Sell Less to Sell More
If you found yourself bristling at that title, I understand.
Less selling can make you more sales? That’s ludicrous, right!? Well, let’s talk about it.
The Energy Shift That Kills Deals
When you are in ‘sales’ mode, you’re also in ‘presentation’ mode. You’re on. You’re talking. You’re fired up. You give off an energy, a vibe. It’s a shift that’s noticeable to the person who you are ‘selling’ to and, on some level, they find it threatening.
Let me give an example of this sales energy that we’ve all likely felt: car dealerships. You know that feeling when you pull up to a car dealership to test drive a new car and before you have even stepped out of your vehicle you are swarmed by car salesmen asking you which model you are looking to buy and what your desired monthly payment is? You can practically feel your defenses going up before you've even rolled down the window, right?
Well, whether you realize it or not, your prospects feel that same energy when you switch into 'sales mode.' The moment you start talking about capabilities, pricing, or your track record, they can sense the shift—and their guard goes up.
Does that sound like a recipe for a successful sale? Probably not.
In fact, the high-pressure, hounding sale is a big reason why buyers avoid salespeople at all costs and are doing more and more of their research before ever meeting with prospective vendors.
A Different Way to Win
So, let’s talk through a different way to approach sales. What if instead of leading with your intention and making your desire to get the business palpable and off-putting to your prospect, you led by being helpful–offering value and insights with no expectation of a payoff?
I know this might sound crazy. I have a mentor who's been in BPO sales for decades (and is on this distribution list) who always gives me a hard time for not being "sales-y enough."
But here's the thing: this advice goes against how most BPOs think about sales, and that's exactly why it works.
This softer touch is significantly more effective.
Here's why: When you consistently show prospects that you truly understand their struggles—and that you genuinely want to help them succeed, no strings attached—something powerful happens.
You capture their attention. You build trust faster. Your pipeline grows stronger, and deals close sooner.
The Psychology Behind It
When you consistently share valuable insights with no strings attached, you trigger what psychologists call the 'reciprocity principle.'
People feel genuinely uncomfortable when the scales are unbalanced—when someone has helped them repeatedly without asking for anything in return. If you're consistently adding value, prospects will subconsciously feel indebted to you.
That's how this becomes your sales advantage.
What It Takes to Make This Work
This approach isn't just about being nice. It requires discipline and strategy:
Know your market deeply. Go beyond demographics. Understand their daily frustrations, the metrics they're measured on, and the conversations happening in their boardrooms. You can’t develop this level of understanding for every organization type in every industry. To do this well, you need to focus.
Map their entire journey. What else keeps them up at night beyond the problem you solve? When you offer insights on adjacent challenges, you become their go-to resource.
Stay consistent. Trust isn't built with one or two helpful emails. This is marathon thinking, not sprint execution.
Be genuinely generous. Aim for 80% education, 20% promotion. Every interaction should leave them with something useful, whether they buy from you or not.
The Bottom Line
Your prospects are drowning in sales pitches and vendor presentations. They don't need another company explaining what they can do.
They need a partner who understands what they're going through and can help them think through challenges differently.
Look, not everyone is going to want to make this change. I get that. It's hard to do new things. It's hard to re-architect your systems, rethink your hiring and training, and focus your team on cultivating real internal expertise.
But it's time for BPOs to do exactly that.
This industry has been plagued for too long by a reputation of being "just bodies for hire." But brands and organizations now—more than ever—need true partnership. They need help. They need guidance.
The BPOs winning the best clients aren't the ones with the slickest decks or fastest response times. They're the ones their prospects turn to for perspective, even before there's a project on the table.
That's the shift from vendor to trusted advisor. That's how you build a business that lasts.
