Don’t Focus on the Pen

During coach DiDonato’s lecture, the idea of “not focusing on the pen” really stuck out to me. He simply explained how there are three parties involved in every sales interaction: person 1, person 2, and the product (the pen). The mistake that most salespeople make is focusing most of their energy on the product itself. Sellers assume that the more information they give to the buyer the better their chance is at making a sale. From the buyer’s point of view, this usually has the opposite effect. Buyers don’t care about the product until they understand how it makes a difference for them. In my experience as a buyer, when a salesperson jumps straight into features about their product the pitch feels generic and disconnected. This disconnection can be an immediate turn off for buyers, and this is a testament to how much first impressions matter. It only takes a matter of seconds for someone to lose interest in a sales pitch. This is why open-ended questions are such a powerful tool. These kinds of questions demand a response from the buyer and invite the buyer to share what actually matters for them. Open ended questions allow the buyer to be better understood. The buyer looks for a product or a service to see if their needs can be met. And a salesperson can play a key role in diagnosing their problem or “pain”. Great salespeople allow the buyer to realize their problem more clearly. Once their problem becomes relevant to the sale, the conversation feels more helpful than forced and makes the buying process feel collaborative instead of transactional. Of course, this is all easier said than done. The immediate thought when selling is to talk about how much better your product/service is than your customers, discuss benefits, or cost. However, effective selling comes from uncovering what truly matters to the buyer and earning the trust needed to move the conversation forward. It’s not about pushing a product, but about guiding someone toward a solution that fits their needs.