Problem-Centred Selling: A New Approach to B2B Sales

Updated: Aug 20

Why Sales Pitches Fail.

Why Sales Pitches Fail. A few years ago, I joined a sales call as an observer.

The buyer was engaged. Nodding. Asking smart questions. You could feel the energy building.

And then… it happened.

“Let me just walk you through a few slides.”

Click. The screen shared. The momentum vanished.

Within 30 seconds, the buyer was quiet. By slide four, they were checking emails. And by the end? Polite thanks — and a soft “we’ll get back to you.”

They never did.

The rep didn’t say anything wrong. The slides were clean. On-brand. Even had a case study tucked in.

But the second they started presenting, they stopped selling.

They stopped listening.They stopped adapting.They stopped being useful.

The conversation became a monologue. And the buyer tuned out.

Here’s the thing: Slides make it about you. Not them.

And when that happens:

You talk more than you listen
You show features instead of exploring problems
You fall back on a script instead of adapting to what’s actually happening in the room

And worst of all? You kill curiosity — the one thing that keeps a real sales conversation alive.

Ditch the deck. Bring a point of view. Have something meaningful to say — and shape it live, based on where the buyer wants to go.

Use a canvas or shared doc instead. Invite the buyer in. Build something with them, not at them.

Focus on friction, not features. If you can’t name the buyer’s problem early on, no slide will save you.

Sometimes you do need slides. That’s fine.

Just don’t hide behind them. Don’t let them do the talking. And for the love of sales — don’t lead with them.

Buyers don’t want a presentation. They want a partner. Someone who listens, challenges, reframes — and helps them make progress.

If you’re ready to shift from slide-led to story-led selling, I’ve got a few ideas. Let’s fix the conversation before the click kills it.

The Slide Deck That Killed the Deal