Prioritize Discovery Over Product

In the world of sales, there are stories of remarkable turnarounds, where underperforming sales reps transform into top performers almost overnight. One such story is about an SMB Account Executive (AE) who was on the brink of being fired but turned things around to close 75% of his demos and earn more than $15,000 in commission per month in just 60 days. The key to his success? Going against everything we've been taught in sales.

As a former VP of Sales, I faced a pivotal decision with this struggling AE. Instead of letting him go, I decided to double down on coaching. We implemented four counterintuitive demo strategies that proved to be game-changers. Here are those strategies, which you can adopt to elevate your sales performance.

1. Stop Showing Off: Prioritize Discovery Over Product

The typical sales demo often resembles a product tour—generic, uninspiring, and focused on features rather than the prospect’s needs. This approach rarely engages prospects or addresses their specific problems. Instead of showcasing the product, we shifted our focus to a discovery-first approach.

Problem-Centric Questions

Prospects are primarily concerned with whether your solution can quickly and effectively solve their problems. Therefore, our AE started asking questions that were centered around the prospect's challenges. This approach helped identify the pain points and tailor the demo to address those issues directly.

Example Question:

“What challenges are you experiencing now that you think we can help you with?”

This question opens the door to a deeper understanding of the prospect's situation, allowing the AE to customize the demo and make it more relevant and engaging.

The Impact

By prioritizing discovery over product features, the AE was able to establish a connection with prospects, understand their needs, and position the solution as a direct response to their problems. This approach led to more meaningful conversations and a higher level of interest from prospects.

2. Lead with Pain Before Showing the Painkiller

Most AEs assume that prospects inherently understand why a particular feature is relevant to their situation. This assumption can lead to a disconnect, where the prospect sees the feature but doesn’t grasp its importance or how it addresses their specific issues.

Connecting the Dots

Like a good therapist, an elite AE always connects the dots between the prospect’s pain and the solution. Our AE began by discussing the prospect’s pain points before introducing the relevant features. This strategy helped prospects see the direct correlation between their problems and the benefits of the solution.

Example Approach:

“So you mentioned your team is suffering from [issue] because of [problem]. Let me show you another way we can eliminate all of that.”

The Impact

By leading with the pain and then presenting the solution, the AE was able to create a clear narrative that resonated with prospects. This approach made the demos more compelling and relevant, resulting in higher engagement and a greater likelihood of closing the deal.

3. Prospect Over Profit

In sales, it’s tempting to push for the highest plan to maximize commission. However, selling a premium plan that doesn’t fit the prospect’s needs can lead to churn, bad reviews, and damaged trust. Instead, we adopted a strategy focused on aligning the product with the prospect’s actual requirements.

Long-Term Relationship Building

Selling the right plan, even if it’s not the highest one, fosters long-term relationships. When prospects feel that their needs are genuinely understood and met, they are more likely to renew, upsell, and refer others. This strategy not only enhances trust and reputation but also leads to sustainable high commissions and potential promotions.

Example Scenario:

Instead of pushing the premium plan, our AE focused on understanding the prospect’s current situation and recommended a plan that best suited their needs, even if it was a lower-tier option.

The Impact

This approach led to reduced churn rates, positive reviews, and a stronger reputation. The AE built a loyal customer base that saw value in the solution and trusted his recommendations, resulting in long-term profitability and steady commission growth.

4. Serve Dessert Before the Meal

Traditional demos often start with basic features and gradually build up to the more significant ones. However, prospects typically don’t have the patience for this approach. They want to see how the product can solve their most pressing issues right away.

Flipping the Script

We flipped the demo script by addressing the prospect’s top concerns at the very beginning. By learning about their pain points, the size of the pain, who it impacted, and what success looked like for them, we were able to tailor the demo to their priorities.

Example Approach:

After a brief discovery recap, the AE would say, “I’m going to show you how to solve your top biggest issues first. Sound good?”

The Impact

This approach was a breath of fresh air for prospects who were tired of long, irrelevant demos. By addressing their most critical issues upfront, the AE was able to capture their attention and demonstrate the value of the solution immediately. This led to shorter, more impactful demos and a higher conversion rate.

Mindset Matters: The Power of a Growth Mindset in Sales

Success in sales begins in your mind. The opposite is also true. The truth is, most salespeople know exactly what to do—they just don't do it. This can be attributed to a limited mindset that fosters fear and self-doubt.

Consider the differences between a limited mindset and a growth mindset:

A limited mindset might think:

• "He won't answer the phone anyway."
• "I'm not smart enough for this."
• "The deal closed because I was lucky."
• "I'm too introverted for sales."

In contrast, a growth mindset believes:

• "I should call him anyway."
• "I can learn this."
• "The deal closed because I worked hard."
• "I can become a great salesperson."

Overcoming Common Sales Challenges

Salespeople often face challenges like cold calling, cold emailing, social selling, and engaging with CXOs, which can induce fear and imposter syndrome. Here’s how a growth mindset can help overcome these obstacles:

• Cold Calling: Reframe it as an opportunity to learn and improve with each call.
• Cold Emailing: View it as a chance to connect and provide value to prospects.
• Social Selling: See it as building long-term relationships rather than immediate results.
• Challenging CXOs: Consider it a way to demonstrate your expertise and build trust.

Personal Experience

If I always listened to my mind, I would have:

• Never quit my banking job
• Never made a cold call
• Never closed a deal
• Never shared a post

The Importance of Self-Belief

Remember, if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. Cultivating a growth mindset enables you to embrace challenges, learn from feedback, and persist despite setbacks. This mindset shift is crucial for long-term success in sales.

TL;DR: Demos Are for the Prospect, Not for Your Company

The essence of these strategies is that demos should be designed with the prospect’s needs at the forefront. Prospects want to engage with salespeople who can help them solve their problems and achieve their goals. By asking curious, strategic, and thought-provoking questions, and by focusing on the prospect’s pain points and needs, salespeople can create more engaging and effective demos.

Key Takeaways:

• Discovery First: Prioritize understanding the prospect’s challenges before diving into product features.
• Pain Before Solution: Lead with the prospect’s pain points and then present the relevant features as solutions.
• Right Fit Over Highest Plan: Recommend plans that best suit the prospect’s needs to build long-term relationships.
• Address Top Concerns First: Start demos by solving the prospect’s most critical issues to capture their attention and demonstrate value quickly.

By adopting these counterintuitive strategies, the struggling AE was able to turn his performance around, close a significant percentage of his demos, and achieve impressive commission earnings. These principles can be applied by any salesperson looking to enhance their demo effectiveness and build stronger, more profitable customer relationships.

Conclusion

Sales is both an art and a science, and sometimes, the most effective strategies are those that go against conventional wisdom. By focusing on the prospect’s needs, leading with their pain points, recommending the right solutions, and addressing their top concerns upfront, salespeople can transform their demos from generic product tours into engaging, problem-solving conversations.

This story of an SMB AE’s remarkable turnaround demonstrates that with the right approach and mindset, it’s possible to achieve exceptional results in a short period. So, whether you’re struggling to hit your quota or looking to take your sales performance to the next level, consider adopting these counterintuitive strategies and watch your success soar.