How to Sell to People Who Think They Don’t Need You
The best prospects? The ones who think they don’t need you.
One of the toughest challenges in sales—whether in real estate or medical sales—is convincing people they need you when they think they don’t.
Most salespeople struggle with this because we’re wired to chase. We see a potential deal slipping and want to fight for it. But the best salespeople know that the strongest position isn’t pursuing—it’s being positioned as the only solution.
This is true in every industry I’ve worked in.
➡️ In medical sales, I was after a major account that thought they didn’t need me. They already had a provider and saw no reason to switch.
Then, one day, I walked in at the right time.
Their current provider was malfunctioning, and they were in trouble. Because I had built trust before the crisis, they let me step in. We started with a few samples. Eventually, we won the entire account.
➡️ In real estate, it was chasing For Sale By Owners (FSBOs). One investor met with me only to get pricing information—he had no intention of hiring an agent.
I suspected he was using me for free pricing information. But I still did the best job I could.
Why? Because that’s who I am.
I don’t do the job well to win business—I do it well because that’s how I show up, regardless of the outcome.
The outcome isn’t in my control, but how I show up always is. And that’s the reason the business eventually came back to me.
I gave him my best analysis, wished him luck, and moved on.
Two years later, he called me.
He never sold the property, had multiple board rejections, and now the market had shifted. I listed it and sold it in under two months—and he became a repeat client.
Both of these deals happened because I saw sales as a long game.
I wasn’t focused on closing that day. I was focused on building trust, so I was their first call when they were ready.
The Strategy That Works:
✔ Stay visible—people might not need you today, but they might tomorrow.
✔ Build trust before the sale—so when the moment comes, they call you first.
✔ Don’t chase—position yourself as the solution—The best salespeople don’t convince. They become the obvious choice.
The best salespeople don’t sell. They do the right thing, show up consistently, and let the business come to them.
Most salespeople focus on the ‘no’ in front of them. The best ones focus on the future ‘yes’—and show up in a way that makes them the obvious choice when the time comes.
What’s your best strategy for winning over a skeptical prospect? Drop it below!
