Never Assume: It’s the Fastest Way to Lose a Sale

If you assume you know something, and you’re wrong, you don’t just miss a detail.
You lose the sale.

One of the most fundamental elements of sales certainty is the ability to discover and develop real buyer interest. And how is that done? It starts with the deceptively simple first step:

Step 1: Get the Prospect Talking

Your goal is to create enough safety and rapport that the prospect feels comfortable opening up. But, and this is important, you’re not trying to conduct an eight-hour biographical interview. There’s a balance. You want them talking… just not forever.

Think of it like starting a campfire. Too little spark and nothing lights; too much lighter fluid and everyone suddenly remembers an appointment across town.

Interest and Trust: The Real Gatekeepers

We’ve all been in a situation where someone is presenting to us, and we’re not quite sold on them yet, even before we’ve evaluated the product. When trust is low, honesty is low. The prospect becomes a “just looking” version of themselves, sharing only surface-level thoughts.

I’ve been there myself.

If I sit down with someone who is genuine, not necessarily similar to me, but authentic, I relax. I communicate. I’m willing to show real interest.

The Pink-Haired Truth-Teller

For example, one of the people I buy from consistently is the polar opposite of me stylistically.
She has pink hair, a nose ring, and a wardrobe that looks like it was curated by a punk-rock fairy godmother.

Me? Conservatively dressed, classic hair, all business.

Yet she is one of the most effective salespeople I know. Why?
She’s real. Unapologetically real.

One day she looked at me and said, “You look amazing, but you know what would take you to the next level? Red hoop earrings and red high heels.”

Now let me be clear, I am never walking into a meeting dressed like a salsa-dancing superhero. But I loved her honesty. She wasn’t trying to mirror me, copy me, or pretend we were cut from the same cloth. She was simply being herself while taking a genuine interest in me.

And that’s the point.

Authenticity Beats Imitation—But Not Impoliteness

You don’t need to emulate your prospect to win trust. Dressing similarly can help, but people instantly spot a counterfeit version of sincerity.

Being yourself, respectfully, professionally, and with real interest, will outperform fake friendliness every time.

Now, don’t use this as an excuse to behave like an unfiltered maniac because “that’s who you really are.”
Your authenticity must remain paired with manners, respect, and granting importance.

Without authenticity, the prospect won’t trust you.
Without trust, they won’t talk.
And without communication, you’ll never discover what truly matters to them.

A Perfect Example: The Big-Screen TV

An older gentleman walked into an electronics store and asked several salespeople for a big-screen TV.

It was Saturday. The next day was Sunday—football day.
So naturally the salespeople assumed, “Oh, he wants this for the big game.”

If there had been an Olympic event for assumptions, these guys would have taken gold.

But here’s what they didn’t know:

His wife of 40 years had recently passed away. His children and grandchildren lived far away. Someone had told him he could connect his phone to a TV and make video calls.
So he wanted the biggest screen possible, not to watch sports, but to see his family’s faces.

A simple, genuine conversation would have revealed his true purpose. Instead, their assumptions shut the door before it ever had a chance to open.

We all know what “assume” stands for… but beyond the joke, it illustrates a serious point:

Assumptions stop you from discovering the truth.

That’s why we emphasize uncovering REAL buyer interest, not the interest you think is there, but the interest that actually exists.

The Formula for Discovering Real Buyer Interest

1. Be real. Authenticity creates trust.

2. Be interested. Not surface-level, you must genuinely want to know what matters to them.

3. Communicate. Ask, listen, and guide the conversation instead of filling in the blanks with guesses.

When you do these three things well, prospects talk, trust grows, and the truth comes out.

And the truth is where the sale actually begins.