Solution Selling Methods

I helped a client implement April Dunford's "Sales Pitch" framework in their deck last week. After their first two pitches, they said: "This is completely changing our conversations!" I read April's book when it first came out and have tested the framework with multiple clients since then. It works incredibly well. Here's the framework breakdown (and why each step is so valuable): 1. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝗣𝗢𝗩): Start with what your experience reveals about the customer's situation and problems you can help solve. This positions you as a trusted expert and frames the conversation around your unique value. 2. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Discuss common solutions customers typically use with honest pros and cons. This builds credibility and helps uncover what they value most in potential solutions. 3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱: Paint the picture of an ideal solution by summarizing the pros of all alternatives. This creates alignment––if they agree with your perfect world description, they're likely a fit. If not, they probably aren't. 4. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Now introduce your solution and category. This works because you've established the perfect context before revealing your offering. 5. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Focus your demo exclusively on your differentiated features. Don't overwhelm with every feature. Instead, highlight what truly sets you apart and creates unique value. 6. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: Provide evidence that you deliver on your promises through testimonials, case studies, and results. This validates your claims and builds trust at a critical moment. 7. 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Come prepared with answers to common questions. This demonstrates you understand their concerns and have thought ahead about potential roadblocks. 8. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Close with a clear next step. A good pitch always includes a straightforward call to action appropriate for where they are in their journey. The beauty of this framework is by the time you reach that final ask, it feels completely natural for both sides. What sales framework has worked best for you? #positioning

40-60% of deals end with no decision. Want to change that? Here’s why this happens—and how you can fix it. Most deals stall because buyers feel overwhelmed. They’re anxious about: → Making mistakes → Budget constraints → Implementation complexity But here’s what many salespeople miss: Buyers don’t wake up thinking, “I need this product.” They feel symptoms first: → Frustration from missed goals → Stress over inefficiencies → Pressure from their team If you don’t speak their language, they won’t listen. Here’s how to break through: ✅ Start with their symptoms Talk about their daily struggles and emotional pain points. Show them you understand their reality. ✅ Use open-ended questions Ask things like: “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” or “How does that problem impact your team’s performance?” ✅ Summarizing builds trust Reflect back what you’ve heard. For example: “So what I’m hearing is that you’re spending too much time on manual tasks, and that’s causing delays for your team?” ✅ Co-develop value Instead of pitch mode, invite buyers to explore solutions with you. Ask: “If we could solve this, what would success look like?” ✅ Shift from features to impact Focus on how your solution makes their life better. For example: “Here’s how we’ve helped teams cut manual work by 50%—free up time for strategy and growth.” ✅ Show proof Use case studies, testimonials, and data to build credibility. People trust results, not words. ✅ Offer low-risk steps Demo your solution or give them something they can experience firsthand. Let them see how it works for their unique situation. By address buyer anxieties early and speaking to symptoms, you’ll move deals forward—with confidence. What’s your go-to strategy for help buyers feel understood? Share your thoughts below. #SalesTips #EmpathyDrivenSelling #BuyerAnxieties #SalesPipeline

“The Right Fit > The Latest Model.” High-tech doesn’t always mean high-impact. Tailor the solution to the process. In manufacturing, automation is never about blindly adding robots or advanced systems. It’s about addressing pain points and improving measurable metrics like Productivity, Quality, Volume, and Cost (PQVC). Stop Selling Products. Start Offering Solutions. The same applies when pitching to the industry: ✔️ Don’t push what’s available in our catalog. ✔️ Don’t sell machines for the sake of selling. Instead, sell solutions that address our client’s specific challenges: Do they need high speed or precision? Should they invest in the latest technology, or will a simpler system suffice? Is aesthetics a key factor, or is cost efficiency more critical? Understand first. Recommend second. The right solution doesn’t always have to be the most expensive or the most advanced—it needs to be the most appropriate for their process. 💡 This approach builds trust, ensures results, and sets you apart as a partner, not just a seller. #SolutionDriven #ManufacturingExcellence #AutomationInsights #ValueOverFeatures

The B2B sales Playbook: How MBB Firms sell (and you should too) The other day, I was in a meeting where a major brand was pitching to one of my clients. It was painful to watch. For 30 minutes, they talked about themselves. Their capabilities. Their success stories. Their tech. Their global reach. Not once did they ask, “What’s your problem?” Not once did they try to understand what actually mattered to the client. This happens ALL THE TIME in B2B sales. And it’s the fastest way to kill a deal before it even starts. Here’s the thing: B2B sales isn’t about you. It’s about them. And whether you’re a startup selling SaaS, an engineering firm pitching to a construction company, a boutique consultancy, or anyone selling projects to enterprises this playbook applies. It’s the method consultants have used for 50+ years to sell multi-million-dollar projects. Here’s how to do it right. 1. Stop selling solutions. Start diagnosing problems. The biggest mistake? Pushing your services instead of uncovering the client’s actual pain points. MBB rule: Never sell a solution before diagnosing the problem. The first meeting isn’t about what you do. It’s about what they need. - Ask smart questions. - Identify the real pain points. - Find the problem behind the problem. The best salespeople don’t pitch. They make the client realize they deeply understand their challenges. 2. Forget proposals. Start with a short memo. Once you identify an opportunity, DO NOT jump into a full proposal. Instead, test the waters with a short memo covering: - What you understood about their problem - How you think it can be solved - The impact it could have A memo lets you validate interest before you waste time crafting a proposal. If the client says, “This makes sense. What’s next?” then, and only then, you move forward. 3. Nail the proposal without the price. Here’s the mistake most people make: They include fees too early. Before discussing price, you need the client to say: - "Yes, this is the right problem.” - “Yes, this methodology makes sense.” - “Yes, this outcome is valuable to us.” You want full alignment before price even enters the conversation. Because if the client questions the cost before they’ve bought into the solution, you’ve already lost. 4. Price based on impact, not effort. Most people price their services based on effort. Wrong. Your internal costs don’t matter. The only thing that matters is the value you create. If solving this problem saves the client $50M, your fee isn’t about your hours; it’s about your role in that value. If your price is based on cost, you’re a commodity. If your price is based on value, you’re a partner. Final thought. Most people sell like that multinational: pushing services instead of solving problems. MBB firms? They do the opposite. They frame problems, align the client before discussing price, and charge based on impact, not effort. This playbook works in every B2B deal. Try it.

Very few, if any, executives woke up today excited to buy your software. However, many of them, especially the successful ones, woke up with problems to solve and goals to achieve. So, if you want to gain mindshare from executives and ultimately make a sale that solves problems, you need to have the right conversations. Pain points and goals drive executives, not products. They need solutions tailored to their specific problems. You need to help them audit why they can't do this independently and why you are the right provider in a crowded field. Here are a few proven strategies that have worked for me and my team, which you can apply: Establish yourself as an expert who gets it: Show your domain knowledge before asking about their challenges. Discuss trends, data, and company news. Be as specific as you can be. Don't be one of those generic sellers talking about "growing revenue." Specificity sells, and generality gets DQ'd. Position yourself as a partner and trusted advisor, not a vendor: Show that you care about their success, not just your sale. Showcase how your solution solves all their problems: Don’t list features. Tailor your pitch to their pain points. Show them how your solution will alleviate their specific challenges, improve their processes, and contribute to their business goals. Also, be sure to talk about change management. Some transformational technologies require a culture change, which can be a complex transition, so set expectations accordingly. Buying solutions that fuel tomorrow's growth can't be adopted with yesterday's approach. So, the next time you find yourself in front of an executive, resist the urge to dive into product details. Start with a conversation about their business domain, company, pain points, and goals.

When I was at #Zenefits, my screen saver said: “Make them bleed.” Now before you roll your eyes 👀—it wasn’t about being cutthroat. It meant: find the pain. In sales, especially enterprise sales, you can’t present a real solution unless you uncover a real problem. Customers don’t buy “cool tech” or “nice-to-haves.” They buy when something hurts enough that fixing it matters—whether that’s: 🔒 Security gaps keeping the CISO up at night 💸 Inefficient processes draining budgets ⚡ Performance issues slowing down critical apps The trick is to stop pitching features and start diagnosing problems. Ask better questions. Dig deeper. Sit in the uncomfortable silence until the customer shares what’s really broken. Because once you understand the pain, the solution sells itself. Enterprise reps—don’t be afraid to “make them bleed” (metaphorically, of course 😉). Without a problem, there is no deal. With a problem you can solve, you become indispensable. #MakeThemBleed #FindThePain #SolutionSelling

As a freight broker, it's easy to fall into the trap of just selling services. But let's be real...shippers don’t want to hear a pitch; they want to solve problems. At this point, I feel like this should be Logistics 101...but I am shocked at how many people use purely price driven sales attempts and then fail on service. 😒 When reaching out to potential shippers, I focus on understanding their pain points, not just pushing rates. Solution-based selling is all about asking the right questions: “What challenges are you facing with your current shipping setup?” “Are there specific lanes where you struggle to find reliable carriers?” “What would make your logistics experience smoother?” "How can I help make your workload easier?" Instead of leading with “We offer the best rates,” I lead with “Here’s how we can improve your logistics process.” This shift in approach makes a HUGE difference. It’s about listening, understanding, and customizing solutions to their unique needs. When you show shippers that you're not just there to sell, but to support their growth, you become a partner - not just another vendor. RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY TO LONG LASTING TRUST AND SUCCESS FOR ALL PARTIES. I will say that until my lungs give out! Brokers, forget the one-size-fits-all pitch. Dive into what shippers really need, and offer solutions that make their lives easier. Happy Selling!!! #freightbroker #solutionbasedselling #logistics #salesstrategy #shipping #relationships #logistics #logisticslife #shippers #freight