How to 10X the Productivity of Your Sales Conversations

Good Morning! Today is National Superman Day, so here’s a fun fact: Superman’s biggest weakness is kryptonite. Ours is that one prospect who keeps saying ‘circle back next quarter’. Stay strong out there. Now let’s get into today’s Follow Up. 🦸 

• Fake compliments in emails ❌ 

• 30 ready to use call scripts ✍️ 

• 4 steps to better convos 🗣️ 

• Asking about quota attainment 👀 

• Sales jobs & a meme 😂

Sponsor The Follow Up | Subscribe

How to 10X the Productivity of Your Sales Conversations

Irshad Manji used to be a professional arguer.

As a self-proclaimed "culture warrior," she'd find herself in heated debates, trying to prove she was right and everyone else was wrong.

But after a while, she realized something... Instead of changing minds, she was making people hate her more. When she "won" arguments, she was actually losing her influence.

And salespeople tend to do the same. We want to be right, and ‘convice’ our prospects they’re doing something wrong. (But that doesn’t persuade them to change.) 

So today, we're breaking down 4 conversation skills that can turn a below average pitch into a productive conversation.

1. Find Common Ground (Before You Need It)

When people feel threatened, their brains shut down rational thinking. They stop listening and start defending.

Your job is to break down their defensive wall before you start selling.

Point out what you share with your prospect. Goals, values, interests, etc. Even small similarities create a connection.

Try opening with: "Looks like we've both been in the tech industry for the majority of our careers…"
Or: "A lot of the CEOs I talk to are focused on employee efficiency right now. Is that true for you too?"

This isn't about manipulation. It's about using psychology to your advantage.

When prospects see you as similar to themselves, their fight-or-flight response calms down.

2. Ask Sincere Questions

Most sales reps ask terrible questions. (And it’s not always their fault)

We’re taught to run through the same set of rigid questions, because that’s how we ‘qualify’ someone. But top reps don’t just read through BANT questions and call it a day. They ask really good questions that uncover pain.

Great questions do three things:

1. Make the prospect really think

2. Slow down the conversation

3. Allow both sides to speak truthfully

Here’s some examples….

Bad: "How many people are on your team?"
Better: "How has your team structure changed over the last year, and what's driving that?"

Bad: "What tools are you using now?"
Better: "What made you choose the tools you're using today?"

Questions rooted in genuine curiosity get better answers. And they position you as someone worth talking to, not just another sales rep trying to qualify them.

3. Listen to Learn, Not Respond

Here's an uncomfortable truth… Most reps are terrible listeners.

They're not listening to understand. They're listening for their turn to talk. Waiting for a pause so they can jump in with their next point.

Real listening means:

• Letting go of your agenda temporarily

• Following their train of thought wherever it goes

• Asking follow-up questions about what they just said

• When a prospect shares something important, resist the urge to immediately connect it to your product.

Instead, explore it further: "That's interesting. Tell me more about what makes that process so frustrating."

The more they talk about their problems, the more invested they become in solving them.

4. Master the Magic Phrase

Irshad Manji discovered the magical question in a conversation: "Tell me more."

Three simple words that work like magic in sales conversations.

When prospects seem hesitant: "Tell me more about what's giving you pause."
When they mention a challenge: "Tell me more about how that impacts your day-to-day."
When they share something vague: "Tell me more about what that looks like in practice."

This phrase does several things:

• Shows genuine interest without judegment

• Gives them permission to elaborate

• Reveals the real story behind their initial response.

Most prospects start surface level. But the second layer of conversation, where "tell me more" takes you, is where the real insights live.