By The Sales Team: SPM
Sales is often spoken about in simplified terms. Targets, pipelines, closing techniques. In practice, it is a far more human and situational discipline. It sits at the intersection of trust, timing, and organisational readiness. The work is shaped less by scripts and more by judgement developed over time.
These are truths that tend to surface only after repeated exposure to real sales environments.
- Sales begins before contact
By the time a conversation starts, perceptions already exist. Reputation, prior engagements, and informal references influence how open a client will be.
- Progress is rarely linear
Momentum builds and fades. Decisions pause and restart. Sales timelines reflect internal complexity rather than a lack of interest.
- Listening reveals the real problem
Clients often describe symptoms first. The underlying issue emerges only when space is created for it.
- Objections are usually signals
Questions about price, scope, or timing often point to uncertainty elsewhere. They indicate what still needs to be understood.
- Pressure narrows trust
When urgency is introduced too early, it limits conversation. Trust develops when clients feel they are being met at their own pace.
- Reliability outweighs persuasion
Clear follow-up, accurate information, and predictable behaviour create confidence over time.
- Walking away is sometimes the right outcome
Not all revenue strengthens the business. Declining misaligned work protects focus and reputation.
- Handover shapes the relationship
The transition from sales to delivery is remembered long after the pitch. It signals whether promises were made thoughtfully.
- Relationships carry memory
Clients remember how situations were handled, especially when outcomes were uncertain.
- Sales reflects the organisation behind it
Inconsistent systems, unclear accountability, and weak delivery eventually surface in the sales process.
Sales is not a performance. It is an accumulation of decisions, behaviours, and signals over time. When it works well, it feels steady rather than dramatic. When it fails, the reasons are usually visible in hindsight.
Understanding these truths does not make sales easier, but it does make it more durable.
