The first meeting can make or break a sale. Discovery-style meetings – where salespeople focus on gathering data – often fail to deliver meaningful value. Instead, Lee Salz introduces the consultation mindset, where sales professionals lead with insight, empathy, and emotion to create momentum from the very first conversation. 

Lee Salz is one of the world’s leading voices in sales differentiation. As founder of Sales Architects, he helps companies design sales strategies that win more deals at higher prices. Lee shares frameworks for empathetic expertise, consultation cliffhangers, and how to systemise a first-meeting process that transforms the sales experience and strengthens long-term relationships. 

Takeaways 

• The first meeting determines whether a deal gains traction or fades away completely. 
• Salespeople must shift from discovery to consultation to deliver real, meaningful value early. 
• A consultation mindset focuses on insight and leadership, not interrogation through endless questions. 
• Empathetic expertise creates emotional connection, helping buyers feel genuinely understood and supported. 
• Stories outperform features and benefits by engaging emotion and improving message retention. 
• Consultation cliffhangers build curiosity and momentum, ensuring buyers want a second meeting. 
• Recap emails written in the buyer’s language reinforce understanding and trust. 
• A strong sales process – not just strong salespeople – creates scalable, consistent success. 

Follow Lee Salz
https://salesarchitects.com/  
https://www.assessmysales.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LeeBSalz
https://x.com/salesarchitects
https://www.instagram.com/theleesalz/
https://www.youtube.com/@theleesalz/videos 

Lee’s books
The First Meeting Differentiator: Transforming Sales-Focused Discovery Into Client-Centric Consultations https://amzn.to/405ZtBn
Sales Differentiation: 19 Powerful Strategies to Win More Deals at the Prices You Want https://amzn.to/4ecBINZ
Sell Different!: All New Sales Differentiation Strategies to Outsmart, Outmaneuver, and Outsell the Competition https://amzn.to/4e0kGT4 

Books recommended
Selling From The Heart by Larry Levine https://amzn.asia/d/f83bQw6
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