, sign up for Revenueify's REVUP Assessment today!
Interested in testing out one of the Customer-Focused Selling Certifications? Check out one of our upcoming sessions in 2025!
Comments