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9 Common Traps of Selling With Insights and How to Avoid Them

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What Shouldn’t You Do?

Demonstrating thoughtful knowledge of your client’s business and industry by highlighting a concern or opportunity that they may be unaware of (or lack an appreciation for its magnitude) takes time …

So, what shouldn’t you do when selling with insights? 

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1. Preparation Trap

Demonstrate a mastery of the insight as it pertains to their business, industry, and competition and be able to show how it impacts their bottom line

What it is: Neglecting to put in the time to fully personalize your insight to your client

Ways to avoid it: Take time when identifying an insight to research your client, their industry, and their top competitors

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2. Paralysis by Analysis Trap

What it is: If selling with insights is new to you, you may have an urge to be perfect or over-prepared. Perfection is not required.

You don’t need to become an expert in your client’s business. You need to be knowledgeable about the issues and the magnitude of the insight and be able to connect those dots to your client’s needs or opportunity and how you can help.

Ways to avoid it: Don’t get bogged down in detail, research, or striving for perfection to the point that you stall or avoid the opportunity to deliver your insight message. Share how you can help, and show the value they can gain with a personalized message

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3. Credibility Trap

What it is: Being unable to answer specific questions from the client related to the insight

It especially applies to research and data, but it could also apply to an internal case study. If you cannot answer basic questions about the research, article, case study, or insight source, you can lose credibility quickly.

Ways to avoid it: Know your insight. Whether it is an article, research study, case study, or something else, read all the source information.

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4. Arrogance Trap

What it is: Focuses on how you share the insight, specifically on delivering insights outside of a dialogue model

You should use an insight to capture attention, lead a dialogue, and create or shape opportunities

Ways to avoid it: Don’t deliver a diatribe or presentation — rather, foster dialogue

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5. Dialogue Trap

What it is: You can come off as arrogant when leading with ideas too strongly without proper positioning and dialogue skills

Ways to avoid it: Be patient, and tell the story that fully lays out the issue, what’s at stake for your client, and how you can help through a dialogue.

You should use an insight to capture attention, lead a dialogue, and create or shape opportunities

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6. Insight Objection Trap

What it is: Being unprepared to respond to and resolve objections regarding your insight

If you do not have success with your insight or cannot resolve concerns about the information, you could lose credibility and will certainly need to resort to another insight (if one is relevant) or switch your approach.

Ways to avoid it: Think about possible objections that can be raised, and prepare to respond honestly and avoid being dismissive

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7. Relevance Trap

What it is: Trying to position an insight that is not relevant to the client’s specific business situation

You should review the potential impacts and possible needs in light of each client. The closer the connection between the generic information and your client’s situation, the better the chance that your insight will be relevant and resonate with them.

Ways to avoid it: Examine the challenges and opportunities you’ve identified to ensure that they sync with the situation you believe your client is facing 

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8. Connection Trap

What it is: When a relevant insight is positioned to the client but does not coherently link the client’s challenging issue or opportunity to how you can help them (your capabilities)

Your client is unable to see a clear connection, which is why personalization and word choice is important

Ways to avoid it: In crafting your personalized insight message, ensure that there is a clear link between the issue or challenge (which you check at the beginning of the conversation), your insight (which you connect to the issue), and your proposed action and value (which should solve the issue) 

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9. Product Trap

What it is: Engaging in a feature or product dump

Ways to avoid it: Avoid a product or feature dump where you rattle off multiple features and benefits. Focus your conversation on the issue at hand: the relevant insight.

There is a difference between discussing a specific capability or the value you have delivered to others who were in a similar situation and talking about specific features and benefits 

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