Sales Strategy
Stop Selling Solutions. Start Selling Transformation.
Listen up. Most of you are doing sales completely wrong. You’re chasing scripts, memorizing lines, and running through a checklist like some brainless schmuck. You’re so caught up in the "what" and the "how" that you completely miss the only thing that matters: the "why." You’re on calls, but you're not present; you're just passively listening, waiting for your turn to talk instead of dissecting what’s actually being said.
Here's the raw, unfiltered truth: the sale is made in the discovery. It's not about your pitch; it's about understanding the prospect's reality so deeply that the only logical outcome is for them to move forward. My entire methodology is built on a single, obsessive question:
"Why doesn't this person already have this reality that they so-called desire?"
Forget your cookie-cutter frameworks. If you want to actually change lives (and your bank account), you need to get answers to these six fundamental "whys."
Why Are They Truly in Pain? (The "Burning Building")
People don’t buy a dream; they run from a nightmare. A fancy future state is a "nice to have," but visceral, urgent pain is what forces action. Your first job is to find the "burning building".
Go Beyond the Surface
The pain they first mention is just a byproduct of the real problem. You have to dig. Use a "Doctor Approach"—how long have they had this "rash"? Is it spreading?
Find the "Bleed Out Effect"
How is their business problem affecting their time with their partner? How is it impacting them as a parent? Make the pain expand into every corner of their life.
Make it Emotional
Use heavier language. Ask them, "How has that been impacting you carrying that burden... how is that weight, how are you dealing with that?". You need them to feel the "emotional fatigue".
Why Have All Their Past Attempts Failed?
Every prospect has a story they tell themselves about why they’re still stuck. Most of the time, it’s a narrative of external blame. You have to shred that narrative.
Dissect the "Scam"
If they say a past program was a "scam," don't move on. Unpack it. "Was there anyone in that program that did have results even though you didn't? What do you think they done differently?". This shifts the focus from blame to accountability.
Challenge "Research Mode"
If they’ve done nothing but research for six months, quantify that wasted time. Ask them, "Why do you feel like with that amount of hours you haven't been able to execute on anything yet?". Make them confront the fact that more information isn't the solution.
Why Are They Lying to Themselves? (Expose the "Rationalizing Little Rat")
People are masters of self-delusion. They have a "fuck ton of pain" but have "grown accustomed to that pain". My signature move is to "quietly expose the contradiction".
Mirror Their Language
When they say something absurd like "I'm a novice expert", use their exact words back at them. "What are the areas where you feel like you're a novice, and what are the areas where you feel like you're an expert?". This makes them hear how ridiculous it sounds.
Unmask Their Tolerance
They say they're "getting by" on a low income? Challenge it. "How long have you just been getting by for? Is that the only thing that you feel like you're worth?". You have to show them they’ve just grown to tolerate a reality that is not actually good.
Why NOW? (Find the "Snapping Point")
This is the Mike Tyson punch of discovery. But you can't throw it until you’ve built massive context. People don't change out of the blue; they change when a "stack of events" makes their current situation unsustainable.
Make Them Relive It
The goal of the "Why now?" question is to make the prospect "relive that snapping moment". When they do, they "reconnect with the urgency" that brought them to you.
Don't Accept Vague Answers
If they say "nothing specific," you re-ask. "I can understand that, but I guess given that this has been sort of in the mind for the last two years, I'm guessing you didn't just spring out of bed one day... Was there something that kind of just changed your perspective recently?".
Why Is This an Identity Transformation?
You’re not selling a product. You are not selling a solution. You are selling the "transformation of their identity". You are selling the "breaking of that cycle finally".
Cast the New Identity
During the goal state conversation, ask questions that frame their future self. "Have you always been this type of person that's improving yourself?". This elevates the stakes from fixing a problem to becoming who they are meant to be.
Connect it to Their Legacy
Make it bigger than them. "Why do you feel that you've continued to justify putting this off knowing that this is basically your legacy?". This creates a higher purpose for their commitment.
Why Is Inaction the Biggest Risk?
A terrible sales rep sells the dream. A strong closer sells the "cost of delaying". You must prove, with their own logic, that staying where they are is the most dangerous choice.
Quantify the Loss
This is non-negotiable. Calculate the missed revenue, the wasted ad spend, the lost time. Corner them with math. "For the last year you've actually missed out on $84,000 by not getting those things fixed. Do you want to have an additional $84,000 this year?".
Frame the Real Question
Don't ask, "What happens if nothing changes?" Ask, "What do you stand to lose if you don't move forward?". It's a more human and impactful question that forces them to sell you on why they have to act.
Stop being a people-pleaser who has nice conversations that go nowhere. A people-pleaser doesn't change lives. Be a leader. Be the catalyst. Be willing to get uncomfortable for their greater good. Hold up the mirror and destroy their rationalizations, because on the other side of that discomfort is the transformation they came to you for. That is how you truly sell.
Inspired by Scott Brunning. Check out his channel.