Listen "E77 | First Meeting Differentiator with Lee Salz"
Episode Synopsis
The first meeting can make or break a sale. Discovery-style meetings – where salespeople focus on gathering data – often fail to deliver meaningful value. Instead, Lee Salz introduces the consultation mindset, where sales professionals lead with insight, empathy, and emotion to create momentum from the very first conversation. Lee Salz is one of the world’s leading voices in sales differentiation. As founder of Sales Architects, he helps companies design sales strategies that win more deals at higher prices. Lee shares frameworks for empathetic expertise, consultation cliffhangers, and how to systemise a first-meeting process that transforms the sales experience and strengthens long-term relationships. Takeaways The first meeting determines whether a deal gains traction or fades away completely. Salespeople must shift from discovery to consultation to deliver real, meaningful value early. A consultation mindset focuses on insight and leadership, not interrogation through endless questions. Empathetic expertise creates emotional connection, helping buyers feel genuinely understood and supported. Stories outperform features and benefits by engaging emotion and improving message retention. Consultation cliffhangers build curiosity and momentum, ensuring buyers want a second meeting. Recap emails written in the buyer’s language reinforce understanding and trust. A strong sales process – not just strong salespeople – creates scalable, consistent success. Follow Lee Salz https://salesarchitects.com/ https://www.assessmysales.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LeeBSalz https://x.com/salesarchitects https://www.instagram.com/theleesalz/ https://www.youtube.com/@theleesalz/videos Lee’s books The First Meeting Differentiator: Transforming Sales-Focused Discovery Into Client-Centric Consultations https://amzn.to/405ZtBn Sales Differentiation: 19 Powerful Strategies to Win More Deals at the Prices You Want https://amzn.to/4ecBINZ Sell Different!: All New Sales Differentiation Strategies to Outsmart, Outmaneuver, and Outsell the Competition https://amzn.to/4e0kGT4 Books recommended Selling From The Heart by Larry Levine https://amzn.asia/d/f83bQw6 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/ Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life) Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth Enjoying the show? Leave a reviewSupport the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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