And yet, salespeople spend 80% of their time on them.

Top salespeople?
They spend only about 20% of their time on unqualified leads — and lose only 20% of potential customers.

Their secret?

The ability to quickly tell who is a real opportunity and who is just a time vampire.

I’ll show you how to spot dead-end deals instantly and focus only on the ones that deliver results.

And yes, I’ve added a practical task in every section, so you can apply it right away.

Let’s dive in.

1. When “I need to review this internally” really means I’m not interested

On a recent online call with Karl from Sweden, every answer I got felt like pulling teeth.

When he finally said, “I need to review this internally,” my red flag went up.

Not Interested.

I asked him three targeted questions:

• “What exactly will be discussed internally?”
• “When specifically is that meeting planned?”
• “Who else will be involved in the decision?”

His answers?

Vague. Lifeless. He was thinking more about lunch than my product.

I suggested another call in a week. He suggested email instead.

Sales translation: Forget it. I’m not buying. And he didn’t.

How to recognize real interest

If a customer actively engages, asks specific questions, and spontaneously explores how your product could work in practice, that’s a green light.

If they need to “check with the wife, grandma, dog, and cat,” redirect your energy to a stronger lead.

Your Task

Prepare three qualifying questions you’ll use at your next meeting when you hear “I need to review this internally” or “I need to check with someone.”

2. A Customer Without Commitment = A Waste of Time

I was talking with a startup CEO. He explained how he personally prepared every single custom offer because they didn’t have anyone else to do it.

The sales team brought leads, the CEO spent hours pricing, and sales still didn’t grow.

The fix? 

A 4-step qualification system:

1. Define the problem and impact

What problem is the customer solving, and what’s the real business impact?

2. Check urgency and budget

If it’s not urgent and money isn’t allocated, it’s not a hot lead.

3. Test willingness to collaborate

Will they involve colleagues, provide data, and engage actively?

4. Get commitment 

Secure a small upfront agreement, e.g. feedback in exchange for your solution.

If a customer won’t invest even minimal effort, why should you invest your time?

Your Task

At your next meeting, test the customer with a small “homework” request.
For example:

• Set a specific date for a follow-up.
  
• Do a joint ROI calculation.
  
• Provide extra data needed for the proposal.
  
• Ask to bring colleagues to the next demo.

3. An Hour of Prep Saves Days of Wasted Meetings

In my early days, I treated every meeting like a golden opportunity.

Reality check? Out of 10 meetings, only 2 were truly relevant.

Most common reasons:

• No budget, no decision-making process.
  
• I was speaking to someone with zero buying power.

Now, I never skip pre-meeting research.

I combine LinkedIn with AI tools to profile potential clients. Then I suggest a short discovery call to align expectations.

Key pre-meeting questions:

• Has the company invested in similar solutions before?
  
• Is my contact actually part of the decision process?
  
• Is there an active need to solve this problem now?
  

Your Task

Create a checklist of 5 questions you’ll answer before every in-person meeting. Use research + a quick discovery call.

4. Get Off the Ego Trip Express and Start Listening

Average salespeople talk 65–75% of the time during a first meeting.

Top performers?

Only 30–40%.

If you want to know whether there’s real sales chemistry between you and the customer:

1. Stick to the 70/30 rule.
   
   Listen 70% of the time.
   
2. Use targeted open questions.
   
   • “What exactly made you start looking for a solution?”
     
   • “How would the ideal solution change your situation?”
     
   • “Which aspects of this problem have the biggest impact on your business?”
     
3. Change your mindset.
   
   Approach every call to help, not sell. Paradoxically, you’ll sell more this way.
   

Your Task

At your next meeting, track how much you talk vs. how much your customer talks.

Even if it feels unnatural at first, trust me.

It’s not worth investing your energy in everyone who “knocks on your door.”

Top salespeople don’t win because they have more meetings.

They win because they quickly identify which meetings are worth their time.

What criteria do you use to filter sales opportunities?

If you liked these tips, you’ll love the newsletter from Columbo’s wife.

It’s where I share real stories and practical tactics straight from the sales trenches.

It hurts, it takes time, and it’s easier to improvise and pitch the product.

The result?

Missed opportunities and low conversion.

And this is where the average get separated from the top performers.

The best salespeople listen, ask the right questions, and uncover what the customer truly needs.

Like detectives searching for the truth.

When you approach a sales meeting as a detective investigation, you can pinpoint exactly what the customer is looking for.

What do you gain?

• Higher conversion
  
• Happier customers
  
• More sales
  

I’ll share six detective techniques that will help you uncover real customer needs and boost your sales.

1. Play Dumb, Be the Smartest in the Room

Don’t be afraid to ask the “dumb” questions. Be the curious investigator.

Try: 

“Could you walk me through this more simply?” or “Sorry if this is basic, but could you clarify one small thing?”

Customers appreciate people who care about details and truly listen.

Example:
During an important video call, a customer was explaining their internal system. I was getting lost.

So I said:

“Thanks for explaining. Could we go through it step by step again, maybe with a screen share? I need to understand it better.”

The customer agreed. During the live demo, I spotted critical system flaws I’d never have discovered just by listening to the theoretical explanation.

2. Listen Like Columbo

Columbo never needed to prove himself. He was the best listener.

When your customer talks, the ball is in your court.

Listen to their words, not your thoughts. Watch body language and subtle signals.

They’ll often tell you more than words alone.

3. Shut Your Mouth

Ever notice how Columbo left suspects in silence until they revealed the truth?

Do the same in sales.

Ask your question, then stay quiet.

The silence feels uncomfortable, and the customer will usually fill it with gold.

Example:

After presenting pricing options, I didn’t ask, “How does the price look to you?” I just stayed silent.

After a pause, the client said: “That middle package looks interesting, but we’d need to adjust the number of licenses…”

He then opened up about the budget, needs, and even mentioned a competitor’s offer.

One well-timed silence gave you more insight than dozens of questions.

4. “Just One More Thing…”

Columbo never left without his key question. He’d turn back at the door and say: “Just one more thing…”

At the end of your meeting, dare to ask what you didn’t before:

• “Do I understand correctly that our product meets your needs?”
  
• “If you had to decide today, would you say yes?”
  
• “I know you’re not the final decision-maker, but if it were up to you, would you buy this?”
  

Example:

Wrapping up with a strategic client in South Africa, I asked:

“Just one more thing. What would you need from us to use our solution in more of your projects?”

His answer? “I’d need to be sure you can provide 24/7 technical support.”

We implemented round-the-clock support. The client expanded our solution across additional projects and significantly boosted revenue.

5. Proof of Life: The FBI Negotiator’s Secret

Chris Voss, ex-FBI negotiator and founder of Black Swan, uses the “Proof of Life” technique.

It’s about uncovering your true value proposition from the customer’s own mouth.

Ask the WHY US question:

“There are many vendors out there. Competition everywhere. Yet here we are today. Why did you choose to meet with us? Why us?”

Then stay quiet. 

Their answer is your real value proposition. 

Use their own words to move the conversation forward.

6. Summarize

Summarizing is one of the most underrated sales skills. It works in business and in life.

Summarization helps you:

1. Confirm you understood correctly.
   
2. Get the customer to add missing but crucial details.
   

Try:

• “So if I understand correctly, you mean…?”
  
• “Did I get it right that you see it this way…?”
  
• “Would you mind correcting me. Do you mean it like this…?”
  

Example:

When selling a SaaS solution, I closed a meeting by summarizing:

“If I understand correctly, your main priorities are secure remote access, protecting sensitive data, and a simple user interface.”

The client replied: “Yes, but you forgot integration with our CRM system.”

That extra detail became the key to winning the deal.

How to Use These Techniques in Practice

Use them in the right order during a sales meeting:

1. Beginning: Techniques #1 and #2 — ask “dumb” questions and listen actively.
   
2. Middle: Techniques #3 and #5 — use silence and discover why they’re considering you.
   
3. End: Techniques #4 and #6 — ask the closing question and summarize.

To Sum It Up – How to Become a Sales Detective

✔ Play dumb, ask the smartest questions.

✔ Listen more, talk less.

✔ Use silence as your ally.

✔ Dare to ask “just one more thing…”

✔ Let the customer state your value for you.

✔ Summarize and confirm understanding.

Homework for You

At your next sales meeting, use at least one of these techniques. Write down what happened and email me for free feedback: paulina@banskadetectives.com.

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