The Buying Signal: Are you listening to what your buyers are saying?
From the Buyer’s Chair: What sales, service, and business development look like from the other side of the conversation.
A lot of salespeople are still waiting for buyers to say something obvious.
“We’re looking for a new vendor.”
“Send me pricing.”
“Let’s schedule a meeting.”
Sometimes that happens.
A lot of the time, it doesn’t.
Recently, one of our reps called a medical facility and spoke with the receptionist. She wasn’t the decision maker, and she didn’t pretend to be.
What she did say was, “Send an email with the subject line ‘Inquiry for Medical Cleaning Services.’ The manager is out today, but she’ll see it right away.”
That was the signal.
Not a yes.
Not a quote request.
Not even a meeting.
But she gave us a specific path to the right person.
The rep followed her instructions, and the meeting was booked.
This is where good business development gets a little more nuanced than simply counting appointments.
Buyers often give you small pieces of information before they give you access. They tell you when to call back, who actually handles the decision, when a contract renews, what problem they’re having, or how to get your message seen.
Those are micro-commitments.
They don’t mean the deal is yours. They do mean the door isn’t closed.
The mistake is dismissing those moments because they don’t look like a traditional buying signal.
If someone inside the organization is helping you understand how to move the conversation forward, pay attention.
They may be telling you more than you think.
#FromtheBuyer'sChair
Andrea Goodman
Appointments By Design
High-touch business development partner for B2B companies in facility services, trades, and beyond. We open doors to decision-makers—not just calendars.
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