Sales is about diagnosis. The close is what happens when the diagnosis is complete and the prescription is obvious.

Here's what changes when you stop selling and start diagnosing: the client does most of the work. They convince themselves. You just guide the conversation through the right sequence.

This is the system. Five stages. Each one builds on the last. Skip a stage and the conversation collapses.

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Don't start with what you do. Start with what they're experiencing.

Ask: "What's happening right now that made you reach out?"

Let them describe it. Don't interrupt. Don't jump to solutions. Your job here is to understand the problem better than they do. When they finish, reflect it back in sharper language than they used.

Example: They say "our conversion rate is low." You say: "So you're getting traffic but not capturing revenue , which means every day this continues, you're paying for attention you're not monetizing."

They nod. You just became the person who understands their situation.

Corporate track: Before pitching a project internally, ask your manager: "What's the biggest bottleneck you're seeing right now?" Then describe the bottleneck back to them in terms of cost, not just inconvenience.

Creator track: On discovery calls, don't pitch your services. Diagnose their situation first. "Walk me through what you've tried so far and where it's breaking down." When you reflect their struggle more clearly than they articulated it, you've earned the right to propose a solution.

People don't act on problems. They act on the cost of leaving problems unsolved.

Ask: "What does this cost you if it stays unfixed?"

Revenue lost. Time wasted. Opportunities missed. Relationships damaged. Get specific numbers. Write them down in front of them.

When someone says "we're losing leads," that's abstract. When they say "we're losing 40 leads a week at $200 average order value, so that's $32K a month walking away," that's real.

Now your solution isn't an expense. It's insurance against a much bigger loss.

Don't wait for objections to surprise you at the end. Bring them up yourself.

Say: "Before I show you how I'd approach this, what concerns do you have about working with someone on this?"

Budget. Timeline. Past bad experiences. Internal politics. They'll tell you. Now you're not defending against objections, you're collaboratively solving them before you even pitch.

This is the stage most people skip. It's the most important one.

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When you pitch, don't describe what you'll do. Describe what will be different when you're done.

Say: "Here's what this looks like when it's working. [Describe the specific outcome.] That's what I build. Here's how we get there."

Notice the sequence: outcome first, process second. They buy the outcome. The process is just proof you know how to deliver it.

Package your offer around what changes for them, not what you do for them.

Free Tool: The Sales Conversation Prep Sheet

Before any sales conversation, answer these:

Run this before every call. The conversation becomes easier. The close becomes natural.

You already know this one from Wednesday: "What would need to be true for this to be an obvious yes?"

If they give you a solvable answer, solve it. If they give you a vague answer, they're not ready , walk away clean.

The system works because it mirrors how people actually make decisions. They diagnose the problem. Calculate the cost. Weigh the objections. Evaluate the outcome. Then they decide.

You're not manipulating that process. You're facilitating it.

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