Last week, a seasoned sales executive approached me after one of our coaching sessions with a puzzling question:

“Venkat, we’re doing everything right – great discovery, solid proposals, compelling presentations. But something’s still not clicking. It’s like there’s an invisible wall between us and our customers.”

Sound familiar?

After working with Fortune 500 sales teams for over a decade, I’ve discovered that the biggest barriers to closing deals aren’t in your sales process, they’re in your customer’s mind.

Today, I want to share with you 3 hidden customer mindsets that can derail even your most promising sales engagements, and the exact strategies I teach to turn each one into your competitive advantage.

Let’s dive in,

1. The Wall of Skepticism

As you approach a customer, they can be inherently skeptical. They’re looking at you and thinking:

“Here is a salesperson, I’m not sure if they truly care about our objectives, let’s keep them at arms length and discount what they are saying”

The tell-tale sign? Superficial engagement.

If your intuition tells you this is happening, it’s time to take a pause. Don’t keep pushing as that will only create more resistance.

Instead:

• Start aligning the conversation to their risks and outcomes
• Shift the energy from sitting across and negotiating to sitting by their side and ideating
• Make it an intuitive & natural next step to work with you

Remember one of my favorite metaphors: When you say it, it is sold. When they say, it is gold.

2. The ‘We Know it All’ Mindset

At times, a customer may be resistant to your solutions because they think:

“We have been there. We have done that. We know everything. Who are you to tell me what to do?”

Firstly, this is actually a positive sign. It shows that your customer is confident.

The right way to navigate this is to shift the focus from the known to the unknown:

• What is it that they are missing out?
• What are their blind spots?
• What are their opportunities hidden in plain sight?

This elevates your discussion to an exchange of insights and enables your customers to think differently. Thereby, positioning you as a partner rather than just another vendor.

3. The Commitment Trap

This is when customers feel compelled to stick with their current provider or solution, even if it no longer serves their best interests.

Because they have invested, they feel the need to continue and hopefully achieve their promised outcomes.

Here are two powerful questions I always ask:

“What does your CEO expect from you that your current provider is unable to provide?”

“How does this provider help your organization accelerate toward your vision?”

This highlights the gap between their existing solution and desired results, creating the context for you to step in.

The next time you meet customers, look out for these telltale signs:

– Are they looking at you with skepticism or suspicion?

– Are they exhibiting a ‘know-it-all’ attitude or a level of complacency?

– Are they showcasing what I call the commitment trap?

Remember, your customers’ value realization gaps are your opportunities in disguise.

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