Consultative Selling Techniques

How to sell (without feeling salesy): First, understand the Ethical Wealth Formula: (Value First × Trust Building) × Authentic Positioning  ———————————————————  Frequency of Asks × Pressure Tactics This isn't abstract theory. It's practical math: • Increase the numerator: deliver more value, build more trust, position more authentically • Decrease the denominator: reduce frequency of asks, eliminate pressure tactics • Watch revenue soar while your integrity remains intact Ethical doesn't mean unprofitable. It means sustainable. Principle 1: Value-First Monetization The approach that generates $864,000 monthly without a single "hard sell": • Deliver so much value upfront that buying feels like the obvious next step • Create free content so good people say "If this is free, imagine what's paid" • Solve small problems for free, big transformational problems for a fee Give until it feels slightly uncomfortable. Then give a little more. Principle 2: Trust Through Consistency I've never missed weekly content in 3 years, through vacations, illnesses, market crashes. The trust-building machine that works while you sleep: • Show up reliably when competitors disappear during tough times • Do what you promise, when you promise it • Maintain quality across every touchpoint One founder implemented this and saw conversions increase 74% in 30 days, without changing offer or price. Trust isn't built in grand gestures. It's built in boring consistency, most won't maintain. Principle 3: Authentic Positioning The approach that helped me raise prices 300% while increasing sales: • Own your expertise unapologetically, confidence is not arrogance • Speak to specific problems you solve, not vague benefits you provide • Tell detailed stories of transformation instead of listing features You don't need to be perfect to sell effectively. You need to be authentic about how you help. Principle 4: Invitation Vs. Manipulation The ethical alternative to high-pressure tactics: • Invite people when they're ready, don't push when you're ready • Create genuine scarcity (limited capacity) not fake urgency (countdown timers) • Respect "no" as "not now" rather than objection to overcome My most profitable sales sequence has zero countdown timers, zero artificial scarcity, zero pressure. Ethical selling feels like extending help, not hunting prey. — Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more. Want to improve your sales strategy? Join our community of 172,000+ subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/eTp4jain

Sales reps email "just checking in" an average of 5 times per day. Does this work?  Rarely. The habit of saying "just checking in" negatively impacts your sales efforts: ⇒ It doesn't add any value to the conversation. ⇒ It can come across as lazy or insincere. ⇒ By using this phrase, you miss opportunities to engage meaningfully. Here are 10 tips to stop saying "just checking in" and do something else instead: 1. Provide Value:  Instead of "just checking in," offer a useful piece of advice or a relevant resource. For example, "I came across this article that might help with your current project." 2. Ask Specific Questions:  Directly ask for the information you need. For example, "Can you update me on the status of the proposal we discussed?" 3. Share a Success Story:  Highlight a recent success that relates to the prospect's industry. For example, "We recently helped a company similar to yours achieve X. Would you like to hear more about it?" 4. Offer a New Insight:  Share a new piece of information or a market trend. For example, "I wanted to share some recent data on how companies in your sector are handling Y." 5. Suggest a Next Step:  Propose a clear next action. For example, "How about we schedule a call next week to discuss this further?" 6. Follow Up on a Previous Conversation:  Reference a specific point from your last interaction. For example, "Last time we spoke, you mentioned interest in Z. I have some additional information that might be useful." 7. Invite to an Event:  Offer an invitation to a webinar or industry event. For example, "We’re hosting a webinar on [topic] next week. Would you be interested in joining?" 8. Highlight a New Feature:  Inform them about a new feature or update. For example, "We’ve just launched a new feature that could benefit your team. Would you like a demo?" 9. Ask for Feedback:  Request their opinion on something specific. For example, "I’d love to get your feedback on our latest product update." 10. Express Genuine Interest:  Show that you care about their progress. For example, "How are things going with your current project? Is there anything I can assist with?" By replacing "just checking in" with these strategies,  you can make your follow-ups more engaging and valuable. This ultimately leads to better responses and stronger relationships. ♻️ Share this cheat sheet to help more sales reps improve their follow-up game. ______ 📌 p.s. FREE GIFT: If you’re looking to streamline sales plays across your sales team, you can click here: https://www.distribute.so/

"I sound like I'm reading from a script." This is the #1 complaint I hear from sales reps trying to improve their game. And they're right. Most sales conversations DO sound mechanical. But the problem isn't having a process. It's how you INTERNALIZE that process. Early in my career selling rental car insurance as an intern, I was given the same basic script as everyone else. Most reps just read it mechanically and got mediocre results. Instead, I locked myself in my hotel room and practiced it hundreds of times until I could deliver it naturally, adjusting my tone, pace, and emphasis based on each customer's reactions. Within 30 days, I became the #1 performer in my region out of 40 and was outselling reps with YEARS more experience and did it as their full time job. While I was “just a college kid” working his summer internship. The difference? I wasn't using a script. I was using a FRAMEWORK. → Scripts tell you exactly what to say → Frameworks guide WHAT to cover while letting YOU decide HOW to cover it Think of it like a jazz musician. They know the core melody and chord progressions, but they improvise in the moment, reading the audience and adding their personal style. The secret is DELIBERATE practice. Record your calls. Listen for patterns. Identify missed opportunities. Notice where you could go deeper. The goal isn't to sound scripted. It's to internalize the framework so deeply that you can focus entirely on the PERSON in front of you. Remember my rule: FANCY FAILS, SIMPLE SCALES. I've taught this framework method to thousands of sales reps, and the results are always the same… …more natural conversations that convert at 2-3X higher rates. — Want to master 40 years of sales experience in just 2 hours? Grab this video, download it and LEARN: https://lnkd.in/g3CP4v2q

It’s humbling: 17 years in sales, $44M+ in B2B deals closed… and I still get ghosted after pouring 40 hours into a pitch. 2 months ago, I sat down with my leadership team and told them: our sales process is broken. Currently: → A “quick chat” turns into 3 Zoom calls. → Weeks of back-and-forth email threads. → Too many proposals that go nowhere. By the time we finally send over pricing, they've either: • Ghosted • Picked someone else • Forgot why they reached out in the first place As much as I hate to admit it, many of our deals at @Incepteo still undergo this process. So, we're making a significant change: Productizing our services. Yes, I know it's a huge buzzword – but here's what we're planning to do: 1) Make it easier for the client to say “yes” People buy when they are excited. People buy when they trust you. They don't buy when they have to wait 2 weeks to understand what they're getting. Imagine if the only way to book a flight was to: → Call the airline → Explain where you're going → Wait 3 days → Then get a quote No one would fly. But, that's exactly what the typical service business' sales process looks like. Proposals (quotes) take hours for us to prepare AND prevent buyers from quickly accessing the information they need. If someone’s interested in working with us, we want to show them exactly what we do and why it works in minutes. To do that, we'll… 2) Build online estimators for our core offers Not every client needs something 'totally unique.' In reality: → 80% of what we do is repeatable → 20% is custom (but can still live inside a well-defined package) So, we're building an online estimator that help prospects get: • A transparent price range • A ballpark timeline • An overview of deliverables This information comes in a few clicks on our website. No calls or weeks of waiting needed. We’ll still add human oversight before onboarding, but this reduces lead time drastically. 3) Communicate the “how” (not just the “what”) Even with clear pricing and timeline, there's still a trust gap. They still need to know: • Why we’re different • What our values are • How we actually deliver the work. Otherwise, we’re just another AI solutions firm with a nice landing page. Clients buy on outcomes AND the process. Now that we've reduced repetitive discovery calls, we can use that time to connect deeply on values and vision. We'll share our 'how' across our website, leadership content, and direct messaging. If prospects can’t tell us apart from 3 other firms charging wildly different rates—that’s on us. It's our job to visualize the invisible. Productizing services makes the buying experience better for you and your customer. • Shorter sales cycles • Less ghosting • Better-fit clients who are aligned with how we work Clarity → confidence → conversions. We're still building our estimation system, but the early signs are promising. Curious to hear your feedback on productizing in the comments. 

Mandy first reached out to a prospect six months ago. Her email was friendly and clear, but they didn’t respond. She followed up a week later. Still no reply. Every month, she sent a quick, thoughtful email— sharing a useful article, asking a simple question. Nothing pushy. Just staying on their radar. Finally, after five months, they replied: “We’re not ready to make changes right now, but let’s keep in touch.” Mandy wanted to push for a meeting. She felt like she’d already waited long enough. But she decided to play it cool. Instead, she wrote back: “Okay.” Another month passed. She stayed top of mind by sharing information about topics the prospect was interested in. Some of it was videos where she answered common questions customers often asked. Then, out of the blue, they emailed her. They wanted to chat. A week later, the deal was signed. Mandy reflected on the journey. She realized: Sales is slow at first and fast at the end. Patience is also part of selling.

Just got off a call with a founder who's sent 1,000+ cold emails with ZERO responses... Let me ask you something... Have you ever crafted what you thought was the perfect outreach message, only to be met with complete silence? One of my clients (a SaaS founder) just shared their frustrating experience that might sound familiar... They spent weeks perfecting their message, researching prospects, and personalizing every email. The result? Radio silence. Zero responses. Zero meetings. Zero opportunities. And here's what really hurts... Their competitor, with an inferior product, was landing meetings left and right with the same prospects. After analyzing thousands of outreach campaigns, I’ve discovered that trust isn't built through volume - it's built through three specific elements that buyers actually care about. Here are the 3 trust drivers that actually get decision-makers to reply: 1) Social Proof That Matters Stop leading with generic logos. I've found buyers instantly engage when you share specific results from companies in their exact industry. They need to see themselves in your success stories. ✅ POWER MOVE:  Reference a similar company's specific metrics improvement (e.g., "We helped Company X increase their conversion rate by 47% in 60 days") 2) Thought Leadership Signals Your prospects are drowning in "experts." I've tested this extensively - buyers respond when you demonstrate deep industry knowledge through specific insights about their business challenges. ✅POWER MOVE: Share a unique observation about their market position or recent company changes that others missed. 3) Micro-Deliverables This is the game-changer most miss. I've seen response rates triple when founders offer immediate value before asking for anything in return. ✅POWER MOVE: Provide a quick competitive analysis or specific growth opportunity they can implement today, regardless of whether they reply. The data is clear: 89% of cold outreach fails because it focuses on what YOU want instead of what THEY need. These aren't just theories - I've watched these exact strategies transform response rates from 2% to 20%+ across hundreds of campaigns. Here's the real question: How many of these trust drivers are you actually incorporating in your outreach right now? #ColdOutreach #B2BSales #TrustBasedSelling #OutboundMarketing #SalesStrategy

I analysed 100 of our best-performing outbound campaigns The ones getting the most replies have 3 things in common: 🍿 A no-brainer offer The best cold outreach offers something instantly useful. A free audit. A shortcut. A valuable insight. Think: “I’ll do this bit of work for you — no strings.” The aim? Leave them thinking “Why wouldn’t I say yes to this?” You're landing in their inbox uninvited, so you better bring snacks! 🤙 An informal tone of voice If your email reads like it’s been written by someone inviting the King to Royal Ascot... it’s probably not landing. People buy from people (yes, even in B2B!) Casual, clear, human messages build trust fast. Remember: You’re talking to a person on the other end! 💭 A soft CTA We’re seeing better results with low-pressure closes: “Worth exploring?” “Want me to send more info?” “Can I show you how we’d approach it?” It opens the door without slamming them with a meeting link and lets the prospect stay in control. 💬 Curious what others are seeing... Are you noticing similar shifts? Or are you still finding success with the old-school approach?

Years ago, I watched one of the best enterprise salespeople I've ever known lose a million-dollar deal simply because "𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝘆". This brilliant, capable professional was letting million-dollar opportunities slip away because she was afraid of seeming aggressive. Sound familiar? Here's the reality I've found after analyzing thousands of sales interactions: The average B2B purchase requires 8+ touches before a response, but most salespeople give up after 2-3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. Working with clients across industries, I've developed what some have called the "Goldilocks Sequence" – not too aggressive, not too passive, but just right for maximizing response rates without alienating prospects. It starts with how we view follow-ups. Stop thinking of them as "checking in" and start seeing them as opportunities to deliver additional value. For each client, we build what I call a "Follow-Up Content Library" with 5-10 genuinely valuable resources for each buyer persona – a mix of their content and third-party research addressing likely challenges. Having this ready means follow-ups can pull the most relevant resource based on the specific situation. The sequence itself has a rhythm designed to respect the prospect's time while staying on their radar: 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 is the initial value-focused outreach with a specific insight (never generic "I'd like to connect" language). Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟯, we send a gentle bump, forwarding the original email with: "I wanted to make sure this reached you. Any thoughts on the [specific insight]?" It's brief and assumes positive intent. By 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱, we shift to an alternative channel like LinkedIn, with a personalized note referencing the insight, but still no meeting request. Around 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟴 comes the pure value-add – sharing a relevant resource with no ask attached: "Came across this [article/case study] that addresses the [challenge] we discussed. Thought you might find it valuable regardless of our conversation." 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮 brings what I call the "pattern interrupt" – a brief email with an unexpected subject line and single-question format that's easy to respond to. Then, around Day 18, we send the "permission to close" message: "I'm sensing this might not be a priority right now. If that's the case, could you let me know if I should check back in the future? Happy to remove you from my follow-up list otherwise." This sequence generated a 34% response rate for an enterprise software client compared to their previous 11% using traditional methods. The key difference? Every touch adds legitimate value rather than just asking for time. And because it's systematic, it removes the emotional weight of deciding when and how to follow up. What's your most effective follow-up technique? I'm always collecting new approaches to share with clients. #SalesFollowUp #OutreachStrategy #PipelineGeneration

Your sales emails suck. And guess what? I know because I get 30 of them a day. I see the same mistakes over and over...the boring intros, the endless rambling, and the generic pitches that make my inbox feel like a nightmare. Want to know why? Because your email has 3 seconds to make an impression. THREE. Seconds. That's how long you have before I hit "delete" So if you’re not cutting through the noise, you’re just part of the problem. Here’s why your outreach isn’t working: 🚫 Cut the fluff, now – “Hope you’re doing well” or “Just checking in” is a one-way ticket to the trash. No one has time for that. If you don’t get to the point within the first 5 words, you’re done. ✂️ Get to the point fast – Lengthy emails are a killer. Research shows emails under 50 words see 83% more replies. That means if you're writing a novel, you’re already losing. 📚 Personalize (like actually personalize) – "I see you're in [insert job title here]”—that's not personalization, it’s lazy. Do your homework and show that you understand my specific challenges and goals. If you don’t, I’m clicking delete before you even finish your sentence. 🎯 Relevance matters more than anything – If your email isn’t directly tied to what I’m trying to accomplish, it’s not going to get a reply. I don’t need a generic pitch; I need to know how you can help me solve my problems today. 🔥 Stop the lazy copy-paste – If I can tell you’re sending the same message to 100 people, I’m out. Your outreach should feel like you’re speaking to me, not to the entire world. Personalization isn’t just a buzzword. You’ve got 3 seconds to grab attention and show value. If you’re still using the same tired tactics, you’re wasting your time...and mine. 🎤 🫳 ALSO MASSIVE SHOUTOUT to the folks using video to prospect, can say that personalized video messages get a response from me every time. I LOVE them.

I've closed over $1,000,000 this year for BizDev Labs. Here’s the exact sales process I use: (we help B2B SaaS startups with GTM) 1: Get Attention Stand out amidst the competition. - Send cold emails/LinkedIn DM’s - Write organic social content on LinkedIn - Collaborate with influencers in the industry Once a prospect shows interest, it’s time to enlighten them. 2: Educate Keep them in the know. - Highlight the pros and cons of status quo - Highlight the pros and cons of competitors - Highlight the pros and cons of your business This helps in setting a solid foundation for what comes next. 3: Align Understand their specific needs. - Discover their specific use case and goals - Identify their gaps and areas for improvement - Determine KPIs and timelines for achievement This way, you tailor your services to their specific needs. 4: Expertise Show them you know your stuff. - Provide free insights and expert advice - Share success stories of other clients - Dive deep into subjects to showcase skill This helps to reinforce your credibility. 5: Personalize Tailor our approach to their specific needs. - Show that we understand their business and its unique challenges - Demonstrate how our services can be customized to meet their objectives - Reiterate how our past experience makes us the ideal partner Not just another service provider, but a partner. 6: Consistency Reiterate our commitment to consistency. - Share our track record of delivering consistent results - Emphasize our steadfast commitment to quality and service - Discuss how our standardized processes ensure reliable outcomes Reassure them of our capability to deliver. 7: Trust Establish a strong bond of trust. - Maintain open and transparent communication - Deliver on promises and meet deadlines consistently - Share how our business ethics and values guide our actions Critical step to forming a long-lasting relationship. 8: Referrals Build trust with proof of satisfaction. - Connect them to satisfied customers - Share case studies and glowing testimonials - Showcase examples of past work and successful projects This gives them tangible evidence of your capabilities. 9: Champion Enable them to be your advocates. - Discuss potential objections in advance, and how to handle them - Share an easy-to-understand pitch deck for circulation  - Regularly send summarized notes via email to drive alignment This empowers them to sell your services internally. Most importantly... Selling to a cold outbound leads, Is different than inbound lead, Which is different to a referral, And so forth. We specialize in cold to customer conversion. TL;DR: Step 1: Get Attention Step 2: Educate Step 3: Align Step 4: Showcase Expertise Step 5: Personalize Step 6: Emphasize Consistency Step 7: Build Trust Step 8: Share Referrals Step 9: Empower to Champion Hope it helps!