Little Shift #2: From Selling to Serving
One of the biggest mindset shifts that can change how you grow your business as a coach or consultant is this: stop thinking of prospect conversations as sales meetings.
When you show up trying to “sell,” you naturally focus on yourself—your offerings, your credentials, your process. But when you show up to serve, everything changes. The pressure drops. The conversation deepens. And, more often than not, the opportunities grow from there.
Your potential clients aren’t looking for a pitch. They’re looking for perspective. They want someone who can help them see their challenge more clearly, understand what’s getting in the way, and explore what’s possible.
The moment you stop trying to convince and start trying to understand, you’ve already positioned yourself as a trusted advisor.
Turning Sales Meetings into Real Conversations
You don’t need a script or a perfectly polished pitch deck to build business. You just need to be curious. Ask questions. Listen deeply. Reflect back what you hear.
This approach does two important things:
It helps you uncover the real problem that needs solving (which is often different from the one clients think they have).
It builds trust fast.
People remember how it feels to be understood. And that feeling is what leads them to want to work with you.
3 Actions to Start Selling Less and Serving More
Here are three simple ways to bring this trusted advisor mindset into your next client conversation:
1. Reframe your goal.
Before your next meeting, jot this down at the top of your notes:
“Understand, don’t convince.”
Your role isn’t to prove yourself, it’s to uncover what the client truly needs.
2. Ask questions that get beneath the surface.
Go beyond logistics or scope. Try questions like:
“What made this a priority right now?”
“How has this challenge been showing up in your team or culture?”
“If we could solve this, what would success look like six months from now?”
These questions help you learn more, build urgency, and show your client how you think.
3. Offer your perspective, not your pitch.
Once you understand their challenge, share your initial take:
“It sounds like what’s really happening is…”
“One pattern I see with other teams is…”
You’re not pitching—you’re partnering. That’s what trusted advisors do.
When you approach every conversation with curiosity and empathy, you don’t have to “sell.” You just help people connect the dots between their problem and your expertise.
Because at the end of the day, the best sales strategy isn’t about persuasion—it’s about partnership.
