"You want $41k this month???" That was the exact text I received from one of my top reps yesterday. As a sales leader, who wouldn't want a surprise deal to drop in their lap? I responded: "Yes, that would be amazing! Tell me more..." Turns out, one of her key customers reached out and said, 'Hey, we have budget to spend before fiscal year-end. Let's move forward with your proposal and close it this month.' But here's the real story behind this "surprise" sale: This wasn't luck. This was 18+ months of systematic relationship building paying off. What she actually did to earn this call: - Remembered their fiscal calendar and proactively checked in - Shared relevant industry insights with no strings attached for months - She was personable and celebrated their recent company milestone The relationship principles that created this result: ✅ Value first - Helped them succeed before asking for anything ✅ Genuine interest - Cared about their business beyond our solution ✅ Consistent touchpoints - Regular contact that wasn't sales-focused ✅ Trusted advisor - They call her for advice, not just when ready to buy The key insight: When you focus on genuinely helping customers succeed, they think of you FIRST when opportunities arise. This rep didn't chase this deal. It came to her because she'd systematically invested in the relationship. Strong relationships aren't built to GET something. They're built to GIVE something. That mindset shift changes everything. Question for the community: What's one way you've provided value to a prospect or customer recently that had nothing to do with making a sale? Drop your examples below - let's learn from each other's relationship-building approaches!

Just got back from an amazing week in the field with one of my reps, and I'm fired up about what we accomplished. The setup: We visited existing prospects that my rep had been nurturing, using these face-to-face meetings to help push deals across the finish line. The results: - Every contact was genuinely grateful we made the trip – most hadn't had an in-person vendor visit since 2020 - Trust building happened 10x faster than our previous virtual interactions - Conversations went WAY deeper – they shared real challenges and strategic goals they'd never mentioned on calls - Multiple prospects gave us clear next steps to move forward and we closed a deal The bottom line: Digital is efficient, but in-person is effective. There's something about sharing the same physical space that breaks down barriers and creates authentic connection. Question for the community: How are you balancing virtual efficiency with in-person relationship building in your sales process? What's working best for you right now? Share your experience in the comments – let's learn from each other!

Earlier today, I was on a call with one of my sales reps and one of their prospects. During the call, the prospect said they needed "better reporting capabilities." Most reps would have immediately launched into a demo or would start spewing off our reporting features. Instead, my rep asked: "What decisions are you trying to make that you can't make with your current reports?" I smiled. Instead of biting at the initial stated problem, they asked a follow up discovery question to get to the heart of the REAL problem. What they discovered: - The real issue wasn't reporting - it was that their team was making gut decisions without data - They were losing deals because they couldn't identify which leads were actually qualified - The CEO was frustrated because no one could explain why revenue was inconsistent The lesson? Surface-level problems are rarely the real problems. My go-to follow up discovery questions: - "What's the impact of this problem on your business/department/team?" - "How are you handling this today, and what's not working?" - "What's driving your interest in . . . .?" - "What happens if this doesn't get resolved in the next 6 months?" Here's the thing: People don't buy solutions to problems they mentioned casually. They buy solutions to problems that keep them up at night. Asking clarifying discovery questions will help you get to the real issue which will reduce their objections in the future and will increase your closing rate. Now, getting them to relate a personal experience or story related to the real problem brings emotion into play. Real problems + personal emotions = Strong buying desire. Question for everyone: What's your favorite discovery question or follow up discovery questions that always uncovers the real issue? Drop it below - I'm always looking to add to my toolkit!

Over the past few weeks, I've been coaching one of my clients to shift their customer conversations from product features to value and impact. We reformatted an upcoming presentation where he focused solely on how their solutions would achieve the key objectives the customer had outlined in a prior call. He kept wanting to add product promotion slides. I told him, "Your customer asked you to show them how you can help achieve their objectives. They didn't ask for a product demo." Yesterday's result? Within an hour after his presentation, he called me: "It was fantastic! 10 buyers in the boardroom, 10-12 more on Teams. Everyone stayed engaged, asked questions, and was impressed. They just requested 3-year pricing!" What made the difference? No products were promoted. He only highlighted how their integration would help achieve the customer's key objectives. He made more progress in one meeting than in two years of pursuing that account. The shift: Outcomes, not features. My value articulation framework: - Connect directly to their stated problem - Quantify business impact in their terms - Use their language and priorities - Paint the picture of their improved future state The truth: People don't get excited about what your product does. They get excited about the results and impact they'll receive. Question: How do you turn features into compelling value statements? What's worked best for you? Share your go-to approach below!

I was working with a rep who was struggling with a weak pipeline and struggling to close deals despite having great product knowledge and strong presentation skills. When I listened to their calls, I discovered the problem immediately - they were so focused on what they wanted to say or what product they felt the customer needed, that they weren't truly hearing what their prospects were saying. Here's what changed everything: Instead of waiting for their turn to talk, they started asking follow-up questions like: - "Help me understand what you mean by..." - "What would solving this problem mean for your team?" - "Walk me through how this impacts your daily operations" The result? 1. The sales rep created deeper connections with the prospect because they felt like they were being heard and understood. 2. They discovered more new business opportunities. Their prospects felt the connection which created trust and began to share more about their needs. 3. Their close rate jumped 24% in two months. Most of us think we're good listeners, but we're actually just waiting for our turn to speak. True active listening means: - Asking clarifying questions - Summarizing what you heard - Focusing on understanding, not responding Question for the group: What's one listening habit that's helped you build stronger relationships with prospects or customers? Share your experience - we're all learning together!