Creating Sales Scripts That Convert

Here’s the proposal template that helped me close over $100 million in enterprise sales: It’s also helped my clients close more than 50% of their deals when they use it. And until now, I’ve never shared it publicly. Most sellers are great at pitching features. But the ones who consistently win big deals? They know how to tell a great story. The truth is, executives don’t buy products - they buy confidence. They buy vision. They buy a story they want to be part of. If you want to sell like a top 1% seller, you need a proposal that doesn’t just inform… it moves people. Here’s how I do it 👇 The Story Mountain Framework for Sales Proposals: 1. Exposition – Introduce the characters and setting. Start with them: → “You’re trying to expand into new markets… to grow revenue… to unify your tech stack…” Set the vision. Make them the hero. 2. Rising Action – Lay out the challenges and obstacles. → “But growth stalled. Competitors moved faster. Customer churn increased.” Quote discovery calls. Surface real pain. Build emotional tension. 3. Climax – Introduce your solution. → “Then you found a better way…” Now show how your solution helps them overcome the exact obstacles you outlined. 4. Falling Action – Ease the tension. → “Here’s our implementation plan. Here’s the ROI. Here’s how others in your industry succeeded.” Give them confidence that this won’t just work—it will work for them. 5. Resolution – End with clarity. → “Here’s our mutual action plan. Let’s get started.” Lock in buy-in, next steps, and forward momentum. This structure has helped me close some of the biggest deals of my career—including an $8-figure enterprise deal at Salesforce where I used this exact approach. I broke it all down in this week’s training—and for the first time ever, I show you the actual proposal I used AND tell you how to access my Killer Proposal Template for free. 👀 Watch the full training here: https://lnkd.in/gPY_cvv5 No more boring product pitches. No more ghosting after the readout. Just proposals that close.

I watched a rep lose a $300K deal. Great discovery. Perfect champion. Strong business case. Then came the demo. And it all fell apart. Here's what happened: They used the product team's demo. Feature by feature. Click by click. By minute 20, the buyer was checking email. By minute 30, they said "let us think about it." The deal died 2 weeks later. Your product team's demo will never work. They mean well. But they're too interested in showing every feature. And buyers don't care about features. They care about problems. At Gong, we had a rule: Never use the product team's demo in a live sales situation. Ever. Because product teams optimize for awareness. Sales teams need to optimize for value. Big difference. Here's how to fix your demos in 3 steps: Step 1: Make every feature "audition" for the demo. Before you show anything, ask yourself: "Does this feature solve a pain the customer explicitly shared?" If the answer is no? Leave it out. I don't care how cool it is. I don't care if it took your engineers 6 months to build. If it doesn't map to their pain? It doesn't belong in the demo. The rule: Solve exactly. Take your customer's pain and solve it on a 1-to-1 basis. No more. No less. When you do this? It feels like your product was custom-built for them. When you don't? It feels like a generic product tour. And generic doesn't close deals. Step 2: Surround every feature with value. Here's the structure we used at Gong: Before the feature: Frame the pain (10 seconds) Ask a question about their current state Get them to visualize the outcome Show the feature: Orient them to the screen Reveal the workflow After the feature: Implant the value Tell a customer story Ask a question to get them talking Notice something? You're wrapping the feature in value. Value → Feature → Value Most demos do this: Feature → Feature → Feature → "Any questions?" That's why they fail. Step 3: Demo outcomes, not features. Stop saying: "Here's our reporting dashboard." Start saying: "Remember how you said your reps are struggling to ramp? Here's how you cut ramp time in half." See the difference? One is about the product. One is about the outcome. Buyers don't buy products. They buy outcomes. Here's what happens when you fix your demos: Buyers stay engaged (because everything is relevant). Demos feel consultative (not like a product tour). Close rates double (because you're selling value, not features). I've seen this play out hundreds of times. The reps who customize their demos? They crush quota. The reps who use the product team's demo? They struggle. The call to action: Stop using your product team's demo. Build your own. Make every feature audition. Surround features with value. Demo outcomes, not capabilities. Your close rates will thank you. P.S. Here’s 5 uncommon habits of the most elite revenue teams ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gr29f7Ci

Nobody tells you this about enterprise sales The biggest deals are lost in the first 5 minutes. Not because of your pitch. Not because of your price. Not because of your product. But because of the language you use. Here's what I discovered after analyzing 1000+ sales calls: The higher the deal value, the simpler the language needed to win. Example: $5K deal (Lost) Rep: "Our value proposition addresses critical pain points in your tech stack integration, offering seamless scalability..." $50K deal (Won) Rep: "We help companies stop losing customers due to slow website loading times." See the difference? I tested this with a struggling SaaS team: Before: Complex sales language - 22% close rate - 108-day sales cycle - $127K average deal After: Plain English only - 41% close rate - 71-day sales cycle - $198K average deal Simple change. Massive impact. The truth is, every exec can smell rehearsed "sales talk" from miles away. Want to close bigger deals? Drop these phrases: - "Value proposition" → Say how you help - "Pain points" → Say what problems you solve - "ROI analysis" → Say how much money they'll make - "Scalable solution" → Say how you grow with them - "Best-in-class" → Say why you're better Top performers don't sound like salespeople. They sound like trusted advisors who happen to sell. Start talking like a human. Watch your deals grow. What's the worst sales jargon you've heard lately? P.S. If you need help with your sales, send me a message Let's talk about finding your breakthrough strategy

Too often reps just completely waste discovery. They spend 30 min 'discovering' (and by the way buyers we LOVE to be discovered, it's our favorite thing...) Then run the exact same demo they always run. What the hell are we doing, ya'll? We teach discovery. We preach discovery. We role-play discovery. Then we throw it all away the second we share our screen. "Let me show you our features..." "Here's how our dashboard works..." "This is what makes us different..." Meanwhile, everything they told you in discovery? Sitting in your notes. Unused. Wasted. Sadly... Most demos are just feature parades with a prospect audience. But the best demos? They're discovery on steroids. Every feature loops back to their pain. Every benefit connects to their goal. Every screen ties to something THEY said. It's called **looping**, and it's the difference between a demo and a decision. Here's the thing about software - they can't physically hold it. So you have to make them hold it mentally: **Get them to control the screen** "Click that green button for me" "Which color would you make this dashboard?" "How would you set this up for your team?" Now they're following YOUR lead (authority bias). Now they're building THEIR solution (ownership bias). Now they're invested (IKEA bias). **Get them to say the magic words** "So what do you think would happen if you had this?" "How would this change your Monday mornings?" "What would your team say if they saw this?" When THEY say it, they believe it. When YOU say it, you're just selling. **THE LOOPING FORMULA** Bad demo: "This dashboard shows your pipeline" Good demo: "Remember when you said you waste 2 hours every Monday on reports? This dashboard solves it. Here's how. Better demo: "You mentioned your reps don't know what to prioritize. If they opened this every morning, what would change?" Best demo: "Earlier you said [specific pain]. Watch this... *shows feature* ...so tell me, how would this solve that for you?" Let THEM connect the dots. Let THEM sell themselves. Next demo, try this: 1. Write down 3 specific pains from discovery 2. Only show features that solve those 3 pains   3. After each feature ask: "How would this help with [their specific pain]?" 4. Shut up and let them answer Stop running demos. Start facilitating decisions. Because if they don't use their own words to buy it, they won't buy it with your words either. What's your best "make them say it" question?

Referrals are by far the highest ROI channel for B2B businesses. So why aren’t you getting more of them? I use a dead-simple, but incredibly effective method to double my inbound referrals. 1 — Be Direct. The biggest mistake people make is relying on “automated emails” and “programs”. They take the easy way out because they are afraid. They wait for a follow-up email and send vague requests like, “If you think of anyone, let me know!” The reality is people don’t have time to brainstorm referrals for you! 2 — here’s what I do: make a specific and direct ask. And when possible, do it face-to-face right on the video call. Yes, you can do this over email, but asking directly, person-to-person, makes a stronger impact. 3 — Instead of leading with an ask, start by GIVING a lead first. Before ending a call, try this: “Before we wrap up, I’d like to give you two leads I think would benefit from your service. Would you mind sharing two people on your client roster who might find us interesting? I’ll send you a tailored email for easy forwarding.” Even better, do your homework: “I noticed these logos on your website. These two companies look like they’d be a great fit for us because [reason]. Would you mind making an introduction?” Be specific. Be proactive. Be intentional. What’s your go-to approach when asking for referrals? Let me know in the comments.

Your demo is the reason you're losing deals And it has nothing to do with your product. After sitting through 200+ sales demos last year, I've identified the pattern that separates winning presentations from forgettable ones. It's not about features. It's not about benefits. It's about sequence. Most demos follow this deadly structure: 1️⃣ Company overview 2️⃣ Product walkthrough 3️⃣ Feature deep-dive 4️⃣ Pricing discussion 5️⃣ Next steps This is exactly backwards. Your prospect doesn't care about your company story. They care about their problem. They don't want to see every feature. They want to see outcomes. Here's the demo structure that actually converts: ↳ Start with their outcome  "Based on our conversation, you mentioned needing to reduce customer churn by 15% this year. Let me show you exactly how this would work for your situation." ↳ Show their scenario Use their data, their use case, their terminology. Make it feel like they're already using your solution. ↳ Focus on 2-3 key capabilities The ones that directly impact their stated priorities. Skip everything else. ↳ Handle objections proactively Address the concerns they mentioned in discovery before they have to ask. ↳ End with clear next steps Not "Do you have any questions?" but "Based on what you've seen, what would need to happen for you to move forward?" The best demos don't feel like demos. They feel like problem-solving sessions where your product happens to be the solution. Subscribe to our Innovative Seller channel where we post bi-weekly videos on sales strategies like this 👇

I'm so tired of these "perfect demo framework" posts on LinkedIn. They're ruining deals left and right. Look, there's no magic demo script that works for everyone. What works in the boardroom bombs with end users. What gets IT excited puts executives to sleep. The truth is there are 8 different types of demos, and most reps are doing them all wrong. 1) Inbound first calls: Stop assuming you know why they booked time. Maybe they're comparing vendors. Maybe their boss told them to "check you out." Maybe they're just curious. Find out first, then demo accordingly. 2) Outbound first calls: They didn't ask for this. Don't dive into features. Build credibility first. Show them a problem they didn't know existed. 3) C-suite meetings: Executives don't want to see your product. They want to understand the strategic opportunity. Frame the big picture, not the buttons. 4) End-user sessions: These people have to use your tool every day. They're asking one question: "Will this make my life easier or harder?" Show workflows, not features. 5) Technical validation calls: IT and security teams speak a different language. They care about risk, compliance, integrations. If you're talking ROI to them, you've already lost. 6) Competitive bake-offs: Don't show everything you can do. Show what the other guys can't do. Focus on differentiation, not demonstration. 7) Pilot reviews: This isn't training. Half these people don't want to be there. Your job is proving success criteria and handling objections before they test your product alone. 8) Executive reviews: Skip the deep dive. Executives want to know: Why now? Why us? Why should I put my reputation on the line? Most AEs treat every demo like a product tour. That's why deals die. CFOs don't care about usability. End users don't care about ROI. IT doesn't care about revenue impact. Match your demo to your audience, or watch your deal disappear into "we'll circle back next quarter" purgatory. The best reps don't have perfect demos. They have the right demo for the right room. Follow me Andy Mewborn for more content like this.

A rep told me she's been closing deals by giving 15 to 20% discounts. Not because prospects asked. Because she didn't think they'd say yes otherwise. I told her "You're training prospects that your price isn't real. And you're killing your margins and confidence." Here’s something I want you to think about… When you rely on discounts, you're not solving a pricing problem. You're covering up a value problem. Prospects push back because they don't trust the value yet. When you drop your price, you confirm it wasn't worth the original number. So what do you do instead? Build trust before price comes up. First, build a case study library. Most reps can't tell good stories about past clients. They know they've helped companies but can't articulate HOW. Schedule one hour interviews with your team who's done the work. Record it. Walk through specific situations. The company. The problem. What they tried before. The solution. The result. When a prospect brings up a concern, connect it to a real story. "You sound just like Company X. They had the exact same challenge. Here's what happened..." Stories are proof. Proof builds trust. Trust justifies premium pricing. Second, lead with your guarantee. Build it into your pitch. Example for Executive Search as that what this rep sold: "We're not the cheapest. We're typically 20 to 30% more expensive. But we offer a 12 month guarantee. If the placement doesn't work, we replace them at no cost." You've reframed the conversation. It's not about price. It's about confidence in the outcome. Third, disqualify price shoppers early. When someone says price is their number one concern: "Just to make sure we're aligned. We're typically more expensive by XX%. If price is your primary factor, we might not be the right fit. What do you think?" You flipped the script. They have to sell YOU on why they should work with you. Either they say "Actually price isn't the only thing. We care about quality too." Great. Real conversation. Or they say "No it really is just about price." Perfect. You saved weeks chasing a deal you'd never win. Fourth, use their business as an analogy. "In your business, are you the cheapest option?" Usually no. Mid tier or premium. "If a competitor came in 50% cheaper, what would they have to cut?" Cheaper materials. Less experienced people. Worse service. "Exactly. Same in our world. If someone's dramatically cheaper, what do you think they’re CUTTING out?” You just used their logic to justify your pricing. Fifth, know when to walk away. If you've shown value, told stories, offered a guarantee, explained ROI, and they're still pushing for a discount? They're not your customer. The right clients choose you because you're the obvious choice. Not because you're cheap. — If you found a ton of value out of this, you don’t want to miss my LIVE sales coaching call, for free: https://lnkd.in/g3CP4v2q

You want B2B Buyer honesty? I’m a CEO. I took 100+ demos, and I can say this with absolute certainty—Buyers care about your product 10x LESS than what you think. They nod, smile, say “cool”... but silently worry: Is it doomed to fail? Is the timing off? Why not the 50% cheaper option? Product is only a means to an end. Here are the 6 things buyers ACTUALLY want in demos: OUTBOUND DEMOS: 1. Context First; Demo Second If there's no active project, your demo = noise. Give me clear context first: What is this? Which burning problem does it solve for peers? Why did you think it might be relevant to me? Don’t force me to connect the dots. Make it effortless to see the relevance. 2. Pain Killers; Not Vitamins Every tool seems useful— few feel urgent. During your demo, buyers think, “Is this critical?”, “Right now?” Our list of problems is endless. Don’t just find pain. Clearly show how you solve my #1 priority TODAY, or you’ve already lost me. 3. Proof and Peer Insights If your category is new or unfamiliar to me, I don’t just need its theoretical value—I need evidence. Show exactly how peers win with your product (and how they’re thinking about things differently). Peer confidence reduces risk instantly. INBOUND DEMOS: 1. Your UVP, Not 10 Differentiators Buyers will share your product internally in ONE sentence. It’s all they’ll remember (Not the top 10 differentiators that you demo). Be the one feeding it to them. Positioning is NOT marketing fluff; it’s your go-to in competitive deals. 2. Help in Navigating Buying An 'Active Project’ does not mean it's just about 'Why You'. Our business case might be half-baked, our requirements or evaluation process might be setting us up to fail. Don’t just ‘sell’ your UVP. Guide us so we can avoid project failure. 3. Prove You’ll Deliver, Not Just Sell Your awards, patents, and fancy product slides don’t mean squat. I want evidence you're going to deliver post-signature. Show me your onboarding, adoption, and customer success. I want to buy a partnership, not a product. —— Buyers don’t buy products. They buy confidence in outcomes. Stop demoing. Start proving you’ll deliver.

Our sales team closed over $30mm ARR, and there’s one document that we required on every complex deal. The deals we lost all had something in common: Our champion went into a room without us, and they didn’t have the words. They believed in the product and the wanted the deal to happen. But when the CFO asked “why this vendor?” or the CEO asked “why now?” They couldn’t give a great answer. Because they are not prefessionas at selling our product, and they don’t have much practice getting approval to buy software. The best thing I ever did for our close rate was accept the fact that the decision gets made in meetings you’re not invited to. Your champion has to sell for you. They have to explain why this problem matters, why your solution is the right one, why the timing is right, and why the price is fair. If you don’t give them those words, they’ll make something up. Or worse, they’ll say nothing. That’s why we built every complex deal around one document: the Executive Summary. This is a script for your champion. Here’s what it included: 1. Summary of the Partnership: What we’re doing together and why it matters 2. Key Stakeholders: Who’s involved and who needs to approve 3. Current Challenges: The pain the business is facing today 4. Desired Outcomes: What success looks like 5. Why Us: Why we’re the best fit to solve this 6. Expected ROI: The business case in real numbers 7. Commercial Terms: Price, timeline, next steps Don’t wait until last stage of the sales cycle to build this with your champ. Start it after the first discovery call and refine it throughout the deal. By the time our champion walked into that room, they were prepared. And they closed for us. Want the template we used? Drop “champion” in the comments or DM me. I’ll send it over.