A few days ago, I wrote about the three Sales Eras I have sold into. The first era’s conversation was about answering the question, “Why us?” Recently, a salesperson asked me if it worked. I told him that it worked very well.
In my experience, there have been three distinct Sales Eras. The first was centered on “Why Us,” where the goal was to convince clients you were credible and trustworthy. The second focused on solutions, and the third, where we find ourselves today, is all about helping clients make sense of complexity and create value through insights.
The “Why Us” Era
Because there was no internet, it was easier to get a meeting. Otherwise, buyers would not know what was available. You would walk in with what was called sales collateral: product one-pagers, case studies, success stories, and presentations. One prospective client told me that if I turned on the projector, he would throw me out of his office.
While some buyers tolerated the “Why Us” approach, others grew tired of what felt like a self-centered monologue. The real problem was that every company said the same things:
- “We care more,”
- “Our people are better,”
- “We have more experience.”
None of it was differentiating. And as buyers became more sophisticated, this approach lost its power.
Why "Why Us" Is a Bad Date
Imagine you found someone that you want a relationship with, but when you sit down across the desk, you find this person begins to tell you about their company. They start with a conversation about how the company was started, followed by the senior leaders, and add that the CEO has a high level of charisma.
Then comes a conversation about their large clients and pictures of their impressive logos. This is designed to prove you and your company can be trusted with their client’s business. This conversation creates no value for the client at all.
This is followed by a conversation about their product or service, with an attempt to prove that their solution is better than any of their competitors, causing your contacts to believe you are worried about your competition.
In Relationships
Imagine you met a person and you agreed to have a date. You sit down for dinner, and your date, trying to impress you, tells you that they are rich, handsome, a great lover, and funny. You would likely tell this person you need to go to the restroom, walk out the front door, and run to your car to escape from this person.
In relationships, you would do better by being interested in the person sitting across from you, asking questions to learn about your date. If your date asks you questions, your date may be a keeper.
The Modern Buyer
Today’s buyer isn’t looking for a vendor. They are looking for a partner who can help them solve real business problems. They expect you to understand their world before you ever mention your own. Walking into a meeting with a generic slide deck is now a surefire way to be dismissed as irrelevant.
Selling has changed because buying has changed. If we want our clients to trust us with their business, we must prove we can help them make sense of their challenges, not recite our résumé. The best salespeople today ask questions, create clarity, and earn the right to talk about themselves, only after they've created value.
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