The 3 Hidden Sales You Need to Close Every Deal
Most agency salespeople think they just need to sell their company or service.
But after decades in the sales trenches, I believe it's something more:
There are actually THREE separate sales that must happen before you get that coveted "yes."
1. The Company Sale
Your prospect needs to believe your company is legitimate, credible, and well-positioned to solve their problems. Without company credibility, even the best solution falls flat.
2. The You Sale
Your prospect must trust YOU. They need to believe you have their best interests at heart and that you're someone they want to work with. I've personally not bought from a well-known B2B SaaS company because I didn't like how the salesperson spoke to me and my team.
3. The Product Sale
Only after you've sold them on your company and yourself can you effectively sell your product, service, or strategy.
Questions to Ponder:
Where Are Your Trust Gaps?
Look at your last 10 lost deals. Were prospects hesitant about your agency's credibility? Your personal expertise? Or the solution itself? Identifying where trust breaks down is the first step to fixing it.
How Much Time Do You Spend "Pitching" vs. Building Trust?
Most agencies jump straight into capabilities and case studies. But here's the truth: If you haven't built trust first, those impressive numbers mean nothing. Audit your sales deck - are you leading with trust-building elements or diving straight into features?
Can Your Sales Process Scale Beyond You?
As a founder, you likely close deals through natural charisma and expertise. But can your sales team replicate your success? If not, you haven't engineered trust into your process.
The beauty is, once you identify these gaps, you can systematically close them. I've seen agencies double their close rates just by restructuring their sales process around trust-building.