Salespeople who succeed deal after deal have dropped the manipulation tricks and persuasion techniques.
What matters above all is the relationship of trust and real human interaction.
In this article, we’ll cover the 10 golden rules drawn from the most common mistakes made by sales professionals.
These sales secrets aren’t magic or mystical—they’re just common-sense advice. They’re secrets that are always worth remembering when motivation or results are running low.
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Prove, don’t just claim
The first secret is a well-known principle in sales and marketing: “Show, don’t tell.”
Your prospect can believe everything you say during your pitch, but they’ll only be convinced if they see it with their own eyes.
Your prospect must be able to see the effectiveness of your solution for themselves—through concrete results, client testimonials, or a demonstration.
Tangible proof naturally gives your argument much more power.
Guide rather than force the sale
If your prospect feels pressured, forced, or restricted in their choice, they’ll shut down.
It’s obvious: nobody likes being forced or deprived of their freedom to choose. So, don’t bother giving the illusion of choice—your prospect isn’t naive and will turn to the competition if they have more options there.
You’re not just a salesperson, but a trusted advisor looking for the best solution for your prospect. Make sure they truly have all the options to make the best possible choice.
With a consultative approach, the buying experience is all the more positive and personalized, and your prospect is more likely to move forward in the buying process.
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Think in terms of relationships, not transactions
As a consultant, your aim isn’t to sell, but to help your prospect find the best solution for their situation.
Don’t think: need → product. Think: problem → solution.
Each of your prospects is an opportunity to build a bond of trust, even if a meeting doesn’t immediately turn into a sale. Make sure every interaction is memorable so the prospect returns to you when they need help.
A relationship is built and nurtured, so keep in regular contact, listen carefully to your prospect (and take notes to offer a personalized experience), and keep making sure they’re satisfied even after the sale.
Focus on tone more than script
Of course, the quality of your pitch matters—but it’s worthless without intention. The best salespeople truly believe in the value of what they sell.
Your pitch might be perfect, but if you deliver it without sincerity, it will have zero impact.
Remember, a message is conveyed through three levels:
- Verbal → the words
- Paraverbal → body language
- Periverbal → tone of voice
These three must be consistent with each other. If there’s dissonance, your prospect will spot it as a lack of authenticity.
Discover the prospect before pitching
Top salespeople know: there’s no perfect, ready-made pitch that guarantees a sale every time. Every prospect is unique, and that’s what makes selling challenging.
During the discovery phase, stay attentive and avoid making snap assumptions—each of your prospects has:
- A specific problem, with varying degrees of pain, urgency, and awareness
- Their own concerns and red flags for themselves and their business
- Different questions and objections depending on the situation
So ask questions to make sure you understand your prospect’s needs, so you can tailor your pitch—you’ll increase your chances of closing the deal.
Dig into objections instead of countering them
Stop seeing objections as obstacles to fight—they’re opportunities to better understand your prospect. Behind every objection lies a deeper concern that you need to uncover and address.
The biggest mistake salespeople make is justifying themselves after an objection 😱
Here’s a tip: flip the script and get the prospect to justify their objection!
With the right questions like “Why is that important to you?”, you’ll uncover how important the objection really is, and whether your prospect needs reassurance or a concrete, tangible answer.
How to handle objections?
Build real trust without manipulation
Manipulation plays on the emotional side of buying. While most buying decisions are emotional, prospects justify their decisions with logic. Manipulation is not viable long-term.
The best salespeople know a deal is far more likely when trust is at the center of the relationship. This trust relies on three key pillars:
- Interpersonal → trust in the salesperson
- Structural → trust in the company
- Functional → trust in the solution
These three pillars hold the relationship together—if one is missing, trust collapses.
Ask the right questions, don’t just argue
Defending your solution at all costs gives a bad impression—it’s not you who needs your prospect, but the other way around!
Behind every objection or expressed need, there are deeper professional ambitions and personal motivations.
If your prospect expresses a need, be sure there’s a deeper reason behind it. For example, “I need effective software for my sales team” could actually mean “I need to boost my team’s skills so my company can outperform competitors and hit our goals for the year.”
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It’s your job to dig into your prospect’s real needs to find the arguments that will truly resonate.
Focus on retention before prospecting
In sales, it’s well known that acquiring a new customer costs five times more than retaining one. Top salespeople have found the right balance between the two, and their best-kept secret is using their client database as a new acquisition channel! 🤯
Customer loyalty and satisfaction are your best ambassadors for landing new clients. Thanks to referrals from your happy customers, future prospects will already feel trust and will be more open to hearing about your solution.
Customer retention: 7 strategies to keep your clients loyal
Talk about benefits, not features
Beyond your solution and its technical specs, your prospect wants to know what your solution will actually help them achieve. Sell the transformation your solution makes possible.
The best salespeople only cover features if the prospect is interested in that, but most of their pitch focuses on what their solution actually solves or improves.
Highlight the benefits your solution will bring to your prospect, show how it will make their life easier, and open up new opportunities through their decision.
3 tips to beat the competition
In summary, here are the 10 sales secrets with their most common mistake:
- Prove > claim
- Guide > force the sale
- Relationship > transaction
- Tone > script
- Discover > pitch
- Dig > counter objections
- Trust > manipulation
- Question > argue
- Retain > prospect
- Benefits > features
This article was inspired by the founders of Scalezia. When these principles are integrated into your sales approach, nothing can stop you.
You become the salesperson who always succeeds, because sales is no longer just about hitting targets at all costs—but rather a series of meetings and problems to solve with the solution you offer.
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