Not sure whether your prospect is making a purchase based on pain or pleasure? The key to uncovering their customer motivators might be hiding in plain sight—on their resume.

One of my favorite discovery call questions to ask is: “What made you decide to work here?”

At first glance, this may seem like an innocent question, but the response can tell you everything you need to know about your prospect’s decision-making mindset. When people answer, they are essentially justifying their career choices, which provides a direct insight into their customer motivators.

Here’s how it works:

• If they respond with enthusiasm and pride, highlighting exciting opportunities, growth, or passion for the industry, they are likely a pleasure-driven buyer. These buyers are motivated by aspirations, improvements, and opportunities to enhance their current situation. They respond well to solutions that promise growth, innovation, or increased efficiency.

• If their answer carries hesitation, regret, or frustration—perhaps mentioning layoffs, necessity, or a lack of better options—this signals they are a pain-driven buyer. These customers are looking for relief from struggles, inefficiencies, or challenges. They are more likely to respond to solutions that eliminate risk, solve urgent problems, or remove obstacles.

By identifying whether your prospect is motivated by pain or pleasure, you can tailor your pitch accordingly. A pleasure-driven buyer will respond well to the vision of success your solution provides, while a pain-driven buyer will be more compelled by how your offering alleviates their struggles.

Understanding customer motivators allows you to craft a message that resonates—helping you close more deals with greater confidence.

Next time you’re on a discovery call, try this question. The answer might just unlock the key to your prospect’s buying decision.

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January 9th, 2024

Looking for ways to research a customer? 

You’ll likely make more progress if you stop thinking like a salesperson – and start thinking like a buyer. 

One of the quickest ways to learn more about an organization is to have them sell to you, which is exactly what I do on highly strategic accounts. Before I start networking and navigating and doing my research online, I like to do an inbound lead request where I’m presenting myself as someone with curiosities about their company, so that a sales rep will contact me. 

By having that sales call meeting, I probably will learn more in 15 minutes about this organization than I would over several hours of research online. Beyond that, it is much easier to ask a product expert all your burning questions than it would be to go digging through their website or social media profiles. A subject-matter-expert will also be able to provide insights into upcoming developments for their employer that may not be reflected online – such as regional expansions, new product releases or future priorities.

Researching a customer is an important part of the sales process, so using every tool and opportunity at your disposal just makes sense.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

How to Create Urgency in Sales: Speed Up Your Quote Response Times

Want quicker response times for your quotes?

Creating urgency can make all the difference in driving faster decisions and closing deals. One way to create urgency is to adjust the expiration dates of your quotes.

As Closers, we often default the expiration dates of our quotes to 30 days. But, this practice can lead to prospects delaying their decision until the last possible moment. Not ideal for maintaining a fast-paced pipeline!

If you want to create urgency and encourage quicker responses, try changing your quote expiration dates from months to Mondays.

Why Mondays?

Setting quotes to expire the Monday after they are sent creates a sense of urgency in sales. This shorter deadline motivates buyers to review and respond to your quote promptly, preventing delays and keeping your sales process moving.

Next time you’re preparing a quote, resist the urge to set a long expiration date. Instead, set the deadline for the following Monday. This approach not only helps you to create urgency in sales, but also places more pressure on your prospects to act quickly. As a result, you’ll experience less anxiety on your end and more proactive engagement from your prospects.

As a bonus, this strategy of creating urgency in sales helps you identify serious buyers who are ready to make decisions. It filters out those who may not be genuinely interested, allowing you to focus your efforts on high-potential leads. By setting shorter expiration dates, you’re demonstrating confidence in your product and signaling to your prospects that their timely response is essential.

By changing your quote expiration dates to the following Monday, you can foster a sense of urgency and prompt your prospects to take action sooner.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Would you like to drive customer engagement in the sales cycle, even earlier in the sales process? The key isn’t in pushing harder—it’s in making it easier for them to follow through.

One of the strongest buying signals a prospect can give isn’t just verbal interest—it’s action. When a customer delivers on a promise, no matter how small, it signals real intent. But too often, sales reps overwhelm prospects with long lists of action items, making it difficult for them to engage consistently.

The Secret to Early Engagement: One Step at a Time

Instead of dropping a to-do list in your prospect’s lap, take a different approach. Break things down.

✔️ Rather than asking a prospect for multiple commitments at once, request just one small action at a time.
✔️ These micro-commitments help them build the habit of following through—turning engagement from an exception into the norm.

For example, instead of saying:
❌ “Can you review the proposal, check with your team, schedule a follow-up, and get back to me with feedback?”

Try something like:
✅ “Would you be open to reviewing the proposal and letting me know if it aligns with what we discussed?”

Once they complete one task, move to the next. Each small win reinforces their habit of taking action.

Why This Works

1. It builds momentum. Each completed task makes it easier to maintain engagement in the sales cycle.
2. It increases accountability. By focusing on one request at a time, they’re more likely to follow through.
3. It deepens their investment in the process. The more actions they take, the more emotionally committed they become to moving forward.

Boosting engagement in the sales cycle isn’t about forcing action—it’s about making it natural. Start small, build the habit, and watch as prospects stay consistently engaged throughout the deal.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Struggling to get your email returned? 

Why not sign off with more grace? 

We don’t think a lot about our signature lines in our email, but it all counts when it comes to open rates and response rates. And long signature lines that advertise where we went to school or our graduation date, or our LinkedIn profile only reduces our social value and reduces the likelihood of a return. 

Keep your email signature simple. Leave it to your name, your company’s name, and one phone number. Then maybe you can spend the rest of that email on a topic more interesting to them.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Want to know how to gain leverage in any negotiation?

You just got to give a little more. 

We think so much in negotiation about what we want that we sometimes don’t think about what we’re able to give. But the things that we give our prospect, based on the reaction of the prospect when they get it, generally reveals leverage. It lets us know what’s important to them, it lets us know what they value, and it lets us know what they might do more for if we’re able to offer it to them in the future. 

Take some time and outline all the different things that you could possibly give to a prospect during a sales opportunity and have ’em at the ready so that when deals start to stall, you can offer things to keep people engaged.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Are you feeling like your sales demos are getting a bit stale? Ever wonder how many demos you actually need to keep things fresh and exciting – for both you and your buyer?

Here’s the scoop: one demo just isn’t enough.

Showing the same demo over and over can be draining for you as a Closer, even if your customers have never seen the sales demo before. With repetition, our own excitement and enthusiasm can start to fade, and that’s the last thing we want. To keep the energy up, I like to have multiple sales demos ready to go.

So, how many sales demos should you have on hand?

Ideally, you need a mix. Start with a simple, broad demo that shows off the main features and benefits of your product and/or service. As your prospects show more interest and start bringing others into the conversation, you can introduce additional demos that are more detailed and interactive. This approach not only keeps things interesting, but also rewards your prospects for their engagement.

Having multiple sales demos can really boost your sales game. It allows you to tailor your presentation to different audience segments and stages of the sales cycle. Plus, it helps you stay enthusiastic and deliver a more dynamic and personalized experience. It’s not just about the number of demos; it’s about making sure they’re relevant and engaging.

So, to sum it up, how many sales demos you really need depends on your sales strategy and the complexity of your product. But having a few different ones on hand can make a big difference in how you connect with your prospects. Keep them varied, relevant, and interactive to maximize their impact.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Happy Selling!™

Are you tired of getting the runaround from customers and prospects? Maybe it’s time to get more honest with yourself – so you can start understanding customer signals better.

Happy Ears

It’s easy to hear what we want to hear in sales, especially when rejection often feels like the end of an opportunity. But it’s crucial that you listen to your customers for what they’re actually saying. Be honest with yourself about what you hear! This is where understanding customer signals becomes so important as an effective Closer.

Stay Curious

The next time a customer says something like, “Shouldn’t be a problem,” “All set,” or “I don’t see why not,” don’t just take it at face value. Double down on the question to make sure you’re getting a definitive answer. This prevents any miscommunication that could derail your sales process, and ensures that you remain clear-eyed and understand customer signals.

For example, when a prospect says “I don’t see why not,” ask follow-up questions like, “What might prevent you from moving forward?” or “What steps do we need to take to ensure everyone is on-board?” This approach allows you to dig deeper, and can help uncover roadblocks or issues you may not have anticipated. It also shows that you’re genuinely interested in understanding your customer, listening to their concerns and providing the best solution.

Reps vs. Closers

Listening carefully and asking clarifying questions is a sales skill that sets apart beginner reps from true Closers. Being inquisitive prevents misunderstandings and helps build trust with your prospects. Remain curious, listen, and truly understand customer signals. You’ll be able to respond more effectively and massively improve your chances of closing the deal.

Remember, Closer – don’t let “happy ears” mislead you about where your prospect is in their buying journey or how serious they are about making a change!

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Happy Selling!™

Want to keep your customer at the negotiation table a little longer? The key lies in how you leverage commitment in a deal.

One of the most critical elements of negotiation is what’s known as commitment. This principle states that the longer someone is engaged in a process, the more likely they are to want to see that process completed. Using this principle can be a powerful tool in your negotiation tool belt!

So, how do you effectively leverage commitment in a deal? Keep the customer engaged and you can built their commitment for a longer period. It’s important to not only close for significant elements at the end of the deal but also secure smaller commitments early on.

For instance, don’t just wait to ask for the big things at the end. Start by asking for cell phone numbers, organizational charts, and success criteria early in the deal. By getting these smaller commitments, you’ build a foundation of engagement that will keep the customer involved throughout the negotiation process.

Why is this important? Leveraging these smaller commitments helps create a sense of investment. The more steps a customer takes, the more likely they are to continue taking steps toward the final agreement. This can be especially useful in complex deals where prolonged negotiations are common.

Here’s how you can put this into practice. Start with simple requests that require minimal effort from the customer but provide valuable information for you. For example, ask for a cell phone number to keep communication lines open. Request an organizational chart to understand the decision-making hierarchy better. These small asks help build rapport and trust, which are essential components of leveraging commitment in a deal.

As you progress, gradually increase the level of commitment you seek. By the time you reach the significant asks, such as final agreement terms, the customer is already deeply invested in the process. This strategic approach not only keeps the customer at the negotiation table but also increases the likelihood of a successful outcome.

Leveraging commitment in a deal involves securing smaller commitments early and progressively building toward larger ones. Keep your customer engaged throughout the process, and you enhance your chances of closing the deal successfully.

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.

Still struggling to get your emails returned?

Well – be reasonable.

I know you want a meeting. I know you want a referral, but the goal when you send an email to a stranger is actually just a response or positive engagement. 

So be reasonable in what you’re asking for, and asking a stranger for a meeting is often unreasonable. Try asking for information about their company or maybe the PowerPoint deck of a slide presentation that they gave at a conference. 

Look for a response more than action and find that reasonable request actually get answered. 

For more Hacks, check out our YouTube page.