All posts by : Grace Tanuku

Sales training companies promote “loss review best practices.” LinkedIn is flooded with posts about the importance of understanding why you lost that big opportunity. Entire consulting services have emerged around surveying buyers about lost deals. The loss review has become a sacred ritual in sales organizations worldwide.

Here’s the problem: loss reviews are largely a waste of time and resources that may actually be making your team less effective.

This isn’t just contrarian thinking—it’s based on fundamental flaws in how we approach sales performance improvement. While everyone else is conducting expensive post-mortems on deals that are already dead, high-performing sales organizations are investing that same time and energy into preventing losses before they happen.

The Four Fatal Flaws of Loss Reviews

1. Buyers Can’t Tell You Why They Didn’t Buy

Post-decision rationalization is well-documented in behavioral psychology. After making a complex decision, buyers genuinely struggle to accurately recall their true decision drivers. They tend to give socially acceptable answers (“your solution didn’t quite fit our technical requirements”) rather than revealing more complex emotional, political, or relationship-based factors.

When a buyer knows you’re asking because you lost, they’re even more likely to provide sanitized feedback to avoid burning bridges. The winner may have succeeded for reasons the buyer doesn’t want to admit—existing relationships, internal politics, or personal favors—or the buyer may not fully understand the decision dynamics themselves.

You’re essentially asking someone to be your therapist for a relationship that didn’t work out. How often does that yield actionable insights?

2. Salespeople Point to the Solution

Ask a salesperson why they lost a deal, and you’ll typically hear about product limitations, pricing issues, or competitive disadvantages. This deflects responsibility away from sales execution and creates a culture where external factors are blamed for internal performance gaps.

The loss becomes about what the company should build, price, or offer differently rather than what the salesperson could have discovered, positioned, or negotiated more effectively. This reinforces a victim mentality instead of developing accountability and skills.

3. Other Teams Point to Sales Execution

Flip the script and ask product marketing or engineering teams about the loss, and they’ll point to poor sales execution—inadequate discovery, weak positioning, or missed opportunities to differentiate.

This creates an unproductive blame game where each department protects their turf rather than focusing on systematic improvement. The loss review becomes an exercise in CYA rather than genuine learning, with everyone defending their contribution to the failed deal.

4. If They Can Tell You After, Why Not Ask Before?

Here’s the timing paradox that reveals the core issue: if a buyer can articulate decision criteria and concerns after the decision is made, why didn’t we surface this information when it could actually change the outcome?

The answer reveals the real problem—inadequate discovery and qualifying methodologies during the active sales process. If we’re using effective Buyer Information Objectives (BIO) and systematic questioning techniques while maintaining strong buyer relationships, we should already know when and why we’re likely to lose a deal while there’s still time to address it.

Loss reviews often mask poor sales execution by creating the illusion that we’re learning from our mistakes, when the real issue is that we didn’t ask the right questions at the right time during the sales process.

The Hidden Costs You’re Not Measuring

Beyond these fundamental flaws, loss reviews carry hidden costs that organizations rarely quantify:

• Opportunity Cost: Time spent analyzing dead deals could be invested in prospecting, coaching, or closing active opportunities. While you’re conducting loss reviews, your competitors are generating new pipeline.
• Cultural Damage: Loss reviews can reinforce a culture of excuse-making rather than ownership. When the standard response to losses is analyzing external factors, it shifts focus away from what the sales team could have controlled.
• Relationship Risk: Asking buyers to explain why they rejected you can actually harm future opportunities with that account by forcing them to articulate and reinforce negative perceptions of your solution.
• Confirmation Bias: Loss reviews often confirm what you already suspected rather than revealing new insights, creating a false sense of learning without actual improvement.

The Proactive Alternative: Prevention-Based Sales Management

High-performing sales organizations are making a fundamental shift from “inspection-based” to “prevention-based” sales management—similar to how manufacturing moved from quality control to quality assurance.

Instead of analyzing why deals died, they invest in three proactive practices:

1. Robust Discovery Methodologies: Effective questioning frameworks that surface concerns, decision criteria, and competitive dynamics while there’s still time to address them. When salespeople know how to conduct thorough discovery, loss reviews become largely redundant.
2. Regular Deal Pulse Checks: Systematic check-ins during active deals to identify shifting dynamics, emerging concerns, or competitive threats before they become reasons to lose.
3. Skills-Based Coaching: Rather than waiting for losses to generate lessons, managers proactively develop salespeople’s ability to recognize and address warning signs in real-time through regular practice and feedback.

This approach aligns with the fundamental formula for sales success: Activity × Proficiency = Sales. Loss reviews improve neither your activity levels nor your proficiency—they’re purely reactive analysis of past failures.

The Better Question

Instead of asking “Why did we lose?” try asking “How do we build the skills to identify and address concerns before they become reasons to lose?”

This shifts the conversation from post-mortem analysis to proactive skill development. It moves resources from studying dead deals to preventing future losses. Most importantly, it creates a culture focused on what salespeople can control rather than what they can blame.

Time for a New Ritual

Every minute spent on loss reviews is a minute not spent on activities that actually improve sales performance. Every dollar invested in surveying buyers about dead deals is a dollar not invested in developing the skills that prevent losses in the first place.

The loss review has become an expensive ritual that makes sales teams feel like they’re learning and improving when they’re actually just reinforcing poor habits and victim mentalities.

It’s time to stop inspecting failure and start preventing it.

Ready to redirect your loss review resources into activities that actually improve sales performance? The first step is admitting that analyzing why you lost is far less valuable than developing the skills to win more often.

What would happen if you took your entire loss review budget—the time, the surveys, the analysis meetings—and invested it in coaching salespeople to have better discovery conversations instead?

You might just find that you have fewer losses to review.

Want to learn more about building proactive sales performance systems? Contact us to discuss how prevention-based coaching and skill development can replace reactive loss analysis in your organization.

Walk into almost any sales training today and you’ll hear the same thing: “Here are the top ten objections you’ll face—and here’s how to respond.” 

It sounds helpful. Simple, even. But it doesn’t work. 

The problem isn’t just that no two buyers are alike, or that new objections appear in every deal. The real issue is that the methodology itself is flawed. Teaching sellers to memorize scripts puts them in combat mode, trying to “overcome” the buyer. It frames objections as barriers to defeat instead of concerns to explore. 

And that’s exactly why most objection training fails. 

Trusted Advisors Welcome Concerns 

Great salespeople—trusted advisors—see objections differently. They don’t fear them. They understand that concerns are a natural and healthy part of decision-making. 

Think about your own experience making a big purchase or business decision. Did you have questions, hesitations, even doubts along the way? Of course. That’s how people process risk and gain confidence in their choice. Research in behavioral economics (Kahneman and Tversky’s Prospect Theory) shows that as people get closer to making a decision, they tend to imagine potential negative outcomes more vividly—a natural bias toward loss aversion that influences how decisions are made. 

For trusted advisors, then, an objection isn’t a problem. It’s an invitation to a deeper conversation. When a buyer voices a concern, they’re engaging. They’re telling us what matters most to them. That’s not resistance—it’s opportunity. 

Why Scripts and “Overcoming” Don’t Work 

So why do so many traditional training programs lean on objection scripts? Often because it feels easy to package, teach, and scale. Listing common objections and memorized responses gives managers a sense of control and sellers a quick playbook, even though the approach ignores the complexity of real buyer conversations. 

• They oversimplify reality. No two buyers—or objections—are identical. 

• They break trust. When a buyer senses a canned answer, credibility takes a hit. 

• They miss the point. Concerns aren’t something to bulldoze; they’re clues about how a buyer defines value, risk, and success. 

Scripts teach sellers to react. Trusted advisors need a way to think. 

A Structured Way to Resolve Concerns 

There is a better way—we can use a structured six-step model for resolving objections. Instead of memorizing comebacks, we can approach concerns with curiosity, clarity, and confidence. 

Here’s how it looks in practice. Imagine a buyer says: 

“I’m not sure this is the right fit for us.” 

The scripted approach? Offer a canned reassurance or push harder on benefits. The structured approach? Slow down and demonstrate a genuine concern for the buyer and their decision. Research on communication consistently shows that what people want first and most when they have a concern is simply to be heard and understood—validation that their perspective matters before any solution is offered (see Weger, Castle Bell, Minei, & Robinson, The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions, International Journal of Listening, 2014: https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2014.968567). 

For illustration, here’s how the six steps look in a common scenario: 

1. Identify what the buyer actually means, and use a simple set-aside to ensure we uncover the real issue or issues rather than just reacting to the first thing we hear (“Help me understand what’s behind your concern.”) 
2. Quantify how significant the issue is (“If we can’t resolve this, would it prevent us from moving forward?”) 
3. Relate by showing empathy and connecting with their perspective (for example, acknowledging how a concern could feel genuine given their process or priorities) 
4. Isolate the concern quickly so it becomes an issue we work together to resolve (“It makes sense—if aside from this issue we truly have what you want, then let’s work together to figure out how we can resolve it.”) 
5. Qualify by engaging the buyer in a collaborative workshop-like discussion—working together to determine what can realistically be done to resolve the issue, rather than telling them what should be done 
6. Answer simply and clearly. If in step 5 we determined what must be done from the buyer’s perspective to resolve the issue, then in this last step all we need to do is answer—yes, we can do it, or no, we cannot. 

Together, these six steps ensure we can resolve any concern with confidence and consistency. Of course, there is nuance in applying the approach, and practice is required to become truly proficient in having these conversations. What we’ve shared here is only a cursory review—the full application requires deeper exploration and coaching. But the upside is enormous—more wins, and at higher margins. In fact, in one client survey the team estimated that applying the objection handling methodology would allow them to generate or save $16M in margin. 

The Bottom Line 

Most objection training fails because it teaches the wrong thing. Objections don’t need to be “overcome.” They need to be understood, clarified, and resolved in ways that build trust and confidence. 

Trusted advisors welcome concerns. They know that every objection is a chance to deepen credibility and guide buyers toward the best decision. 

Consider whether your team is still relying on memorized scripts. A structured, trusted-advisor model doesn’t just prepare sellers for the top ten objections—it equips them to handle the hundreds they’ll encounter across their careers. 

Are you and your team prepared to welcome concerns, not fear them? 

Axiom provides a unique alternative to traditional sales training. Unlike traditional sales training events, we embed our methodology into your sales cadence, delivering dramatically better sales results. To learn more about Selling the Axiom Way, our comprehensive sales methodology, the Axiom Sales Excellence System, or our Kinetics Sales Excellence Platform, please visit us at www.axiomsaleskinetics.com.  

In a time when buyers are overloaded with generic outreach and vague value propositions, traditional prospecting approaches are showing their age. Too often, prospecting is still viewed as a brute-force activity — a numbers game driven by cold calls and funnel math. But what if prospecting was treated not as a numbers game, but as a precision process?

That shift in mindset is long overdue. 

It Starts with a Plan — Not a Pipeline 

Effective prospecting begins with math. Reps who consistently hit their targets don’t chase quota with vague urgency — they do the math. By working backward from a sales or income goal, sellers can calculate exactly how many new opportunities, proposals, and meetings they need to generate.

This predictive plan includes closing ratios, proposal conversion rates, and average deal size. Surprisingly few reps build this type of plan. Without it, they misjudge effort versus effectiveness. 

Not Every Buyer Is Worth Pursuing 

A well-defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is more than a basic industry filter. It’s a blueprint for relevance. Great sellers define which problems they solve, who feels those problems, and how those problems impact business outcomes like productivity, expenses, or customer retention.

Prospecting becomes far more efficient when reps focus their efforts where pain is both real and solvable. 

Prospecting Is Research, Not Repetition 

Before reaching out to decision-makers, effective sellers gather insight from inside the account. They talk with frontline contacts and validate whether meaningful problems exist. These internal conversations provide credibility and direction — making follow-up with a decision-maker more relevant and more welcomed. 

Lead with Insight, Not Intros 

Generic intros like ‘I’d love to learn about your business’ don’t work. Decision-makers want evidence of impact. Sellers who open with a clear, validated problem — tied to productivity, cost, or business risk — get attention. And when they can reference people inside the organization who feel that pain, they get the meeting. 

Turn Cold Calls into Warm Conversations 

Cold calls aren’t dead, but they are evolving. With a clear ICP, ongoing research, and smart referral strategies, reps can drastically reduce the amount of ‘cold’ outreach required. Even when a seller must initiate contact, it no longer feels cold — because the message is rooted in insight, not guesswork. 

AI Is Changing the Game — If You Let It 

Tools like ChatGPT allow reps to analyze target accounts, identify signals of likely business pain, and craft more personalized outreach faster than ever before. Used wisely, AI can supercharge the research and information-gathering steps — giving sellers more credibility before they ever make contact. 

Prospecting Isn’t a Phase — It’s a Discipline 

Too many organizations treat prospecting as something junior reps must endure until they can graduate to ‘real selling.’ But the best sellers never stop prospecting. They just get better at it — because they understand that identifying meaningful business problems is what unlocks real opportunity.

Done right, prospecting doesn’t feel like interruption. It feels like insight. And that’s what earns you the meeting. 

Want to learn more? Axiom provides a unique alternative to traditional sales training. Unlike traditional sales training events, we embed our methodology into your sales cadence, delivering dramatically better sales results. To learn more about our Mindful Selling Methodology, Kinetics Sales Effectiveness Platform, or our unique, guaranteed approach, please visit us at www.axiomsaleskinetics.com.  

A Systems Thinking Approach to Achieving Sales Excellence That Actually Sticks

Turnover is the Rule, Not the Exception

The role of the sales leader may be the most volatile seat in the C-suite. According to recent research, the average tenure for a B2B VP of Sales is just 19 months. For CROs, turnover has climbed nearly 50% in recent years, often ending in involuntary exits. Why? Because hitting a number isn’t the same as building a system. It’s easy to assume the problem lies with the people. But what if the problem is actually the system—or lack thereof?

Survival Requires More Than Hitting the Number

Short-term results might win you the role. But keeping it requires delivering sustained performance, predictable outcomes, and team-wide effectiveness. In Axiom’s work across industries, one message is consistent: sales excellence isn’t luck, it’s the output of a well-designed system. That’s why newly appointed sales VPs must take a pause before repeating the same playbook that landed them the job. Instead, they should step back and assess their organization through the lens of system health.

Ask: – Do we have clearly defined models for how we qualify, present, and manage deals? – Are our sales managers truly coaching, or just managing numbers? – Can we predict performance based on leading indicators, not lagging results? This is where systems thinking becomes a career-saving skill. Sales leaders who engineer results don’t guess—they evaluate their system across five core dimensions, from methodology to continuous improvement. (More on that in a future article.)

Case in Point: CommScope

CommScope, a $3.8B network infrastructure provider, faced exactly this challenge. Following multiple acquisitions, they had 1,100 sellers and managers spread across three distinct divisions—none of which shared a common language, process, or methodology. Their Chief Sales Officer recognized that the patchwork approach couldn’t scale. Rather than doubling down on more training events or funnel reviews, CommScope implemented a comprehensive selling and coaching system. – Unified methodology embedded across divisions – Coaching cadence standardized through manager tools – Opportunity dashboards adopted at all levels, including CEO prep The result? A 16% increase in revenue per rep over two years. Perhaps more tellingly, 75% of reps adopted the methodology, according to an independent study by Western Michigan University.

Don’t Just Drive Results—Engineer Them

At Axiom, we define Sales Excellence as performance that is: – Superior (better than the average competitor), – Predictable (driven by leading indicators and coaching), and – Repeatable (based on a scalable process, not heroic effort). New VPs who embrace this approach won’t just survive. They’ll thrive.

The Call to Action

If you’re a new or soon-to-be sales leader, now is the time to trade instincts for insight. Map your current execution model. Identify systemic gaps. Align your frontline managers around real coaching, not just deal inspection. And remember: making the number might earn you the seat. But building a system is what will let you keep it. Need help defining your Sales Execution Model? Axiom’s SEM framework and coaching systems are trusted by leaders who want to embed sales excellence across the team. Reach out to learn more at http://www.axiomsaleskinetics.com

When sales teams underperform, the default response is often more training, tighter inspection, or new incentive plans. But none of these interventions will create sustained excellence unless the sales manager instills the right habits in the team. The most effective sales organizations, according to a growing body of research, are not the ones with the most aggressive quotas or biggest budgets—they are the ones where frontline managers build a culture of learning, practice, and coaching. These three keystone habits are foundational patterns that transform individual potential into team-wide sales proficiency.

Habit #1: Learning as a Lifestyle

Too many organizations confuse exposure with development. Just because a rep has attended training doesn’t mean they can execute in the field. In high-performing sales teams, learning is not an event—it’s a habit. Sales managers must create a cadence of continuous learning: structured time each week to deepen knowledge, review successful deals, revisit key models, and adapt to evolving buyer expectations. Research Insight: According to CSO Insights’ “Sales Enablement Study,” organizations with a dynamic, ongoing learning approach to sales training had win rates that were 14% higher than those using a one-time event-based model. (https://www.csoinsights.com/blog/ongoing-sales-training-boosts-win-rates)

Habit #2: Practice Like a Pro

Most teams don’t role-play until a major presentation is looming or a new hire needs onboarding. But in any performance discipline—sports, music, public speaking—the professionals practice more than they perform. Sales should be no different. Weekly practice sessions led by managers build muscle memory for key conversations: uncovering business gaps, shaping criteria, presenting with impact, and handling objections collaboratively. Research Insight: Gartner research shows that sales reps who engage in deliberate practice are up to 40% more likely to hit quota than those who do not.                                        (https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-06-25-gartner-says-sales-practice-correlates-with-quota-attainment)

Habit #3: Coaching that Drives Behavior Change

Most managers give feedback. Few deliver real coaching. The difference? Feedback is reactive and often superficial. Coaching is proactive, root-cause driven, and focused on behavior change. Effective sales managers don’t just ask if the rep made the call—they explore how the rep navigated the call and why certain results were (or weren’t) achieved. They assign learning and practice activities based on observed gaps, and they inspect for progress. Research Insight: Sales Management Association found that companies with formal sales coaching processes have 16.7% higher revenue growth than those without. (https://salesmanagement.org/resource/formal-sales-coaching-drives-revenue-growth/)

Building the Foundation for Sales Excellence

While there are dozens of sales tactics and techniques to master, none will scale without these three keystone habits. Sales managers are uniquely positioned to embed them into the daily rhythm of the team. When they do, the results are transformational: not just in sales numbers, but in culture, confidence, and consistency. Sales excellence isn’t a mystery—it’s a discipline of habit.

Call to Action

Which of these habits is strongest on your team? Which one needs work? Use that insight to shape your next team meeting or coaching session—and start building the habits that lead to high performance.

Want to learn more? Axiom provides a unique alternative to traditional sales training. Unlike traditional sales training events, we embed our methodology into your sales cadence, delivering dramatically better sales results. To learn more about our Mindful Selling Methodology, Kinetics Sales Effectiveness Platform, or our unique, guaranteed approach, please visit us at http://www.axiomsaleskinetics.com.

In sports, the best athletes aren’t winning because they’ve discovered a secret move no one else knows. They win because they’ve put in the work to become more proficient   with the same fundamental skills everyone else has access to. The skills themselves are not rare—but mastery is. 

This truth should shape how we think about sales training. Yet too often, organizations treat sales development as a box to check. They host a workshop, deliver a playbook, run a quick enablement session—and expect lasting results. That’s like putting someone through a weekend basketball clinic and assuming they’ll be ready for the NBA. 

Let’s be clear: one-and-done training doesn’t create champions. 

It creates amateurs. People who saw the landscape, took some notes, maybe tried a few things—but never stayed long enough to develop real skill. They understood the rules, played the game, but stayed at the level of amateurs—good enough to participate, never enough to compete for real stakes. 

And just as dangerous is the constant search for “new” techniques. While experimentation can be useful, experimenting is not the same as executing with excellence. Trying out different methods without a foundation is like a golfer swapping clubs every hole while still figuring out how to grip the club properly. They’re not innovating—they’re guessing. 

The core skills of selling haven’t changed. Asking the right questions. Uncovering business pain. Connecting value to impact. Gaining commitment. These skills—like the fundamentals in any sport—require consistent practice, coaching, feedback, and refinement. And they require a methodology that connects them, so they reinforce one another instead of pulling your sellers in different directions. 

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most sellers aren’t underperforming because they don’t know what  to do. They’re underperforming because they haven’t practiced how  to do it with enough frequency or feedback to become proficient. 

If you want a high-performing sales team, the goal isn’t to give them more content or different tools. The goal is to build skill depth. That only happens when: 

• The methodology is clear, consistent, and embedded in daily sales behavior 
• Practice isn’t reserved for roleplay days—it’s continuous 
• Coaching is structured and focused on reinforcing what matters 
• Learning isn’t an event—it’s a rhythm 

Think about how athletes train. The drills may not change much from week to week. But they get sharper, faster, and more effective because they do them over and over with purpose, feedback, and pressure. That’s how muscle memory is built. That’s how confidence is earned. 

Selling is no different. 

So, if you’re serious about building a team of sales professionals—not dabblers, not guessers—commit to the long game. Invest in structured development. Create a rhythm of practice and coaching. Reinforce the fundamentals until they become second nature. 

Because champions aren’t made by what they know.
They’re made by what they can do, over and over, under pressure. 

And that kind of performance doesn’t come from a workshop.
It comes from a system. A rhythm. A commitment to excellence. 

Want to learn more? Axiom provides a unique alternative to traditional sales training. Unlike traditional sales training events, we embed our methodology into your sales cadence, delivering dramatically better sales results. To learn more about our Mindful Selling Methodology, Kinetics Sales Effectiveness Platform, or our unique, guaranteed approach, please visit us at www.axiomsaleskinetics.com.  

The Power of Trust in Sales Relationships 

Becoming a trusted advisor involves more than knowledge; it requires building relationships founded on authenticity, expertise, and a genuine commitment to the buyer’s best interests.

Trusted advisors consistently demonstrate two critical characteristics: 

• Prioritizing Buyer Interests: Trusted advisors prioritize the buyer’s outcomes, creating an environment of transparency that encourages buyers to share information openly and honestly—critical for tailored solutions. 
• Authenticity and Expertise: Trusted advisors leverage their expertise transparently, ensuring solutions are accurately aligned with actual buyer needs and never overstated. 
• Research underscores the importance of trust: According to CSO Insights, organizations adopting a trusted advisor model achieve 10% higher win rates compared to those relying on traditional product pitches. 

Why Being a Trusted Advisor Matters More Than Ever 

Today’s market is saturated with alternatives. When buyers perceive little differentiation, they default to price-based decisions. Salespeople who understand and influence deeper buyer criteria—such as product capabilities, credibility, and support systems—can differentiate themselves effectively, adding significant value. 

Trusted advisors also play a critical role in shaping these decision criteria. They guide buyers toward clearer, informed choices that align with unique business objectives and goals, rather than merely pushing product features or price points. 

Practical Steps to Become a Trusted Advisor 

Developing into a trusted advisor involves several key steps: 

• Understand the Buyer Deeply: Salespeople should thoroughly explore the buyer’s current situation, goals, and challenges to identify specific business needs and critical gaps. 
• Help Define Clear Decision Criteria: Advisors help buyers establish robust and measurable criteria for evaluating solutions, moving beyond superficial comparisons and into significant business impacts. 
• Present Solutions Clearly and Effectively: Trusted advisors deliver compelling recommendations by clearly linking solutions to the buyer’s stated business objectives and challenges. 
• Effectively Address Buyer Concerns: Rather than seeing objections as obstacles, advisors view them as opportunities for deeper understanding and engagement, reinforcing credibility and strengthening buyer confidence. 

Quantifiable Benefits of Trust-Based Selling 

Organizations prioritizing the development of trusted advisors consistently outperform competitors in these key aspects: 

• Increased Sales and Profit Margins: Trust-based relationships lead directly to higher win rates and more valuable transactions. 
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and Retention: Buyers remain loyal to advisors who genuinely advocate for their interests, fostering long-term relationships and repeat business. 
• Lower Sales Team Turnover: Advisors who engage in meaningful, value-driven sales conversations experience greater job satisfaction, reducing attrition rates and stabilizing teams. 

Implementing a Trusted Advisor Culture 

Transforming a sales team into trusted advisors involves consistent skill development, targeted coaching, and structured practice. Effective training programs, continuous coaching from sales leadership, and a culture emphasizing trust and continuous improvement are crucial elements. 

Managers play a critical role by regularly coaching and guiding salespeople, reinforcing behaviors that build trust and deliver value to customers. 

Conclusion: A Path to Sustainable Sales Excellence 

Salespeople who embrace the role of trusted advisors become essential business partners deeply involved in their clients’ ongoing success. By focusing on trust-based selling, organizations achieve superior results and cultivate a rewarding professional environment that attracts and retains top talent. 

The era of transactional selling is giving way to a future where trusted advisors shape lasting customer success. 

Want to learn more? Axiom provides a unique alternative to traditional sales training. Unlike traditional sales training events, we embed our methodology into your sales cadence, delivering dramatically better sales results. To learn more about our Mindful Selling Methodology, Kinetics Sales Effectiveness Platform, or our unique, guaranteed approach, please visit us at www.axiomsaleskinetics.com.  

The fundamental challenge for most salespeople – the thing keeping them for achieving maximum results – is that they don’t know what would compel their buyers to move from no to yes. If they ever find out what would compel someone to buy from them, it’s often after the decision is made, and there’s nothing they can do about it. And this isn’t unique to deals they lose. They generally don’t know this information when they win either, but when they win nobody cares.

Tell me if you’ve heard this one. A salesperson walks into a buyer’s office…

If a salesperson walked into a buyer’s office and simply asked, “Would you like to buy from me today?”, there would only be three possible answers. Yes, no, and maybe. Here is an absolute, fundamental truth, there is always something, some set of characteristics or series of events that would compel the buyer to move from no to yes. There is always something! Unfortunately, VERY FEW salespeople have the knowledge, skill, and discipline to figure out what that is. Instead, they “pitch their wares” and hope what they pitch aligns with what the contact will buy. When it is, the salesperson attributes the outcome to their selling skill. And when it isn’t – well, not the salesperson’s fault, the solution wasn’t aligned with that their contact wanted to buy. It was too expensive, lacked critical features, didn’t solve the problem. Whatever, but it wasn’t the salesperson’s fault.

Marketing often tries to address this by helping the salespeople get better at pitching the solution in a more compelling way. (Which, by the way, means the way marketing wants it pitched.) WRONG! While this broad approach is good marketing in that we are focusing on a message that resonates with a broader audience, it is terrible selling. In selling our people are working with an audience of one. Even when multiple people are involved in an evaluation, they aren’t working with a broad homogenous audience, they are working with more individuals, each with their own issues and criteria.

If we are going to get results that are above average, let alone great, we must reframe the job of the salesperson. Job #1 is to understand exactly what will compel the buyer to move from no to yes. That’s even more important than winning because winning without understanding isn’t repeatable and scalable. In fact, you might even say, winning without understanding is just good fortune, not good selling. However, losing with understanding is fixable.

When people know what will compel their contacts to choose one option over another, they:

• Waste less time on business they cannot win
• Win at a significantly higher rate
• Have more satisfied customers
• Are able to provide product marketing with meaningful information that can be used to deliver a more compelling solution

Now this might be easy if every contact could tell every seller exactly what they’d need to see to be convinced to buy their solution now. But buyers simply cannot do this consistently, and when they can they rarely talk with salespeople at all – they simply buy what they want. Fortunately, the inability of buyers to do this creates an enormous opportunity for salespeople who have the skill, knowledge, and discipline to help them figure it out. We know this to be an undeniable truth and if you’ve ever seen it in practice, you know it too.

The future of selling belongs to the people who do this best. At Axiom, we’ve helped develop some of the most effective sales teams in the country by equipping them to do this better than their competition. Want to learn more, connect with us here and let’s determine if and how we can help your team achieve exceptional results.