New Technology, Old Sales Habits

Welcome back to the 45th issue of Disrupting Conversations!

Have you ever noticed how the most exciting innovations can create the most predictable conversations?

I've been on multiple calls with AI company founders recently as I search for a tool to help process our coaching calls. These are genuinely smart people building impressive technology that could change how we work. But something interesting keeps happening in our conversations:

After brief introductions, they ask one question—maybe two if I'm lucky. "How do you see AI helping your business scale?" Then they move straight into their platform demo.

It got me thinking: When we're genuinely excited about breakthrough solutions, why do we sometimes default to the most conventional conversation patterns? And what can this teach us about creating the kind of conversations that actually help people embrace meaningful change?

Today we're exploring how transformative technology deserves transformative conversations—and why that starts with how we think about the people we're trying to help.

– Dan

🚨PS:  We have encouraged you to take risks and break through your comfort zones with our newsletter and podcast production. Now, we’re taking our own advice. And we need your help: 

Breaking Sales is officially in the running for the 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards. If this show has challenged your thinking or shifted your approach to sales conversations, we'd be honored to have your support.

Just visit www.podcastawards.com between July 1–31and nominate Breaking Sales in the following categories: 

• The Adam Curry People's Choice – select Breaking Sales

• Manager Tools Business Category – select Breaking Sales

Admittedly, the process is a bit clunky, but it will only take you two minutes. Thank you in advance for your support!

Breaking Sales is my podcast to connect with those who are ready to break free from the chains of old sales methodologies that don’t work.

Title of Episode: Building Credibility With Questions

🎙️ Think of your favorite comfort food or restaurant. What would happen if someone tried to convince you to try something different by listing all the impressive features and benefits? You already know the answer: there's little chance you'd try something new.

So why would it be different for your prospects? 

In this episode, Pam and I offer a better solution for building real credibility: asking the right types of questions in the right way.

New Technology, Old Sales Habits

Here's what strikes me about the AI conversations I’ve been having: These founders are solving genuinely complex technical problems, but they're assuming I've already done the complex thinking about where AI fits in my business.

They're depending on me to be objective about AI and my business needs. They're assuming I've thought through the implementation, what obstacles I might face implementing it, how it would actually change the way I work, and the experiences our clients will have.

But most of us aren't objective about transformative technology. We either get excited about its possibilities or we're skeptical about its claims. When it’s the latter, it takes a lot to invoke change. We have past experiences with technology implementations that didn't go as planned. We have concerns about change that deserve exploration, not assumptions.

When I think about what could make these conversations more valuable—not just for them, but for me as someone genuinely looking for the right solution—three phases come to mind: 

1. Help people explore whether or not there's a real opportunity. Instead of assuming they've done preliminary thinking about their needs, ask questions that help them explore: Is there something happening in their business right now—or something they're working toward—where this solution could create genuine advantage? This requires being genuinely curious about their situation, instead of making assumptions about what would serve them best.

2. Guide them through the reality of change. Don't let them skip the hard part. Help people think through obstacles they might encounter when implementing a transformative solution. What barriers haven't they considered? Change creates ripple effects throughout organizations, and your job is to help them navigate that complexity before they're in the middle of it.

3. Earn the right to present your solution. Only after helping them understand their situation and potential challenges have you earned the right to explore whether your company should be in consideration. This is when you can share what you've learned from other implementations and why you feel confident about your approach. Unfortunately, when it comes to technology - most sales professionals start here.

People Are Still People

The natural excitement around transformative technology can create shortcuts in thinking, both for sellers and buyers. When there's strong demand for something revolutionary, it's tempting to let that demand do the heavy lifting.

But people are still people. They're still making a change, which means they're still navigating uncertainty, risk, and the unknown.

Whether it's AI, or any breakthrough approach (SASS), revolutionary technology doesn't eliminate the very human process of making a difficult decision. The technology may be new, but the fundamentals of helping people think clearly about change remain the same.

👉 Your breakthrough solution deserves breakthrough conversations—ones that honor both the power of innovation and the complexity of human decision-making.

QUOTE

"The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do."

– B.F. Skinner

Thanks for reading!

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