How to Solve Customer Problems Through Sales

After 9 years selling to large Enterprises at Salesforce, I learned the best way to help your customer is to become their customer first. Here are 5 examples of how to do it: 1. Call into their customer service department and see how easy or hard it is to get an issue resolved 2. Sign up for their newsletter and see the quality and quantity of the communications they send out 3. Use their mobile app or visit their online portals to see what the user experience is like 4. Visit their physical or online stores and see how their products are sold. 5. Read what their employees are saying on Glassdoor and identify where the employee experience could be improved Doing firsthand research will help you identify friction points, inefficiencies, and opportunities where your products or services can help improve the overall customer experience. This helps you develop a tailored point of view that will resonate with Senior Executives who are invested in better serving their customers. For example, if your POV is related to their online store, the VP of eCommerce would be a prime candidate to hear this message. The more you know about your customers, the more you know how, and where you can help them. Struggling to break into an account? Become their customer first and see where you can help most.

In enterprise product AND sales, you’re often solving three different problems at once (whether you realize it or not). At Amplitude I lived this for 4+ years. 1. There’s the tangible, well-understood problem. A team knows their current spreadsheet setup is painful. They’ve tried three tools. They’re actively searching. They know exactly what the issue is. They just need a reliable, focused solution. 2. Then there’s the aspirational transformation. The leadership team wants to “become more data-driven” or “build a culture of experimentation” or “prioritize strategic bets.” These aren’t problems in the traditional sense; they’re blurry goals, fuzzy futures. But they drive buying behavior just as much as the tangible stuff. 3. And finally, there’s the story that needs to be told internally: the ROI narrative, the justification for budget, the ammo to win over skeptics. This is about solving the problem of helping your champion frame the problem in a way that clears organizational hurdles. The kicker? These three “problems” don’t always line up. In fact, they often live in totally different parts of the org. Your champion might be in pain (Tangible). The executive sponsor wants a big story (Aspirational). And Finance just needs a business case that checks the right boxes (Justifiable). That’s what makes enterprise sales and product so tricky. You have to thread all three needles. You can’t just be a “solution to a problem.” You have to be a bridge between today’s pain, tomorrow’s ambition, and the internal narrative that gets the deal done. Where it gets even more interesting: Sometimes you’re not just solving a problem. You’re offering a new mental model. You’re giving your buyer a language, a framework, a new lens for how they think about the work. This is especially true when customers are chasing aspirational goals but haven’t yet figured out how to operationalize them. You’re not just selling a product. You’re guiding them toward a new shape of thinking. And that raises an important question for product teams: Do you stay in your lane and build only for the tangible pain? Or do you lean into that educator role, helping buyers reframe their own reality, and making it easier for them to choose your path? It’s easy to say “focus on the problem.” But in enterprise, that “problem” is rarely a single thing. It's a messy stack of motivations, mismatches, and meaning-making. And if you want to win you’ll probably need to design for all three layers.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞. They care about one thing: How are you solving their problem? Awhile back we worked with an e-commerce client. They had everything you’d expect—a sleek website. Great product photos. And regular social media posts. But sales were flat. Why? Because their messaging was 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. “We sell premium this.” “Our products are the best.” “Look at our features.” The problem? Nobody buys a product because the brand says it’s great. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑏𝑢𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑒. We switched the focus. Instead of posting polished posts, we dug into their audience’s frustrations: - Shoppers who couldn’t find personalized service. - Customers frustrated with fast shipping promises that were never kept. - People overwhelmed by too many options. We built content around solving those pain points: - A guide that took the guesswork out of online shopping. - Behind-the-scenes videos showing the product in action. - Curated collections for “quick and easy” shopping experiences. The results? Their engagement doubled. Conversions climbed. They weren’t just selling products anymore—they were solving problems their customers cared about. In retail, it’s easy to shout about what you sell. But if you want to stand out, stop talking about yourself and start addressing your audience’s struggles. Because when you solve their problems, they won’t just buy once. They’ll keep coming back. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞? Start with this: less selling, more solving. 📸 Snapped: Hanging at my favorite shopping center in Kuala Lumpur ��

The biggest mistake I made in sales – and how I learned from it. In the beginning of my sales career, I made a big mistake: I thought selling was all about features and benefits. 🚫 I’d walk into meetings with a stack of materials, highlighting every single feature of the product. I thought the more I talked, the better the outcome would be. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. Here’s what I learned: 1. People Buy Solutions, Not Features Customers don’t care about technical specs—they care about how your product solves their problem. Instead of selling, I started listening. - I’d ask questions about their challenges. - I’d focus on their needs first. - Only then would I explain how my solution fits. This change in approach immediately transformed my results. 2. The Power of Listening I used to do all the talking, thinking that’s what a good salesperson does. But I soon realized that the more you listen, the better you understand the client’s pain points. This turns your pitch into a tailored solution. 3. Empathy Over Aggression Being aggressive and pushing for a close at the wrong time killed more deals than it made. Now, I focus on building relationships and trust. This way, I became a consultant rather than just another salesperson. 💡 Lesson learned: In sales, stop focusing on your product. Start focusing on your client’s problem—and how you can solve it. #Sales #BusinessGrowth #CustomerFirst

Years ago, I thought sales success was all about volume. More calls. More emails. More pitches. If we just kept pushing, the deals would follow. Right? Wrong. We were working harder than ever, but the results didn’t reflect that. Then came a meeting I’ll never forget. Mid-pitch, the CEO leaned back and said, “You’re telling me what your product does, but not why I need it.” Ouch. That hit hard—but it was the wake-up call I needed. I realized sales wasn’t about us. It was about them. Their problems. Their needs. Here’s the 5-step strategy that changed everything: Step 1: Focus on Value, Not Volume Stop pushing everything. Tailor your pitch to solve one core problem. Ask yourself: What’s the one thing this client truly needs? Step 2: Shift From Selling to Solving No one likes being sold to, but everyone loves having their problems solved. Follow up with, “How’s [pain point] going?” Step 3: Listen Like It’s Your Job (Because It Is) The best salespeople aren’t the best talkers—they’re the best listeners. In your next meeting, spend more time listening than pitching. Step 4: Understand Your Customer’s Customer Want to stand out? Solve problems for your client’s clients. Position yourself as a partner, not a vendor. Step 5: Don’t Let Tech Replace the Human Touch Automation is great, but empathy and connection win deals. Schedule one personal call or face-to-face meeting this week. Give this a shot and watch how it impacts your results. Because sales isn’t about what you’re selling. It’s about how you’re solving. 🔗 If this resonates with you, check out the link in the comments to join my newsletter. It’s where I share daily sales insights, actionable strategies, and tips to help you close smarter, not harder.

Many people hesitate to sell because they feel like they’re pushing something onto customers. But here’s the truth: Selling is not about convincing—it’s about serving. When you shift your mindset from "closing a deal" to solving a problem, sales become natural and effortless. Why Selling is Serving 1️⃣ You Solve Real Problems – If your product/service makes life easier, you’re helping, not selling. 2️⃣ You Build Trust – Clients appreciate honest recommendations that truly benefit them. 3️⃣ You Create Long-Term Relationships – Happy customers return and refer others. A fitness coach I worked with struggled to sell premium training programs. He focused on prices and features, making potential clients hesitant. We reframed his approach: Instead of selling workouts, he started selling transformation. ✔️ Asked about their health struggles and goals ✔️ Shared success stories of clients like them ✔️ Positioned his training as the solution, not a cost Result? His client enrollments doubled in 60 days. How You Can Apply This Mindset ✅ Listen First, Sell Later – Understand what your customer truly needs ✅ Position Your Offer as a Solution – Focus on benefits, not just features ✅ Follow Up with Value – Keep serving, and sales will follow Have you ever held back from selling? What would change if you saw it as helping instead of selling?

When I was at #Zenefits, my screen saver said: “Make them bleed.” Now before you roll your eyes 👀—it wasn’t about being cutthroat. It meant: find the pain. In sales, especially enterprise sales, you can’t present a real solution unless you uncover a real problem. Customers don’t buy “cool tech” or “nice-to-haves.” They buy when something hurts enough that fixing it matters—whether that’s: 🔒 Security gaps keeping the CISO up at night 💸 Inefficient processes draining budgets ⚡ Performance issues slowing down critical apps The trick is to stop pitching features and start diagnosing problems. Ask better questions. Dig deeper. Sit in the uncomfortable silence until the customer shares what’s really broken. Because once you understand the pain, the solution sells itself. Enterprise reps—don’t be afraid to “make them bleed” (metaphorically, of course 😉). Without a problem, there is no deal. With a problem you can solve, you become indispensable. #MakeThemBleed #FindThePain #SolutionSelling