A sales technique is a method that structures the conversation with a customer, from first contact through to the decision. The most useful ones are not about arguing better. They are about understanding better: what the customer wants, why they want it, and what will make them decide. That is the job of discovery questions.
This guide sets out the stages of a sales meeting, then covers the discovery plan, objection handling and closing in detail. To show the most common mistake, we filmed a deliberate counter-example. A salesperson pushes his own idea on a customer who has a different one.
The video is in French.
In this 1 min 44 video, Mame, co-founder of Face Up, tries to sell Senegal to an AI avatar, then reads his debrief.
All sales techniques follow the same logic: understand before you propose. The names change, the order stays the same.
Before the meeting, you often have to secure it. That is a separate skill, covered in our cold calling method.
These methods are memory aids. They help you not to forget anything, but they do not replace listening.
They share the same limit: applied like a form to fill in, they turn the conversation into an interrogation. The customer senses it straight away.
The discovery plan is the list of information you need before proposing anything at all. You prepare it in writing, then run it as a conversation, not as a questionnaire.
An open question invites a story, not a yes or a no. It starts with “what”, “how” or “tell me about”.
Rephrasing shows the customer they have been heard, and it corrects your misunderstandings. Example: “If I've understood correctly, above all you're looking for peace and quiet, and the date is fixed. Is that right?”
This skill can be developed, as our guide to active listening and empathy in customer relations shows.
The customer names a product. What they are buying is an outcome. Two customers asking for the same thing do not have the same reasons: one wants reassurance, the other wants to treat themselves.
The question that opens this door is simple: “What would that change for you?”
These three topics make salespeople uncomfortable, so they come up too late. Raised tactfully during discovery, they prevent an off-target proposal.
In the video, Philippe Morel walks into a travel agency without an appointment. He is celebrating 30 years of marriage and wants to take his wife to the Seychelles. Philippe is an AI avatar. The salesperson has set himself a deliberately absurd mission: sell him Senegal instead. It is a counter-example, played out to show what not to do.
From his very first words, the customer gives almost everything away: the occasion, the destination, and an instruction. “I have a fairly clear idea of my budget and I don't like being rushed.” The salesperson picks up on neither the budget nor the instruction.
His first question already carries his own idea: “Might other destinations, like Senegal, appeal to you?” The customer answers politely: “Senegal, why not, but it's very different.” He also restates his motive: “something exceptional”, “that paradise feel”.
The salesperson backs off: “I was only joking.” Then the customer sends a clear buying signal: “Above all, my wife wants to be able to relax. Do you have examples of hotels for that?” The answer holds him back: “Yes, but before we go straight to hotels…”
After the session, the debrief shows objectives partly met. It lists verbal tics, strengths (including the quality of listening), areas for improvement and an action plan.
It also analyses non-verbal behaviour. The smile is noted as warm. Rubbing his eyes and resting his head on his hand are flagged as too relaxed a posture for an adviser. These signals weigh on the relationship, as our article on verbal and non-verbal communication with customers explains.
An objection is not a refusal. It is often a badly phrased question, or a point that discovery did not clear up.
The most common sales objections concern price, timing, competitors and the need to talk to someone else. On price, our guide to sales negotiation goes further.
Closing is not a show of force at the end of the meeting. If discovery is complete and objections have been handled, closing a sale simply means proposing the logical next step.
First, spot the buying signals: the customer asks about practical details, talks in the future tense, mentions a date. Then summarise what has been agreed, and propose a specific step.
If the customer is not ready, set a dated next contact. An “I'll call you back” with no date is not a close.
After each meeting, answer yes or no. Three or more “no” answers on the first six lines means your discovery needs more work.
The behavioural skills behind this grid are described in our article on essential soft skills for sales professionals.
No method works in every case. What successful meetings have in common is thorough discovery: the salesperson knows what the customer wants before proposing anything.
There is no standard length. The right benchmark is the content: motive, budget, timing and decision-makers are known, and the customer has confirmed your rephrasing.
The discovery plan lists what you need to learn from the customer. The pitch lists what you have to tell them. The first helps you choose from the second.
Don't lower the price straight away. First ask what the customer is comparing it with, then link the price to what they said was important.
Reading a method does not build reflexes. Reflexes come from repetition: play the meeting, get feedback, start again. Role play between colleagues remains a good foundation, provided you follow a clear method for running a role play in training.
Practising with an AI avatar adds two things. The scenario can be replayed as many times as needed, and the debrief arrives after every session. You can see other examples in our other role plays on video.
With Face Up, trainers create their own scenarios and personas, tailored to their clients and their sector. To try the travel agency exercise or build your own, book a demo.
