Most sales training teaches people what to pitch. This one teaches people how to think — and what to say instead.
Sales is the service of helping others balance where they are at and where they want to be.
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I. Intentional Awareness
There are three kinds of awareness. Tap each to open it.
The 5-3-2 framework
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Internal Awareness
Know for Yourself
How clear are you on what's important and why?
Before every call, email, or handoff.
Open ▾
Clarity
- What problem are they actually trying to solve?
- What would make this conversation worth their time?
- What do I want to be true when this conversation ends?
Motive
- Why does this matter to them — people, time, or the bottom line?
- Why now? What changed — a departure, growth, a new initiative?
- Why should they trust me to help?
People
- Who has a say — Economic, Impact Owner, Guardian, Coach?
- Who lives with the problem day to day — the team carrying it?
- Who haven’t I accounted for yet — procurement, IT, operations?
Measure
- How will they know it’s working — what improves?
- How are they handling it today — internally, with a partner, or both?
- What are they judged on — speed, cost, quality?
Movement
- What’s the next step I’m asking for — a call, a demo, an intro?
- What’s the smallest commitment that moves this forward?
- What do I owe them when we hang up?
CreatesClarity→Focus→Action
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External Awareness
Read the Room
Who has a say & what role do they play?
What mode are they in & what's their win?
Open ▾
Identify — who has a say
Economic — owns the outcomeImpact Owner — lives with itGuardian — procurement / riskCoach — internal champion
Uncover — what matters most
What they thinkHow they feel
Let’s stop asking “What question gets me a meeting?” & start asking “What question uncovers their Mode?”
The best questions are simple, conversational, and easy to answer — the kind that don’t feel like discovery. Work them in this order, and each answer opens the door to the next:
Situation→Mode→Improvement→Hook
Establish context without sounding like discovery.
- What do you know about…?
- How are you currently handling this?
- What does your team look like today?
- Are you handling this internally, with a partner, or both?
- Has anything changed recently?
- What’s hardest to get right?
- What are you focused on this quarter?
Where most of us struggle. Instead of asking about facts, ask about experience — these seven tell you almost everything about their Mode.
- How’s that been working for you?
- How do you feel about where things stand today?
- What’s been the biggest challenge?
- What’s been the most frustrating part?
- What’s taking more time than it should?
- Where do you feel the most pressure?
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
People don’t buy your product. They buy improvement.
- What would success look like?
- What’s most important to improve?
- If this went exactly right, what changes?
- What would make the biggest impact?
- What’s costing you the most today?
- What would free your team up?
- Where do you think the greatest opportunity is?
Timing separates a real opportunity from a someday.
- Why is this important now?
- What’s driving the timing?
- What happens if nothing changes?
- Is there a deadline you’re working toward?
- What made this move to the top of your list?
Know who matters before you go further.
- Besides yourself, who else is involved?
- Who ultimately decides?
- Who will use the solution every day?
- Who else would want to weigh in?
- What does success look like for them?
🪝 The HookOnce you’ve heard their Situation, Mode, and Improvement — the hook writes itself. Offer a next step that fits what they just told you, and turn it into a warm, informed next conversation.
Build the Hook
“It sounds like [Situation] is creating [Impact]. If there were a way to [Improvement], would it be helpful to see how?”
“It sounds like the manual work is putting more pressure on your team. If there were a way to take that off their plate so they could focus on what matters, would it be helpful to see how we might help?”
Mode detection shapes how you ask — to gain their permission:
- Growth “It sounds like you’re looking to…” → improvement
- Trouble “It sounds like this is creating…” → relief
- Even Keel “It sounds like things are working, but…” → possibility
- Overconfident “It sounds like you’re comfortable with where things are…” → curiosity
Align — before end of conversation
Decision Maker phrasing shown. Tap any question to see how it changes for the Guardian, Impact Owner & Coach.
Defines the outcome — clarity
GuardianCompliance / Risk
What standards or requirements matter most for this outcome?
Ex: Budget, compliance, quality, security, policies
Impact OwnerExecution / Experience
What are you trying to improve operationally?
Ex: Productivity, quality, speed, customer experience
CoachInfluencer / Alignment
What’s most important internally for this to accomplish?
Ex: Alignment, engagement, adoption, culture, impact
Reveals the process — reality
GuardianCompliance / Risk
How are decisions and approvals handled today?
Ex: Process, approvals, vendors, documentation, controls
Impact OwnerExecution / Experience
How are you managing it today?
Ex: Workflows, tools, processes, team, time, communication
CoachInfluencer / Alignment
How are decisions typically made and communicated?
Ex: Stakeholders, alignment, feedback, change process
Identifies friction — truth
GuardianCompliance / Risk
Where does risk or exposure typically show up?
Ex: Compliance gaps, data, contracts, liabilities, audits
Impact OwnerExecution / Experience
Where do things typically get stuck or off track?
Ex: Delays, rework, drop-offs, confusion, handoffs
CoachInfluencer / Alignment
Where do priorities or perspectives conflict?
Ex: Competing goals, buy-in, resource limits, communication
Tests commitment — decision
GuardianCompliance / Risk
If this reduced risk while improving results, what changes?
Ex: Confidence, faster approvals, stronger controls, less liability
Impact OwnerExecution / Experience
If this were easier or fixed, what improves for your team and your customers?
Ex: Less stress, better results, happier customers, more time
CoachInfluencer / Alignment
If this succeeded, what would be possible for your team and organization?
Ex: Stronger influence, trust, momentum, long-term impact
CreatesIdentify→Uncover→Align
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WITT Report — the worksheet
Frame the opportunity. Read the room. Measure the Contrast. Align the Win. Capture the buying influences, their mode, and what each one counts as a win.
Fill it out on screen and save it — or download it and fill it out by hand.
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Situational Awareness
Solve for Improvement
Is this account worth pursuing?
The right account — and a real reason to reach out today.
Open ▾
Right Fit
Is this account ours to help?
- A real problem or gap exists.
- It's something we solve.
- There's a genuine need behind it.
- More than one opening, or a repeat need.
- Their size and type fit what we do.
- It's a market we serve.
- I can reach the right person.
- We have the ability to deliver this.
- There's a relationship, referral, or way in.
Right Now
Is there a reason to reach out today?
- New posting, expansion, or service line.
- Turnover, retirement, or a departure.
- A shortage story in their market.
- Which department is carrying the gap.
- Who's covering the extra load.
- Who has to fix it.
- A start date or schedule is posted.
- The impact is already being felt.
- They're already looking.
Right Fit+Right Now=A Qualified Opportunity
II. Simple Shifts
Change the word. Change the answer.
Same question. Different door. Tap any swap to open it.
Select a swap above to open it.
✕ Instead of
“Why are you using that vendor?”
✓ Try
“What led you to that vendor?”
“What went into that decision?”
Why it works
“Why” asks people to defend a decision. “What” asks them to describe one. Same information — without the wall going up.✕ Instead of
“Tell me about your problem areas.”
✓ Try
“Help me understand where the gaps are.”
“Help me get up to speed on how your team works.”
Why it works
“Tell me” is a command — it puts you above them. “Help me” makes them the expert and you the student. People are wired to help.✕ Instead of
“Why do you say that?”
✓ Try
“What makes you say that?”
Why it works
You get the story behind the statement instead of a defense of it. Use it any time they say something you don't understand yet — it never sounds like a challenge.✕ Instead of
“Why did you go with them instead of us?”
✓ Try
“Help me understand — what made that the better fit vs. this?”
Why it works
Asks about the choice, not the person. You learn the actual criteria they buy on — which is exactly what you need to move forward.You're not softening the question. You're removing the reason to guard the answer.
Curiosity + Empathy = Context
How you show up before the conversation earns you the right to ask.
Belief + Trust = Content
What you say only lands when belief and trust are already in the room.
Role + Mindset = Reality
Role = how they see the problem. Mindset = how they feel about the problem.
III. Gold for Ghosting
A Communication Framework
Awareness earns the meeting. This earns the reply.