“When you talk to customers, what are you fundamentally trying to do?” That is the question Dr. Roy Whitten and Scott Roy, writing for SellingPower recommend asking yourself when reflecting on your sales strategy. If your answer is simply, “To sell my product or service,” it doesn’t mean that you’re in the wrong, but it also doesn’t mean that you’re doing the best you can to make those sales happen.

To formulate the best selling strategy for each prospect, Whitten and Roy recommend focusing on decision intelligence. Helping your clients achieve higher decision intelligence can propel your sale since the more information your prospect has on you and your product, the more confident they’ll be in their decision to buy. 

Now, this also means that your prospects could discover that they don’t need your product or service. You might think that’s a bad thing since selling is your job, but you’ll actually gain quite a bit from helping prospects make informed decisions. For starters, salespeople have a reputation for being pushy, selfish people. If you’re encouraging a prospect to do what’s best for them, you’re erasing the stigma from yourself. You’ll be seen as someone trustworthy who genuinely cares about people. So, the next time you reach out to that same prospect with another product pitch, they’ll be more likely to agree to meet with you.

How do you begin selling based on decision intelligence? Whitten and Roy suggest following these four steps.

Identify the Problems they Have to Solve to Achieve Their Goals

This allows prospects to see what exactly it is that stands between them and their goals. Once they see a clear set of steps to achieve their goal, they’ll be more driven to get to the finish line.

Estimate the Cost of not Solving the Problem

Budgets are the primary obstacle in the way of sales. However, what prospects don’t often consider is the fact that not addressing issues could lead to even higher expenses overall. What better motivation is there to spur on a sale today?

These, along with the other two steps Whitten and Roy highlight, are your first steps to winning more sales using decision intelligence.