Customers are more skeptical than ever, and the best salespeople know how to guide conversations, not force them. In today’s episode of The Small Business Show, Matt Easton, founder of Easton University, unpacks a simple shift that erodes customer resistance and increases sales success.
With a wealth of information available at the touch of a button, the way that people interact with the world is shifting. People are bombarded with so much information, and it’s morphing the way that people interact with the world around them. People are often more skeptical, more defensive and looking for something to disagree with.
For salespeople, this outright defensiveness can be challenging to overcome. However, the most skilled salespeople have recognized the shift and are shifting their approach.
The key? Stop trying to sell a customer, and ask them questions instead.
Slow down and ask questions
Too many salespeople make the mistake of believing that they need to talk fast, have all the answers, and tell the customer as much as possible to get their interest. However, the harder the push, the stronger and thicker the wall a customer builds becomes.
What can be done? Easton says that the key to eroding this defensive behavior is to lead the conversation through questions.
"If you didn't talk at all, if you said absolutely nothing, and only asked questions, you would outsell your competition."
By slowing down and being inquisitive, salespeople can begin to build a rapport and trust with a prospective client. Customers are less likely to become defensive and reveal information about themselves, such as their interests, preferences, wants and needs.
Taking time to get to know a customer builds rapport and trust, making it easier to offer the right product or service and close the sale.
The myth of the “natural born closer”
Easton rejects the stereotype of the “natural born closer,” an individual who seems to close deals effortlessly. He likens it to a newborn coming into the world immediately knowing how to walk and talk—it’s impossible. Sales is a learned skill.
Easton says that the myth emanates from a misunderstanding and underestimation of how hard work, discipline and consistency in executing a process garners results.
A good seller doesn’t have to be funny, extroverted, nor do they have to be the mythical “natural born closer.” They have to follow the process, have a willingness to learn—and most importantly—a desire to help others.
Adapting to a shifting world
Sales success isn’t about speed, force or natural talent. It’s about consistent learning, disciplined practice and a genuine curiosity about customers.
Easton emphasized that developing a skill doesn’t require weeks of elaborate training; it requires executing the process consistently, reflecting on what’s working and asking, “How can I do this better?” Each small improvement compounds over time, building confidence and momentum.
The market isn’t failing, the approach is. Customers are more skeptical and informed than ever, and the best salespeople guide conversations instead of forcing them. By slowing down, asking thoughtful questions, and focusing on helping rather than selling, salespeople can close deals more effectively.
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