Photo by Geralt via Pixabay

Attract the Right Job or Clientele:

Will You Improve Selling Habits for Business Growth?

Most people dislike the idea that all communication represents a form of selling. However, most people do not realize that selling isn’t about talking to convince; it’s all about learning what matters most to the person(s) with whom you are having a conversation.

Additionally, successful selling depends upon observation, trial and error, revision, and the willingness to learn from every incident, good or bad. Moreover, listen to those who brag about success to recognize potential oversights. Our guest blog offers firsthand sales experiences, revealing what clients prefer and how to improve future outcomes.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Improve Selling Habits for Business Growth

Image by Geralt, Pixabay

New to the Sale Game

The year was 2017. I had just gotten off the second of a back-to-back sales call. However, I didn’t know how to tell if it was well-received.

That feeling was quickly confirmed when the VP of Account Services (notably not sales) approached me afterward and asked if I would like help with my pitch. Typically, I’m much better than that, I thought. I chalked it up to two things: no prep time beforehand and taking the call at my desk surrounded by colleagues staring at me like I was a zoo animal. 

Deep down, I knew those weren’t the only reasons the call didn’t move forward. At that point, I was about three months into my sales career, taking around five prospecting calls a week and creating a steady flow of opportunities—but none were final. At the end of each week, I would send my manager a recap of all the calls I made. 

On a memorable Friday, his reply stuck with me:

“That’s great that you’re creating opportunities, but when do you believe some will complete?”

It was a fair point and one I was starting to worry about myself.

The Meeting That Changed Everything
The following week, I had my first in-person meeting with a small agency representing a niche airline. My manager joined me, and I wanted to impress him. I prepped for days—building a tailored deck packed with case studies and examples from similar clients. I had memorized the entire presentation. I had a game plan for exactly what to say for each slide. I was ready to make such a strong case that Johnny Cochran himself would have been impressed.
 
Habits Needing Correction

When the meeting started, I jumped right in. When the agency tried to shift the conversation, I pressed forward. When they asked a question, I answered it before they could even finish speaking. By the end of the presentation, I thought I had crushed it.

My Office Debrief

The feedback wasn’t exactly what I expected.

“You were well prepared,” my manager said, “but you need to be flexible. You were so focused on your pitch that you missed opportunities to connect with them.” Ouch. My instinct was to get defensive. Easy for you to say, I thought. You didn’t have to present!

Trial, Error, and Revision

But two weeks later, we returned to meet with the agency—and this time, my manager led while I observed.

The Vital Shift

Sitting in silence, I noticed something I missed before: the gift of observation. It was evident that the agency got excited upon hearing particular points. When they tuned out, you could feel it. When they asked a question, you could tell more would reveal itself if we just paused and let them speak.

By truly listening—not thinking about what I was going to say next—I could understand their needs more deeply than ever before. I wasn’t just answering surface questions; I was diagnosing problems at a deeper level and uncovering the true opportunities. Accordingly, the agency became my first new business win—and it completely changed how I approached sales meetings from that day forward.

The Lesson

After that experience, I made a conscious change: speak less and listen more. I began letting prospects finish their thoughts. I tailored every solution to what they told me they needed. Meetings became more natural, more engaging—and much more productive.

The simple shift from focusing on non-stop talking to listening has led me to win hundreds of complex service and software deals since then.

Not every prospect moves forward. However, for those who agree to a solution, it often feels effortless—because by listening, we gain trust and a unique blueprint for how to help and earn the sale.

My Sales Experience Takeaways

1. You must always diagnose before you prescribe.
2. Ask smart questions.
3. Listen intently.
4. Stay flexible.

Conclusion: Will You Improve Selling Habits for Business Growth?

By approaching every meeting with sincere curiosity and a genuine interest in helping, trust rises more quickly. Surprisingly, in most cases, prospects will tell you exactly what they need.

Author Bio: Andrew Barbuto is a highly experienced business professional with a desire to help you improve your efforts by sharing his more challenging experiences in his new book, Top Sales Producer: How To Crush Your Sales Quota. It’s the proven system that propelled him from rookie sales rep to top producer, responsible for over $350 million in closed revenue—and he still uses it every day to win business.

If you’re serious about leveling up your sales career, consider checking out the book on Amazon.

You can also find free videos breaking down key concepts on my YouTube Channel.

Bonus: If you buy or pre-order the book, submit your order number at AndrewBarbuto.com/top-sales-book#bonus and I’ll send you my Supplemental Workbook (a $20 value) free of charge.

For more Insights, visit Elinor’s Amazon Author Page

Communicate to Attract Interest

Put Client Concerns First

Be A Story-Teller

“Believe, Become, Empower“

Related Blog Stories:

Improvement Is Ongoing

Research, Revise and Test New Practices

Consider Your Approach to Business

Opportunity: Patryk Wezowski, Film Director/Producer, is developing a full-feature documentary called Inspired. Several top influencers have already confirmed their participation in the film, including Brian Tracy (a Top Motivational Speaker), John Demartini (a Human Behaviour Expert), and Ivan Misner (the Founder of BNI).

‘Inspired’ is a full-feature documentary that empowers viewers to rewrite their past and live more inspired lives. The film debunks the teaching that people fear the unknown and demonstrates that we fear history repeating itself. Viewers will learn the principles and witness case studies to live abundant and inspired lives. The recordings will be around mid-2025. Apply today by clicking this link, as right now, the producers are selecting the people who are fit to have a central role in the film and sponsor the production. 

Be Inspiring!

Sales Tips: Will You Improve Selling Habits for Business Growth?

1. Commit to your long-term vision for accomplishment(s); share details with your staff encouraging teamwork and to stay on track 

2. Always consider the greater good of staff, business connections, and your community so that everyone can feel the ‘win.’
3. Keep client goals, priorities, and values in mind during every conversation and ask meaningful questions throughout each meeting.
4. Test specific new strategies, and again ask for input from clientele, and your staff members, too.
5. Never underestimate anyone’s novel ideas, including celebrations; remember that each person and country operate differently.
6. Share favorite learning moments with staff, prospects, and current clients to improve client engagement and business growth.
7. Always seek out new ideas to improve staff engagement for business growth.
8. At the end of all communications, ask team members involved if they have questions to ensure clarification.
9. ‘Don’t give up – find a better way!’
10. Celebrate Success!

Today’s insights are provided to help you achieve the Smooth Sale!

Visit Helpful Resources for Your Business:

Advisorpedia Publishes financial information to help advisors build their practice and, for those interested in the markets, choose investments for Business Growth plus Next-Chapter Retirement.

Author One Stop, Inc. – Book editing, coaching, ghostwriting, and pitching literary agents and publishers. 

BabyBoomer – A trusted media source that collects and curates all the news and resources, plus offers a wide variety of excellent courses for the Baby Boomer generation.

BizCatalyst360 The website provides a life, culture, and biz new media digest as a hub of creative expression and personal growth.

CatCat: Build your future one skill at a time.

ContactOut is a web-based platform that enables users to search for contact information and uncover contact details, including email addresses, phone numbers, and other personal data.

Executives’ Diary Magazine Proudly features leaders from varying fields sharing their inspiring stories, including Elinor Stutz.

Fedica, Strives to understand your followers’ interests and create tailored content to encourage a returning and referring clientele.

Greg Jenkins Consulting LLC  – Helping organizations realize the value of diversity to build inclusive, evolving, high-performing cultures.

Growth Hackers – Helping businesses globally grow with lead generation, growth marketing, conversion rate optimization, data analytics, user acquisition, retention, and sales.

Humanology International Institute – The institution that develops and safeguards humanology as a discipline worldwide. 

Inclusion Allies Coalition: “Everyone is welcome here.” Learn more about training teams and joining the advocacy program.

Internet Advisor: Choose the exemplary internet service among 2083 providers in 36,380 cities. Cellphonedeal also compiles excellent phone deals, plans, and prepaid plans to furnish you with the best options in your area.

Inspired Movie Inspiration is a game changer for most; apply to an inspiring guiding light in conjunction with Producer/Director of the Inspired movie Patryk Wezowski,

Kred  Connect with top-rated influencers to learn from and grow your networks.

LinktoEXPERT  “It is not who you know – who knows you and what your expertise can do for them, plus understand the value of hiring you.” 

Lotus Solution LLC Helps organizations create diversity and inclusion to ensure fairness and work through customized consulting, training, and keynote speeches.

Onalytica: Find relevant influencers for your brand.

SalesPop!   Purveyors of Prosperity: How to Compete against Yourself to Excel in Your Career.

Simma Lieberman, “The Inclusionist,” helps develop inclusive leaders from the inside out to champion diversity and build equitable, inclusive cultures at every level.

Yoroflow offers a comprehensive suite of digital workplace platforms to help you streamline your day-to-day operations, manage your finances, and grow your business.

Vunela  Offers a unique opportunity to view Videos and read articles by World Leaders.

Win Win Women is the world’s only interactive network and an international community for women. Women WIN when they receive solutions + Experts WIN when they provide solutions = Win Win Women.