Sales slowness isn't a problem to be solved with better "urgency" tactics. It's a symptom of a fundamental shift: buyers are more thoughtful, decision-making is more distributed, and capital has more competing uses. Acknowledge this new reality instead of fighting it with outdated techniques.

A key "aha moment" was realizing the goal is to be seen not as an outside seller, but as a contributing member of the client's own team. This mindset shifts the relationship from transactional to a collaborative partnership focused on shared success, fundamentally changing the sales dynamic.

Average reps focus on product features. Top performers are "product agnostic"—they don't care about the specific product they're selling. Instead, they focus entirely on the customer's desired outcome. This allows them to craft bespoke solutions that deliver real value, leading to deeper trust and larger deals.

Don't pitch features. The salesperson's role is to use questions to widen the gap between a prospect's current painful reality and their aspirational future. The tension created in this 'buying zone' is what motivates a purchase, not a list of your product's capabilities.

To sell effectively, avoid leading with product features. Instead, ask diagnostic questions to uncover the buyer's specific problems and desired outcomes. Then, frame your solution using their own words, confirming that your product meets the exact needs they just articulated. This transforms a pitch into a collaborative solution.

Don't just sell logical features. Frame your solution as the tool that allows the customer to achieve their own psychological victory. Help them build an internal business case that makes them look brilliant, positioning them as the savvy decision-maker who found the perfect, high-value solution for their company.

In a marketplace with endless options, product features are table stakes. The deciding factor for buyers is now the total experience. Salespeople have lost control of the buying cycle and must now influence it by delivering exceptional service and building trust from the first interaction.

Accelerate sales cycles by focusing conversations on aligning the prospect's vision with your mission and demonstrating clear value. Prospects often don't grasp product specifics in a demo anyway, so solution details should come only after high-level alignment is achieved.

Founders often dread sales because they mistakenly believe their role is to aggressively convince customers. This "seller push" feels inauthentic. Adopting a "buyer pull" perspective, where you help customers solve existing problems, transforms sales from a chore into a collaborative process.