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Ali Chrisp, AE at trumpet, talks about a critical shift in sales thinking: meeting buyers where they are rather than forcing them through a rigid sales process.
Too often, sales teams follow a linear structure—Inbound Lead → Discovery → Demo → Close—without considering the buyer’s reality. But buyers don’t operate on our timelines, and treating them like they do can slow deals down, frustrate stakeholders, and damage trust.
Shifting the mindset: From process-driven to buyer-driven
Ali put it perfectly:
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"Salespeople need to meet buyers where they are in their buying process, rather than forcing them through a sales process."
Instead of rushing prospects through a predefined path, top-performing AEs ask themselves:
📌 Who’s actually involved? – Buying decisions rarely rest on one person. Have you mapped out all stakeholders?
📌 What’s their process? – Does procurement, legal, or finance need to sign off? If so, when should they be involved?
📌 How can I help them decide faster? – Dumping content on different teams isn’t enough. How can you enable each stakeholder to move forward efficiently?
Becoming a trusted advisor
Buyers don’t need another salesperson pushing for a quick close—they need a trusted advisor who makes their job easier.
That means:
✅ Identifying roadblocks early (so you don’t hit them later)
âś… Guiding stakeholders through internal processes (not just handing them PDFs)
âś… Adapting to their pace (rather than forcing yours)
The result? Faster deals, stronger relationships, and a reputation as a true partner—not just another quota-chaser.
The best AEs never stop adapting
Sales is evolving, and rigid, one-size-fits-all processes are fading fast. If you want to stay ahead, stop pushing and start enabling.
Because the AEs who win? They meet buyers where they are.
![How to Get Started with Buyer Enablement [With Examples]](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65cf4fecbed2754c2236665d/65cf4fecbed2754c22366bdb_65a5af83e742f76e34ce06f3_Customer%2520Onboarding%2520_%2520Everything%2520you%2520need%2520(2).png)
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