Let’s drop the fantasy.

Most salespeople still imagine that the buyer shows up to the conversation like a blank page.

Open-minded. Curious. Willing to explore.

You believe that your pitch, your charm, or your product will win them over in that one golden moment.

But in 2025? That’s a dangerous assumption.

Because here’s what’s actually happening behind the scenes:

Before you even make that call, your buyer has already done the research.
They’ve read five competitor blogs.
They’ve skimmed your site, checked your LinkedIn, and maybe even asked their network for recommendations.
They’ve formed opinions. Drawn conclusions.
In fact — they may have already made their decision.

Recent studies show that 70% of B2B buyers are deep into the decision-making process before they speak to a single salesperson.

Worse?

81% already have a preferred vendor in mind by the time you reach out.

To top it off, the reality is this: they can live without you — so why should they choose you?
Get a surprise freebie and learn more in the article Month 1 Week 1 Why Being an Expert Is No Longer Enough to Close Deals in 2025. 

So when you show up with your pitch — you’re not beginning a conversation.
You’re trying to interrupt a decision they think they’ve already made.

If you’re starting from scratch, asking basic questions, or “getting to know them” — you’re irrelevant.
Not because you’re not smart.
Not because your product isn’t great.
But because you arrived too late in a game that started without you.

And that’s what this article is about.

What it actually means to sell in a market where buyers are in control — and already moving.

You used to be the source of truth.

Now? You’re the last person they want to hear from.

Today’s B2B buyer doesn’t need a sales rep to explain what a product does.
They’ve already figured that out — usually without you.

Did you know there’s been a statistically proven shift in decision-maker behaviour since 2017?

• • They’ve read the reviews.

• • They’ve downloaded the whitepapers.

• • They’ve watched your competitors’ demos.

• • They’ve lurked on your LinkedIn and Googled your founder.

By the time you — or your SDR — reaches out, they often know more about the landscape than most junior sales reps.

✅ 97% of buyers visit a vendor’s website before they ever speak to sales.
✅ 75% say they’d rather research on their own than talk to a rep.

This isn’t because they’re rude. Or secretive.
It’s because they want control.
They’re busy. They’re under pressure. They’re trying to move fast without getting burned.

And let’s be honest — they’ve been burned before.

So no, they don’t want to be “educated” during a call.
They don’t want your pitch deck.
They don’t need your voice to validate their problem.

They actually want to know:

• • Are you aligned with how they see the world?

• • Do you get their challenge better than anyone else?

• • And most importantly — can you help them win?

This is the new sales environment.

It’s not cold. It’s just quiet.
And if you don’t adapt to that silence — if you don’t learn how to speak before they ask — you’ll never even make it to the shortlist.

Why Traditional Sales Tactics Are Breaking

Still doing “discovery calls” like it’s 2013?

Still asking, “What’s keeping you up at night?” — when your prospect has already read five blog posts, watched two webinars, and spoken to three peers about the exact issue?

Let’s be honest. That’s not sales.
That’s a stall.

It’s pretending you’re building rapport, when really… you’re just trying to catch up.

And your buyer?
They can feel it.

They already know what’s wrong.
They don’t want to walk you through their pain — they want to know if you understand it before the call even starts.

Meanwhile, cold calling?

It’s on thinner and thinner ice.

Only 21–23% of B2B buyers actually prefer to be contacted that way.
58% say cold calls are downright useless.
And the success rate?
A dismal 2.3%.

Let that sink in.

Sales teams aren’t failing because they’re not working hard.
They’re failing because they’re working from an outdated script.

Pushing for discovery when the buyer already knows the problem.
Pitching solutions before earning relevance.

It’s not that buyers hate being sold to.
It’s that they hate being treated like they don’t know what they’re doing.

And if your first move feels scripted or out of sync with where they are mentally —
You’ve lost them.
Not just for this deal — but maybe for good.

The Rise of the Challenger Seller

If you’re wondering what actually cuts through the noise in 2025 — it’s not more charm. It’s structure.

It’s knowing exactly what to say — and when to say it.

That doesn’t mean winging it.
It doesn’t mean playing it safe either.

It means using words that are designed. Tested. Sharpened.

Great sales conversations — like great films — follow a rhythm.
They carry the buyer through a sequence of emotional shifts, framed by logic.

Top performers don’t avoid structure. They build with it.

Here’s what they’re actually doing:

• • They do their homework.
    → Top reps research their prospects 82% of the time before reaching out.

• • They lead with value — not questions.
    → No more: “So, what’s your biggest challenge?”
    → Instead: “Here’s what we’ve seen hurting companies like yours — and how to fix it.”

• • They teach before they pitch.
    → They don’t wait for the buyer to tell them what’s wrong.
    → They reframe the problem in a way the buyer hasn’t seen yet.

• • They guide, not follow.
    → This is the core of the Challenger approach:
    ✔ Teach something new
    ✔ Tailor it to the buyer’s world
    ✔ Take control of the direction

• • They dominate for a reason.
    → In a study of 6,000+ sales reps, the most successful profile?
    Contrary to popular belief The Challenger — not the Relationship-builder, not the Closer.
    The Challenger is the one who shifts how the buyer thinks before they ever talk product.

Because in today’s market, your buyer doesn’t need another solution.

They need a new lens.

Your words are the bridge.
The better your structure, the faster they’ll walk across it.

So, What Do You Do Instead?

You stop chasing.
You start building an ecosystem that does the work before you ever pick up the phone.

Because the rhythm has changed.

If the old sequence was:

Pitch → Persuade → Pray

The new one is:

Right Target → Right Message to Attract → Repetitive Connections to Engage → Relentless Follow Up to Confirm

That’s what the 4Rs Framework is for.

Let’s break it down:

1. Right Target

Before anything else — get clear on who you’re speaking to.
Not a vague persona. Not a guess.

The right audience is specific. Targeted. Verified.

1. 1. Use tools like Whoiswhere.co.nz to build clean, focused lists.

1. 1. Segment by role, industry, urgency — not just job title.

1. 1. Remove the noise before you even start the song.

When you speak to the right people, everything downstream gets easier.

2. Relevant Message

The sale doesn’t start on the call — it starts in their feed.
In your headline.
In that one post they saved without liking.

Modern buyers consume 3 to 7 pieces of content before they respond to anything. Often more. Often silently.

So your job?

• • Create content that teaches, not preaches.

• • Use video, visuals, copy — whatever gets attention and builds trust.

• • Speak to problems they’re already Googling.

That’s what relevant content does. It works for you while you sleep.

(You’ll find more on this in our other projects — especially the Relevance Engine and the LinkedIn Clarity Series.)

3. Repetitive Connections

Visibility builds familiarity.
Familiarity builds trust.
Trust opens the door to conversion.

But not if you show up once and disappear.

Repetitive connections are how you stay top of mind — without spamming.

1. 1. Structured cold calls (yes, calls — the right ones still work)

1. 1. Social touchpoints that build context

1. 1. Email rhythms that reappear gently

1. 1. DM follow-ups that feel human, not robotic

The goal isn’t to “always be selling.”
It’s to always be relevant.

(For more: See our Cold Calling Mastery System and LinkedIn Follow-Up Flows.)

4. Relentless Follow-Up

Most people don’t say yes on the first try.

Or the second.

80% of sales happen after the 5th to 12th touch.
Yet most reps quit after one.

Relentless doesn’t mean pushy. It means consistent. It means visible. It means useful.

Use email automation tools like Keep-In-Touch.
Set up reminders. Build a rhythm.

Not to chase. But to stay present.
To guide, not grab.

This Is the New Rhythm

Sales is no longer a linear push.
It’s an ecosystem that does the heavy lifting before the call.

• • The buyer Googles a problem → your name shows up

• • They check your profile → your headline resonates

• • They see your video → it speaks to their pain

• • They download a guide → it frames the decision

• • They hear your voice → and they already trust you

By the time your CRM says “new lead,”
they’ve already made 70% of the decision.

Show up earlier. Show up with more value.
Let the system work for you.

And That’s Why You Can’t Wait Anymore

This isn’t just about competing on price.
Or features.
Or who can follow up faster.

You’re not just competing with other vendors.
You’re competing with timing.
With invisible influence that started before you even knew the buyer existed.

Because by the time you show up in their inbox, their head’s already full:

• • Of voices they’ve listened to

• • Of frameworks they trust

• • Of names they’ve seen again and again in their research

And here’s the part no one wants to say out loud:
Your buyer already has a favourite.

Not because that person begged for attention.
But because they showed up first —
with insight,
with clarity,
with relevance.

So, if that favourite isn’t you?
You’re already negotiating from behind.

That’s why the game has changed.

It’s not about chasing harder.
It’s about changing when you show up.
And changing how you show up.

The truth is:
Sales isn’t a race to the close anymore.
It’s a race to early trust.

Ready to sell smarter — without pressure, rejection, or endless chasing?

Join me for the next live webinar:
“How to Grow Your Business in Just 30 Minutes a Day — Without Chasing Clients.”

✅ A practical, repeatable system
✅ Designed for how buyers actually decide in 2025
✅ Built for consultants, founders, and sales pros who want to lead — not chase

Or if you’re not ready for the webinar just yet…

Let’s stay connected.
Follow this page, drop a comment, or send a message if you’d like help applying these shifts to your business.

Because in today’s market — showing up too late is the most expensive mistake you can make.

Get a surprise freebie and learn more in the article Month 1 Week 1 Why Being an Expert Is No Longer Enough to Close Deals in 2025. 

Assia Salikhova
Strategic Sales & Marketing Advisor (who still sells)
Co-Founder, SmarketingLab | Creator of No Rejection. No Objection.™ and the 4Rs Growth Engine™
www.coldcalling.co.nz | www.smarketinglab.co.nz | www.whoiswhere.co.nz

Assia is a B2B growth sales & marketing strategist and practicing expert with 20+ years of hands-on experience. She’s helped 1,000+ founders and consultants across NZ, AU, the UK and US simplify sales, reframe objections, and grow with calm, repeatable systems.

Through SmarketingLab, she leads the team that builds and tests what she teaches — so her clients don’t just get advice, they get real-world results.