Several
years ago, I was recruited by a national transportation company to conduct
field training with their sales team. The company president was
frustrated—while quotes were abundant, the close ratio lagged well below
industry standards. Something was clearly missing.
One
of the salespeople, Danny, was a territory manager in New Brunswick. He had
extensive industry knowledge and years of experience, yet his sales results
were dismal. My task was to figure out why.
Before
hitting the road, I conducted my usual pre-trip assessment with Danny, probing
into his perceived challenges. His immediate response was pricing. In his view,
the company simply wasn’t competitive. He was convinced that their premium
pricing was the primary barrier to closing deals. While it was true that the
company wasn’t the cheapest option, their stellar reputation and superior
service more than justified the cost. I suspected Danny’s issue wasn’t price—it
was something deeper.
Then,
he made a revealing statement: “My job is to
talk to customers.”
I
paused. “Danny, your job is to talk to
customers?”
He
confirmed. And right then, I knew what was wrong.
We
set off early the next morning on what would turn out to be an exhausting,
ineffective road trip—nearly 1,000 kilometers for a single sales call. Yes,
Eastern Canada has vast distances, but Danny hadn’t even attempted to optimize
the day with additional meetings. When we finally arrived, my suspicions were
confirmed.
Danny
launched into a relentless, 15-minute feature dump—a flood of information, none
of it tailored to the prospect’s needs. He didn’t ask a single question. He
didn’t pause. He didn’t engage. He just talked.
The prospect sat there, blindsided, while Danny steamrolled through every
detail he thought was impressive. The result? Alienation, not connection.
Back
in the car, I asked, “How do you think that
went?”
His
answer? “Really well.”
That
was the moment it all made sense. Danny wasn’t losing deals because of
pricing—he was losing them because he talked too much.
Before
we parted ways, I asked him again: “Danny,
is your job to talk to customers?”
This
time, I answered for him. “No, Danny, your
job is to LISTEN to customers.”
The
best salespeople don’t listen with the intent to reply; they listen with the
intent to understand. And that makes all the difference.
Consider these questions:
- How
can you offer the right solution if you don’t know exactly what the
customer needs? - How
can you uncover those needs without asking the right, thought-provoking
questions? - How
can you earn trust and respect without properly preparing for a meeting?
Customers value their time—show them you do too. - How
can you truly understand their pain points if you dominate the
conversation? - How
can you solve their problems if you never stop to listen?
Don’t
Do That… Do This: Follow a structured sales discovery process that leads to real
results. Come prepared with a thoughtful list of questions designed to reveal
the true needs of your prospect. Ask logically and systematically, and let them
do the talking. The right questions will unlock the sale—and save you countless
wasted hours. Get it right the first time.
This is just one example from “Don’t Do That”, our latest online interactive course. Offering 36 strategic and detailed “Sales Fails”, “Don’t Do That” outlines mistakes made by all levels of salespeople along with corrective measures for each.
