How to Compete Against Goliaths and Win

03/11/24 • 25 min

It’s human nature to revert to our routines when under pressure. If you’ve been taught to sell or position value, then you’ve grown accustomed to defaulting to your expertise when pressured by the prospect. You lead with competency in hopes the prospect will eventually “get” your point. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work as often as we’d like, and it often leaves us feeling disconnected and chasing the prospect for a decision.

On this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan sits down with management consultant veteran Kirsten Markley to explore how she uses curiosity to learn and build trust, and take share of wallet away from the better well known competitors in her space.

Previous Episode

Risk Perception Outweighs Risk Reality

Explaining why your product, service, or expertise is a better alternative isn’t enough. Decisions are not made based on benefits alone. There might be many “pros” in your prospect choosing to do business with you, but it’s the perceived risks, discomfort, and hurdles that will hold them back.

In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam continue their exploration into the psychology of decision-making. They share some personal experiences that have helped them better understand why it’s human nature to rationalize and avoid change, and provide examples of questions you can ask to slice through your prospect’s decision biases.

Next Episode

Competing When The Pressure Is On with Kirsten Markley

Assertiveness and persistence can add value to a conversation, but only if aligned with helping the other person assess their circumstances more honestly. Neither should be practiced to advance your agenda. How do you know when it is time to slow down and assert?

In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan continues his conversation with management consultant Kirsten Markley, to explore how curiosity, assertiveness, slowing down, and persistence all work together to create conversations that build trust and differentiate.