Buyers are on their journey, and if you want to win, you’ve got to join them there.
Step into their journey. Understand their processes, their priorities, their customers, their challenges. That’s where deals get made—and at full value. Let me walk you through ten mistakes that reveal when you’re stuck on your journey instead of theirs.
1. We sell to our timeline
I was on a call with a software rep who asked if I planned to buy in August. My immediate thought? You’re just trying to make your number.
Buyers are smart. They see when you’re forcing your timeline onto theirs. And when you do, you’re basically telling them to wait until month’s end to squeeze you for a discount.
2. Not accepting their timeline / processes
Every buyer has a process. Maybe they test first. Maybe they only buy in certain months. Maybe multiple people need to sign off. If you fight that, you lose margin. If you embrace it, you earn trust—and sell at full price.
Ask questions like: How have you made decisions like this in the past? That insight is gold.
3. We practice assumptive selling
The “I’ve seen this rodeo before” mindset will kill you. Just because you’ve sold something similar doesn’t mean you know exactly what this buyer wants.
Stop assuming. Let them tell you what matters. It’s not about what you think—it’s about what they believe.
4. Failing to truly engage with the customer
Showing up and racing to the close isn’t engagement. Engagement is digging into why they reached out, what they really need, and what outcomes matter most. Buyers don’t want to be rushed; they want to be understood.
5. Not assisting in other areas
Sometimes buyers ask questions slightly outside your scope. Too many salespeople brush those aside. Big mistake. Helping them in those “extra” areas shows you care about their success—not just your commission. Ignore it, and you’ll look like you have commission breath.
6. Forcing the customer to our terms
“This is how it has to be done.”
When you force your terms, you rip the buyer out of their process. Yes, they may bend, but they’ll resent it—and they’ll expect a discount to make up for it. You don’t win that way.
7. Selling the product rather than the solution
Nobody wakes up thinking, “I want to spend money today.” Buyers don’t want your product. They want what your product delivers. It’s the outcome, the solution, the transformation.
Selling a Ferrari isn’t about the car—it’s about how it makes you feel when you drive it. Same thing with what you sell.
→ Read: Are You Selling a the Product or the Solution?
8. Focusing on our competition
Customers don’t care about your competitors. They care about their competitors. When you spend your time bashing the other guy, you’re stuck in the seller’s journey. Buyers want solutions, not comparison charts.
9. Not knowing their market / customers
Your buyer isn’t in business just to be in business. They’re serving their own customers.
If you don’t understand who those customers are and what pressures they create, you’re missing the heart of what drives your customer’s decisions.
10. Seeing their issues / their priorities
At the end of the day, it’s about solving the buyer’s problems.
What are the issues weighing on them?
What priorities are they trying to achieve?
If what you sell doesn’t connect to those, you’re selling the wrong thing.
How Top Salespeople Overcome Doubt
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In this episode, you’ll gain insights into moving from conflict avoidance to fostering open candor. Keith will share practical strategies for celebrating successes and sustaining team energy.
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Copyright 2025, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
