June 30, 2026
Try to talk them out of hiring you
On a recent coaching call, we were talking about sales conversations.
Specifically, what to do when a prospect shows up already asking for a specific solution.
For example:
“I want to hire you to do PR.”
The tempting response is:
Great. Where do I send the proposal?
I would not do that.
I’d ask:
Why PR?
Why not advertising?
Why not influencers?
Why not billboards?
In other words:
Why this?
They might have a good answer.
Or they might be self-diagnosing.
Here’s the thing...
Your job is not to sell them PR.
Your job is to figure out what hurts.
Think like a doctor.
A doctor is not trying to sell you a triple bypass.
A doctor wants to know:
Where does it hurt?
How long has it been like this?
What changed?
What have you already tried?
If PR really is the right treatment, fine.
But if you can talk them out of hiring you, you probably should.
A sales call is not a pitch.
It’s a diagnosis.
Yours,
—J