Technical experts rarely lose deals because their solution is wrong. They lose them in the conversation around it: forty minutes of features, no idea who signs, and a proposal sent into silence. The good news is that the skills that make you a good engineer, asking precise questions and diagnosing before fixing, are exactly the skills of good selling.
01Why good proposals don’t get signed
When a strong proposal goes quiet, it’s usually for one of three reasons:
- The buyer can’t explain the business case to the people who approve the budget.
- You don’t know the decision process: who else is involved, and what happens next.
- There was no agreed next step, so the deal waits behind everything else on their list.
All three are fixed before the proposal, in the first conversation.
02Diagnose before you propose
Treat the first call like debugging: understand the problem before you suggest a fix. Many sales teams use a checklist such as MEDDIC to make sure they understand the metrics, the decision makers and the process. You don’t need the whole framework; cover these five areas:
| Area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Pain | “What’s happening today that made you look for a solution?” · “What does it cost you when that happens?” |
| Impact | “If this were solved, what would change for your team?” · “How would you measure success?” |
| Decision process | “Who else needs to be involved in a decision like this?” · “What are the steps between now and a signed contract?” |
| Budget | “Is there a budget set aside for this?” · “How have you paid for similar projects before?” |
| Timing | “When do you need this working?” · “What happens if it slips to next quarter?” |
Speak less than half the time. At the end, summarise what you heard in three sentences and ask if you got it right. That summary is often the moment the buyer decides you understand them.
03Explain value, not features
Connect every feature to something the buyer told you. If you can’t, leave it out.
Use their words and their numbers: “You mentioned 40,000 euros in refunds last quarter” is more convincing than any benchmark.
04End every conversation with a dated next step
Deals move between meetings, not in them. Never end a call with “let me know”.
Book the next meeting while you’re still on the call. Then confirm it in writing the same day, with what each side will do.
05Handle objections with a question
An objection is usually a request for more information. Clarify first, then answer the real concern:
| They say | You can say |
|---|---|
| “It’s too expensive.” | “Too expensive compared with what?” · “If we reduce the scope to the two most urgent parts, would that work for your budget?” |
| “We need to think about it.” | “Of course. What’s the main thing you need to think through?” · “Who else will be part of that discussion?” |
| “Now isn’t a good time.” | “Understood. When would be a better time, and what will have changed by then?” |
| “We’re also talking to X.” | “That makes sense. What matters most to you in the decision?” |
Don’t discount the price as the first answer. Change the scope, the timing or the payment terms first, and only if the buyer asks.
06Write a proposal they can forward
Your contact will often forward the proposal to people you’ve never met. It has to work without you in the room:
- Page one is a summary: their problem in their words, the result, the price and the next step.
- Two or three options, so the conversation is “which one”, not “yes or no”.
- One clear price per option, with what’s included.
- Dates: when you can start, and how long the offer stands.
- Technical detail in an appendix, for the people who want it.
07Phrases for the sales conversation
| Stage | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Opening the call | “Thanks for your time. My goal today is to understand your situation, and if there’s a fit, agree a next step. Does that work?” |
| Discovery | “Could you tell me more about that?” · “How often does that happen?” · “What have you tried so far?” |
| Summarising | “So the main problem is X, it costs you about Y a month, and you need it fixed before Z. Did I get that right?” |
| Linking to value | “Based on what you told me, I’d suggest…” · “That means your team would…” |
| Saying the price | “The investment for the full project is 24,000 euros.” (Then stop.) · “There are three options, depending on how fast you need it.” |
| Agreeing the next step | “What would you need to see to move forward?” · “Can we put 30 minutes in the calendar now?” |
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “Our solution is very flexible.” | “You can start with the reporting and add the rest later.” |
| “The price is 24,000, but we can discuss…” | “The investment is 24,000 euros.” |
| “Let me know if you have questions.” | “Can we meet on Friday to go through your questions?” |
| “Technically, it’s easy.” | “Your team won’t need to change their current tools.” |
| “I think maybe it could help you.” | “This solves the order losses you described.” |
08Example: the follow-up email after a discovery call
An invented example. It repeats the problem in the buyer’s numbers, names the decision makers and confirms the next meeting.
Follow-up email
Subject: Next steps after our call
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the time today. Here’s what I understood:
1. During peak periods, around 2% of orders don’t reach the warehouse system. That led to about 40,000 euros in refunds last quarter.
2. You need a fix in place before the November sales.
3. The decision will be made by you and Maria (CTO), with finance approving the budget.
As agreed, I’ll send a proposal with two options by Wednesday. We have 30 minutes booked on Friday at 10:00 with you and Maria to go through it.
If I’ve misunderstood anything, please let me know before then.
Best,
Ana
09Before you send a proposal
- I know the problem and what it costs them, in their numbers.
- I know who decides and what the steps are.
- I know the budget and the deadline.
- My summary was confirmed by the buyer.
- Page one fits on one screen and can be forwarded.
- There’s a meeting in the calendar to go through it.