The consulting firm Neurosales and its director, Carlos Rosales, advise and guide in this work on how to sell in the age of information overload, focusing on those cases in which the customer knows more than the seller.
“For decades, the B2B salesperson was the source of knowledge. The customer came with questions, and the salesperson had the answers: prices, comparisons, success stories. Today, the scenario has changed completely. A buyer can spend hours researching on Google, reading reviews, downloading Gartner or Forrester reports, or asking questions on forums and LinkedIn groups.”
-By the time they finally meet with you, they often already know almost everything about your product, your competition, and even your track record.
“That poses a huge challenge: If the customer arrives with so much information, what value can a salesperson provide?”
The Dilemma of Over-Information
-At first glance, it might seem like an informed customer is an advantage. And it is, to a certain extent. But over-information creates another problem: noise. Data is abundant, but often contradictory or incomplete.
- One study says one thing, another says the opposite.
- One review is positive, the next is damning.
- Online comparison sites highlight superficial benefits but omit key limitations.
“The customer doesn’t lack information. They lack clarity. And that’s where the role of the modern salesperson comes in.”
From salesperson to insight curator
-The new value isn’t in “providing data.” The internet already does that. The value lies in making sense of that data. A good salesperson becomes a curator of insights, someone who knows how to separate the relevant from the secondary and put the information into context.
Some ways to do this:
- Translate market trends into concrete implications for the client’s business.
- Explain hidden risks that don’t appear in a report.
- Show invisible costs of not acting or making the wrong decision.
- Identify opportunities that the client doesn’t connect with because the information is scattered.
The power of the right questions
“Consultative selling is about thought-provoking questions, not 40-slide pitches.”
– Ask:
- “With all the information you already have, what is still unclear?”
- “What impact would make this decision have a year earlier or a year later?”
- “Which worries you more: overinvesting or falling short?”
– These questions turn the meeting into a space for clarity. The customer stops feeling like they’re being “sold to” and begins to value the salesperson as a strategic partner.
Trust as a currency
“In the age of information overload, customers don’t buy products, they buy trust. They want to be sure they’re making the right decision in a sea of options. And that trust is built with perspective, honesty, and conversations that reduce uncertainty.”
The new differentiator
-The best salesperson is no longer the one who “knows the most,” but rather the one who helps the customer better understand what they already know. That is the true differentiator in a world saturated with information.
“In other words, the role of the B2B salesperson hasn’t died. It’s evolved. And those who assume that role as curators and advisors will be one step ahead.”
Author information Carlos Rosales
Carlos Rosales is a graduate professor at several universities in Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Guatemala. Author of the books “People Buy People,” “People Buy Leaders,” and “Epic Sales Blunders,” with more than 90,000 copies sold. He is a trainer of sales professionals throughout Latin America. He is a high-impact speaker and mentor.
Recognized by LinkedIn as one of the Top Voices in Latin America and by GOIntegro as one of the Top 12 HR Influencers in Colombia.
He is currently the director of Consultores Neurosales, a training and human development company with a presence throughout Latin America.
(Reference image source: Andrew Mulvihill on Unsplash)
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