How to overcome the "Gatekeeper" in your sales process

One of my students asked — “How do I handle a client with high emotions?” My answer: Label their feelings. If a client says, “The price is too high,” respond with — 🗣 “You think it’s not worth enough?” This simple act of labelling acknowledges their emotion, builds trust, and turns tension into connection. 💡 Make your clients feel safe — that’s when real selling starts. #SalesTips #ClientManagement #CommunicationSkills #EmotionalSelling #BusinessGrowth

Your business lives and dies by your customer conversations. But do customers remember you in a sea of sellers? In an age where everyone’s armed with the same data, same product decks, and the same talking points, what separates the great from the forgettable isn’t what you say, it’s how you make people feel when you say it. Neuroscience tells us that emotion drives attention, and attention drives memory. If your customers don’t feel something during your conversation, they won’t remember the value you tried to communicate. Here’s the challenge for this week: In your next conversation, focus less on convincing and more on connecting. Ask a question that shows genuine curiosity. Listen without trying to fix. Reflect back what you heard before responding. When customers feel understood, they remember you — not just your product.

People buy for more than pain. What else drives action or decision-making for buyers? Sometimes, it's urgency. But urgency isn’t always about pain. At other times, it’s about risk reduction, speed, compliance, status, simplicity, or strategic advantage. So how do you uncover not only pain, but also other real drivers? A Buyer Facilitator asks questions that anchor to impact and priority: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦?” “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸?” “𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥?” Those answers separate a curious pro from a traditional pitch. What non-pain motivators are you seeing most in your industry/market right now?

Turned the heat on in the office for the first time today... But thats not what this post is about, Was thinking about influence: people open up when they feel understood, not judged. We can’t influence anyone we’re judging. Connection first. Judgment never. Here's my quick framework for buyer conversations: Step into their world - needs, desires, fears. Do this without buying into their limitations. Interrupt tactically - only to clarify or build on what they just said. If it’s about you or off-topic, it lands badly. Move through the funnel of change: Surface level: symptoms, tasks, features Action level: behaviors, processes, workflows Identity level: how they see themselves and what success means to them Freud said our biggest challenge is betraying the way we perceive ourselves. In sales, that shows up when a buyer clings to an old identity. Our job isn’t to buy that story, it’s to honour it, then help them author a better one. My core belief about what I’m selling: If it doesn’t align with who the customer wants to become, it won’t stick. At the end of the day, every message is either a loving response or a cry for help. Speak to the human first; the business case follows. Question: What’s one “identity-level” belief your best customers had to upgrade before they said yes?

How you ask, what you ask truly matters. The other day, I asked my son: “What do you want for dinner?” He stared into space like he was solving world problems 😅 and finally said… “What do you think?” Then I remembered a tip from a book. Instead of open-ended questions, try giving limited thoughtful choices. So I switched it up: “Chapathi or rice?” And boom 💥 instant answer. No drama. No debate. Funny thing is… this works beautifully at work too • When my team’s stuck deciding, • In stakeholder conversations, • Even in prospect calls/ emails. Rather than “What would you like to do?” I frame it as: “Most companies in your industry go with Option A or Option B. What works better for you?” The difference in response time and clarity is magic. ✨ Sometimes, the secret isn’t in what you ask… It’s in how you ask it.

💡 **The Power of Being the Reluctant Buyer in Business** Ever thought about how changing the dynamics of a conversation can shift the outcome entirely? In sales—and honestly, in life—showing a little bit of reluctance can be *more powerful* than chasing a yes. Here's why: - When you position yourself as the reluctant buyer, you subtly establish **control over the conversation**. You're not desperate; you're discerning. - A simple phrase like *Mind if I ask a few questions to see if this is a good fit for me?* creates curiosity and sets a cooperative tone. - This approach flips the script: you're assessing *them* instead of trying to sell yourself. It reduces pressure and sparks authentic dialogue. The result? The conversation becomes *mutual discovery,* not negotiation. How do YOU approach making deals or starting collaborative conversations? Share your tips below! 👇 #SalesTips #NegotiationSkills #BusinessSuccess #MindsetMatters #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalGrowth

Every time I’ve hit a wall in business, it’s been because I stopped doing one thing. Listening. Whether it’s a client, a rep, or a customer, the fastest way to lose momentum is to think you already know the answer. Listening isn’t passive. It’s strategy. What’s one thing you learned this week by listening instead of talking?

12 Small Habits That Make Buyers Want to Work with You You reply fast without wasting words → Be responsive and concise. You show up knowing their business → Do your homework before every interaction. You say “not a fit” when it’s true → Be honest — don’t force a sale. You lock in next steps before hanging up → Always end calls with clarity on what’s next. You ask questions that make them think → Engage their mind; show you understand their challenges. You recap calls with zero fluff → Follow up with clear, short summaries. You bring up blockers before they do → Anticipate problems early — it builds trust. You keep everyone looped in → Keep communication open across stakeholders. You simplify complex decisions → Make it easy for them to say “yes.” You stay calm when deals stall → Stay professional and confident — patience wins. You push without being pushy → Be persistent, but respectful. You make them look smart internally → Help your buyer shine inside their organization.

Listening is the advisor’s superpower. In discovery, listening creates trust. In connection, it breaks down walls. In objections, it uncovers real concerns. Listening isn’t passive - it’s active, intentional, and persuasive. Clients will trust advisors who hear them long before they trust advisors who talk at them. #AdvisorLeadership #SalesProcess #ListeningMatters #TrustBuilding

Attention isn’t enough. That gap, between getting audience’s attention and helping them decide, is what stalls deals. To actually accelerate pipeline, we need to think about how buyers make decisions, step by step, and guide them from problem → solution → decision. Here’s how I break it down: Step 1: Realizing the problem exists → Make the pain undeniable. Show what it’s costing them to do nothing. Step 2: Exploring solutions → Keep it simple. Show how you solve the problem with real examples or visuals—no buzzwords, no fluff. Simple words in their language. Step 3: Deciding → Reduce friction. Share proof: customer results, social validation, honest comparisons. The goal isn’t just to get noticed. It’s to get decisions moving.