Last week, we covered the three steps to turn insight into next steps.

This week, we're going deeper on step two: connecting the dots for them. Making sure your solution ties directly back to what they told you in discovery.

Most reps understand the idea. They still default to the same pitch anyway. Old habits are hard to break, especially in times of pressure. 

This week, we're going deeper into what it actually looks like to present a solution that sounds like it was their idea.

Most reps present their solution the same way every time. Same order, same talking points, same language. The only thing that changes is the name at the top of the proposal.

Nobody feels special when they're getting the same thing everyone else gets. 

Before you get into what you're offering, pause and reframe the conversation around what they told you. Not a generic summary, specific details. The exact problem they described. The consequence they mentioned if nothing changes. The outcome they said they were hoping for.

My book talks about four types of diagnostic questions: Position, Problem, Consequence, and Result. By the time you're ready to present, you should have answers to all four. Those answers are the foundation of your solution. Every point you make should map back to something they actually said.

When a prospect hears their own situation accurately described back to them, they stop listening like a buyer evaluating a pitch. They start nodding along because you're describing their reality, and your solution starts to feel inevitable.

Not every prospect processes information the same way. My book breaks it down into three types: Doers, Thinkers, and Hybrids.

A Doer wants the bottom line.

A Thinker needs the details.

A Hybrid is somewhere in between, wanting enough detail to feel confident, but doesn't want to get lost in the weeds.

If you present the same way to all three, you're going to lose at least two of them. Pay attention to how they're engaging during the conversation.

Are they asking a lot of questions or just nodding and moving forward?

Are they focused on the outcome or the process?

That tells you everything you need to know.

This is the part most sales training skips entirely: 

You don't want your prospect to feel like they were sold something. You want them to feel like they arrived at a decision on their own and that you just helped them get there.

The way you do that is by guiding them through a series of small agreements throughout the conversation. They should feel like natural checkpoints.

"Does that sound like what you were describing earlier?"

"Is that the kind of outcome you were looking for?"

Each small yes builds momentum and keeps them engaged in the process rather than just listening to you talk.

By the time you get to the actual recommendation, they've already been nodding along for most of the conversation. The close doesn't feel like a close. It feels like the natural conclusion of a conversation they were a part of.

The goal isn't to present a great solution. It's to present their solution.

Build it around what they told you, speak to how they process information, and bring them along in the conversation instead of pitching at them. Do those three things, and the decision starts to make itself.

Take Your Sales to the Next Level with Relationship Intelligence.

Want to master the art of selling without being pushy? Top sales professionals don’t just sell, they build relationships that last. That’s why we created Sales Mastery - Relationship Intelligence, the ultimate training to take you to the next level of sales mastery.

The best pitch you'll ever give is the one that doesn't sound like a pitch at all.

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Better Relationships. Better Conversations. Better Sales.