From Pitching to Listening: Adopting the Inbound Sales Mindset
Real-Life Examples
One of my friends, Darshana, received a call from a tele-caller and the caller greeted her with ‘Sir’. Darshana shouted at the caller not to call ever again. Have you ever received such a call right in the middle of a busy workday? Chances are, you didn’t even let the caller finish before saying, “Not interested.” You’re not alone. Buyers, whether individuals or businesses are better informed and more selective than ever. They research on their own, compare options, read reviews, and only then are open to having a conversation. The traditional sales approach of chasing leads and pushing pitches just doesn’t work anymore. That’s where inbound sales steps in.
What is ‘inbound sales’?
Inbound means outside, that is prospective customers contacting your organization rather than the other way around. The standard sales process is outbound, that is company contacts the prospective customer.
‘Inbound sales’ is not about interrupting, it’s about inviting. It’s a thoughtful, helpful, and client-focused way of selling. Instead of trying to sell something to everyone, inbound sales focuses on identifying prospects who already have a need and then genuinely helping them make the right decision.
Imagine a school looking for better ways to manage its operations. If we simply push our ERP software at them, we might lose their interest. But if we first understand what challenges they’re facing such as tracking admissions or improving parent communication, we can have a much more meaningful discussion. It becomes a conversation, not a pitch.
Shift from Selling to Solving
Inbound sales start with empathy, not urgency. It relies on questions, not scripts. It focuses on the buyer’s journey, not the sales target. When your sales team approaches a lead with “What’s the biggest bottleneck you’re facing?” rather than pushing a demo right away, it opens up trust. And trust is what leads to long-term business relationships.
With one of our clients, we changed the product brochure cover page content which was earlier focusing only on product introduction to emphasizing the benefits it offered. With the change, communication become customer-centric.
See the visual below that compares how a message transformed before and after adopting an inbound approach.
Shift from Selling to Solving
We work with businesses to build inbound sales capabilities that feel natural, not forced. We create customized sales playbooks aligned with your buyers’ real challenges. We train your team to listen better, ask smarter questions, and respond with solutions and not pitches. We align your sales efforts with marketing and customer service, so the buyer gets a seamless experience. Whether you’re a purpose-driven company looking to grow sustainably or a sales team struggling with poor lead quality, inbound sales can be a game changer.
Let’s talk about how you can make your sales approach more human and more effective. Because at the end of the day, people don’t buy from companies — they buy from people who understand them.
– By Sanskriti Gupta & Dr. Sachin Mohan Bhide,
Eha Management Consultancy http://www.ehamanagementconsultancy.com/