Youβre reading an excerpt of Founding Sales: The Early-Stage Go-To-Market Handbook, a book by Pete Kazanjy. The most in-depth, tactical handbook ever written for early-stage B2B sales, it distills early sales first principles and teaches the skills required, from being a founder selling to being an early salesperson and a sales leader. Purchase the book to support the author and the ad-free Holloway reading experience. You get instant digital access, commentary and future updates, and a high-quality PDF download.
Thatβs not to say that this has to be contentious, but you will be best served by being direct. When a prospect surfaces an objection that runs counter to their business reality, it is your duty to address it head on. This general concept of respectful contentiousness has been popularized by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson in their book The Challenger Sale. Itβs all the more important in innovative technology sales, where you must change minds to popularize a new approach to a business problemβwhich typically requires challenging existing mindsets.