Uncover the power of problem prospecting in modern sales.
In our latest episode of B2B Outbound we’re joined by Stuart Taylor, co-author of “Problem Prospecting” and Sales Director at Allego. He reveals how focusing on customer challenges can transform your sales approach.
Essential for SDRs, AEs, and sales leaders looking to boost conversion rates and scale their sales teams.
The Problem Prospecting Revolution
Stuart and his co-authors created “Problem Prospecting” as the sales bible they wish they’d had early in their careers. It’s not some dusty theory from a coach who hasn’t been in the trenches for decades. Nope, this is real-world, battle-tested stuff.
The core principle? It’s not about you.
Stuart drops this truth bomb: “When people try and connect with prospects, they talk about themselves, they talk about their company, they talk about the awards, they talk about how great they are, and prospects do not care. All they care about is themselves.”
(Ouch, but also… yeah, fair.)
Instead of boring prospects with your company’s life story, lead with their problems. Stuart explains: “If I ring you and say, ‘Hey James, it’s Stuart calling from Allego, we’re an award-winning software company based out of the US,’ you’re probably going to fall asleep within the first 30 seconds. Or if I ring you and say, ‘I speak with company owners and founders like you, James, who are running into these couple of challenges,’ and they resonate with you in your world, it’s a completely different conversation.”
The Two-Problem Tango
Here’s where it gets spicy. We’ve found massive success at Punch! by presenting prospects with two potential challenges right off the bat. It’s like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, but for B2B sales.
Stuart backs this up: “We started with one problem initially, but we moved to two or three because when you give people options, they typically take one.”
This approach is pure gold for a few reasons:
- It shows you’ve done your homework on their industry.
- It gets them talking about their pain points early.
- It sets you up to ask smart follow-up questions and really dig into their challenges.
Beyond the Cold Call: Problem Prospecting Throughout the Sales Cycle
Now, you might be thinking, “Cool story, bro. But what about after that initial call?”
Stuart explains how this mindset carries through the entire process: “The SDR might do the call, find out a problem that a prospect has, and then the AE’s job is to unpack that problem and find out more about it.”
He continues, “We’re not talking about products and features. We’re talking about problems and future states.”
The Gym Analogy
Stuart drops this gem: “I use the gym analogy. Nobody goes to the gym because it’s state-of-the-art, it’s got the best machines and this and that. They go for a reason which might be to lose weight, to get healthier. They might be recently single and want to get a new partner. There’s something there that’s driving that.”
The takeaway? Dig for the real reasons behind why someone might want your product or service. It’s rarely about the shiny features – it’s about the outcome they’re desperately craving.
The Cold, Hard Truth About Cold Calling
Now, brace yourselves for some tough love. In a world of LinkedIn voice notes, personalized videos, and probably soon, holographic SDR avatars (patent pending), guess what still works best?
Stuart lays it out: “By far and away the most successful prospecting motion in Alego is call… Calling. Like, still, all of these fancy things are great. But the traditional methods still work.”
Why? “Because it’s hard and it’s easy to send voice notes. It’s easy to send emails. It’s harder to pick up the phone and ring 100, 200 people in a day.”
The Punch! Perspective
As the founders of a sales development agency, we couldn’t agree more. Chris chimes in: “We run a sales development agency, and yes, we do data insights. We multi-thread LinkedIn, video, tele, but actually 90% of our meetings, if not more, come over the telephone.”
Stuart gives us a virtual high-five: “That’s why you guys are so successful as well, because you do what a lot of organizations struggle to do – the hard stuff.”
The Last Word
Look, sales is evolving faster than TikTok dance trends. We’ve got AI, automation, and probably soon, telepathic lead scoring. But at its core, sales is still about solving human problems for other humans.
So, the next time you’re tempted to lead with your company’s trophy case or that shiny new feature, remember: It’s not about you. It’s about their problems, their challenges, and how you can be the hero in their story.
