Teaching Customers How to Buy

Help overwhelmed buyers make confident decisions by painting the market landscape for them

April Dunford
A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins

Teaching Customers How to Buy

"What B2B software buyers want in a sales interaction is perspectives on the market and help weighing their options. And we don't do that. We're just like, 'Here's our stuff. You figure it out.'" - April Dunford

What It Is

A mindset shift from "selling your product" to "helping buyers navigate their decision." Most B2B buyers have never purchased software like yours before. They're overwhelmed with options, terrified of making the wrong choice, and often more afraid of screwing up than missing out.

The data is stark: 40-60% of B2B purchase processes end in no decision—not because buyers prefer the status quo, but because they couldn't figure out how to make a choice confidently. They go to their boss and say "Let's delay it" because that's the safe, risk-free option.

By teaching buyers how to buy, you reduce their stress, build trust, and actually help them make a decision—which is what you both want.

How It Works

The Buyer's Hidden Job

Beyond solving their business problem, buyers have a secondary job: "How do I make a decision without getting fired?" This includes:

  • What if I pick wrong and my boss thinks I'm stupid?
  • What if the department hates it because it's awful to use?
  • What if bad things happen and I get fired?

What Buyers Lack (That You Have)

Buyers may have Googled around, but they don't have:

  • A clear picture of the different approaches to their problem (not products, approaches)
  • Understanding of where products fit within those approaches
  • Clarity on what a good solution for their situation looks like
  • Purchase criteria for making a confident decision

You have all of this. You eat, sleep, and breathe this market. Share it.

The "We Can't Do This" Objection

Common objections to teaching buyers:

  • "We can't talk about competitors—it looks like bashing"
  • "Nobody would trust our opinion because we're biased"

The research doesn't support this. Buyers actually want perspectives on the market. And if you come in with genuine helpfulness (not manipulation), trust builds naturally.

How to Apply It

  1. Paint the market landscape - Show buyers the 2-3 approaches to their problem, not just your product. "There's shared inbox, there's help desk software, and there's us. I don't care who the vendor is—I'm putting them in one of those buckets."

  2. Explain pros and cons of each approach - Be honest about what works and doesn't work about alternatives. Give credit where it's due.

  3. Define purchase criteria for their situation - "For customers like you, you really only need to worry about these 3-4 things. All this other stuff? Doesn't apply to you."

  4. Arm the champion - In B2B, 5-7 people are typically involved in a decision. Help your champion handle objections from IT, finance, and other stakeholders. "When IT asks about security, here's what to tell them."

  5. Anticipate the purchase process - If you've done many deals, you know what happens next. "This probably needs to go to purchasing. Here's what they typically ask for—we'll provide that."

  6. Reduce risk, don't add pressure - If buyers are indecisive, throwing FOMO at them makes it worse. Instead: offer smaller deals, money-back guarantees, support packages, pilot programs.

When to Use It

  • Enterprise B2B sales where purchase decisions are complex and high-stakes
  • Markets with many similar-looking competitors where differentiation is confusing
  • Deals that frequently stall with "no decision" as the outcome
  • When facing established market leaders where buyers default to the safe choice
  • Any first call with a prospect who's never bought software like yours before

What to Avoid

  • FOMO tactics on indecisive buyers - Research shows this makes indecision worse, not better
  • Pretending you're unbiased - You're not, and buyers know it. Be helpful instead.
  • Overwhelming with more information - Buyers are already drowning. Simplify, don't add.
  • Ignoring the "no decision" competitor - Status quo and indecision kill more deals than actual competitors

Source

  • Guest: April Dunford
  • Episode: "A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins"
  • Key Discussion: (00:20:33) - The psychology of buyer overwhelm and indecision
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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