How to Make Sales More Client-Centric

You should definitely make customer research the cornerstone of your B2B go-to-market strategy. The trick is leveraging insights to drive actionable sales and marketing decisions, not just product tweaks. Here are three ways: 1. Conduct regular customer interviews Set up weekly or monthly calls with a diverse set of customers to uncover evolving needs and decision-making processes. A professional services firm I worked with reshaped its entire sales pitch to talk less about itself and more about its ICP's job to be done. The result was a higher close rate. Sometimes, what you think is a strength might be holding you back. 2. Mine your sales calls regularly Implement a system to analyze and categorize key moments from your team's sales conversations that inform your GTM strategy. One of our B2B tech clients discovered that many prospects were using a manual competitive alternative that wasn't even on their radar. You can use these insights to refine your messaging and objection handling. 3. Deploy simple website visitor surveys Place short, targeted surveys on key pages to understand more about visitors, their challenges, and friction points in your conversion funnel. I know of a company that increased demo requests by 40% after learning that potential customers were confused about which product tier was right for them. Customer research isn't just about product development—it's about aligning every touchpoint of your go-to-market motion with what truly matters to your buyers. Pick one of these tactics and implement it this week. Your pipeline (and your bottom line) will thank you.

The biggest mistake I made in business development? (And the one I see others make every week…) Asking for the business before I gave any value. ❌ I’d pitch. ❌ I’d present. ❌ I’d try to impress. But it rarely worked, and never felt right. What I finally learned was this: You don’t earn trust by selling. You earn it by giving, long before you ever make an ask. So, if you want to become the kind of advisor clients  seek out… ✅ Start with value.  ✅ Lead with generosity.  ✅ Then let trust do the rest. Here are 8 of my favorite ways to offer value before  asking for business: 1. Make a Strategic Introduction → Connect them to someone helpful. Your network  becomes part of your value. 2. Ask for Their Perspective → Curious questions create more respect than pitch  decks ever will. 3. Send a Thoughtful Surprise → A book, a note, a resource. Relevance shows you’re  paying attention and that matters. 4. Share Tailored Insights → Generic = forgettable. A timely idea, just for them, can  open big doors. 5. Invite Them to Something Exclusive → Roundtables or niche events. Scarcity adds value.  Inclusion builds connection. 6. Host a Problem-Solving Session → Brainstorm a real issue together. Let them experience  your thinking in action. 7. Offer a Mini-Diagnostic → Spot something they didn’t know was broken. It  reframes you from seller to solver. 8. Provide a Sample of Your Service → No pressure. Just a preview. Let them feel the value  before the ask. Here’s the shift: Don’t try to close a deal. Try to open a relationship. Give first.  Then give a little more. And I promise the results will take care of themselves. 👉 Which one will you try this week? ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

I have been on over 500 calls till now asking creators to try topmate.io and guess what, I have been ghosted countless times by them! "I will get back to you soon." is one of the most common responses when people are not interested in your services. As a professional, it is frustrating when your promising prospects fail to convert into clients, even after an engaging initial conversation. And it hurts even more when they ghost you without giving any reason. Here are four key factors to consider: 1⃣Misaligned sales and marketing: If your sales and marketing teams aren't in sync, your prospects may be receiving mixed messages. Ensure open communication and shared understanding of the ideal customer profile and lead qualification criteria. 2⃣Lack of customer understanding: Don't assume you know your prospects' needs. Take the time to truly listen and ask insightful questions to uncover their unique challenges and requirements. This will help you provide tailored solutions. 3⃣Credibility gap: If prospects don't trust your advice or believe you have their best interests in mind, they'll hesitate to commit. Focus on building rapport and demonstrating your expertise, not just closing the deal. 4⃣High-pressure sales tactics turn off prospects: Position yourself as a helpful guide, not a salesperson on a mission. By addressing these common pitfalls, you can create a more transparent, customer-centric sales process that builds trust and addresses your prospects' real needs. This will not only improve your conversion rates but also foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. After I started keeping the above things in mind, I have seen an exponential increase in the conversion rate. What else do you think puts off a prospect during the call? Your opinion is valuable!

Stop Solving. Start Selling. Traditional sales advice says, "Stop selling and start solving." While that approach isn’t entirely wrong—you shouldn’t push—jumping straight to a solution isn’t helpful either. In my sales workshops, I see this trap all the time: A client shares a challenge, and sales professionals immediately shift into problem-solving mode. Their instinct? Offer a solution right away because they have come prepared with a bag full of solutions and want to bring them out with pride. Show up and throw up! The problem? The client isn’t always ready for it. Here’s what great sales leaders do instead: •Pause and listen – Clients don’t just want answers; they want to feel heard. •Dig deeper – Ask: “What impact is this challenge having on your business?” •Resist the urge to pitch – A solution offered too soon feels generic, not strategic, and specific to the issues that the client is trying to solve. •Co-create the way forward – Help the client connect the dots instead of handing them the answer. Then it becomes a co-created solution from just being your solution. The best salespeople don’t just sell solutions—they guide the conversation in a way that makes the client want to buy. It’s known to the world as consultative selling, but I call it the trust-building conversation as the idea is to move from being an expert to a trusted advisor and that requires patience and resilience. So, Slow down. Listen more. Sell smarter. Build Trust #Sales #Leadership #SalesStrategy #ListeningSkills #Trust #valueconversations