How To Uncover the Real Problem in Sales Calls
How to Uncover the Real Problem in Sales Calls
If you’ve ever gotten off a sales call thinking, “That went really well,” only to hear nothing afterward… there’s a good chance you solved the wrong problem.
And no, that doesn’t mean you’re bad at sales.
It usually means your prospect gave you the acceptable problem instead of the real one.
“We need more leads.”
“Our sales are inconsistent.”
“We need better marketing.”
Those are real issues. But they’re often surface-level symptoms, not the emotional or operational problem actually driving the buying decision.
Here’s the hard truth: if you solve the problem they say but not the problem they feel, they usually won’t buy.
That’s where most sales conversations fall apart.
Why Most Sales Calls Stay Too Shallow
A lot of sales professionals stop at the first problem they hear.
The prospect says they need more clients, so the salesperson immediately starts explaining their lead generation process.
The prospect says sales are inconsistent, so they launch into a pitch about CRM systems, funnels, or automation.
But when you rush to solve the first issue mentioned, the conversation stays shallow.
And shallow discovery creates generic solutions.
Generic solutions create hesitation.
And hesitation sounds like:
- “Let me think about it.”
- “We’re comparing a few options.”
- “Can you send me pricing?”
- “We’re not ready yet.”
Brooke Greening explains this perfectly in her sales framework teaching:
“When we have generic solutions, people start hesitating, and when they start hesitating, it lands into ‘I’m going to think about it.’”
That hesitation is rarely about price alone.
It’s usually because the prospect doesn’t feel deeply understood.
The Real Problem Is Usually Under the Surface
People rarely walk into a sales conversation fully aware of their real problem.
Not because they’re uninformed.
Not because they’re hiding something.
But because humans naturally ease into vulnerable conversations.
Think about your own relationships.
When someone asks, “How are you doing?” most people don’t immediately unload their deepest concerns. They start safe.
Business owners do the exact same thing on sales calls.
They share what Brooke calls an “acceptable problem.”
An acceptable problem sounds professional. Safe. Rational.
But underneath that problem is usually something deeper:
- Fear that the business is plateauing
- Anxiety about making payroll
- Frustration with inconsistent growth
- Concern about losing credibility
- Exhaustion from carrying too much alone
- Pressure to prove the investment will work
That deeper issue is what actually drives buying decisions.
Surface Problems vs. Real Problems in Sales
Here’s what this looks like in real conversations.
Surface Problem:
“We need more leads.”
Real Problem:
“Our pipeline is inconsistent, and I’m terrified we won’t hit revenue goals next quarter.”
Surface Problem:
“Our team needs better marketing.”
Real Problem:
“We’ve invested in marketing before and got burned. I don’t trust another strategy.”
Surface Problem:
“We need help with sales.”
Real Problem:
“I’m exhausted carrying the entire business development process myself.”
Do you see the difference?
The first problem creates a tactical conversation.
The second creates a meaningful one.
And meaningful conversations lead to trust.
Why Solving the Right Problem Changes Everything
When you uncover the real problem in sales, three things happen immediately.
1. Your Prospect Feels Understood
Most people are used to being pitched.
Very few are used to being understood.
When someone feels understood, resistance drops.
They stop evaluating you like a commodity and start viewing you like a trusted advisor.
2. Price Becomes Less Important
Notice we didn’t say “price doesn’t matter.”
It still matters.
But when a prospect believes you truly understand their situation, they stop comparing you solely on cost.
That’s how businesses move from competing at $10,000 to confidently charging $25,000 or $50,000 for transformational work.
3. You Separate Yourself From Competitors
Most competitors stay at the symptom level.
They hear:
- “Need more leads”
- “Need better sales”
- “Need more marketing”
…and they immediately prescribe solutions.
But the salesperson who slows down and uncovers the deeper issue stands out instantly.
That’s how you stop sounding like everyone else.
How to Start Uncovering the Real Problem
You do not need to interrogate people.
And you definitely don’t ask:
“Is that the real problem?”
Please don’t do that.
Instead, Brooke recommends starting with a simple mindset shift.
Ask yourself:
“Is this the real problem, or is this just the first layer?”
That one question changes how you listen.
Instead of rushing toward a solution, you stay curious.
You become more focused on understanding than fixing.
That creates space for the prospect to open up naturally.
What Happens When You Rush to Solve Too Fast
This is where many sales calls quietly sabotage themselves.
The moment you hear a problem, you feel pressure to prove your value.
So you:
- Start teaching
- Start explaining
- Start pitching
- Start prescribing
But when you solve too quickly, you accidentally communicate:
“I already know your situation.”
And prospects can feel that.
Even if your solution is good, they hesitate because it feels generic.
Brooke says it this way:
“We do not want to be trying to fix something when we first start.”
That pause matters.
Because the best sales conversations are not built on fast answers.
They’re built on accurate understanding.
The Sales Skill Most People Skip
Many sales professionals believe persuasion is the key skill.
But uncovering the real problem requires something different:
Disciplined curiosity.
Not manipulation.
Not pressure.
Not scripts that corner people.
Just thoughtful, intentional curiosity.
The kind that helps prospects feel safe enough to share what’s actually going on.
That’s what builds momentum in a sales conversation.
And ironically, it often shortens the sales cycle because prospects feel understood faster.
A Simple Exercise for Your Next Sales Call
On your next sales call, try this:
When the prospect shares a problem, resist the urge to solve it immediately.
Instead, mentally ask:
- Is this the first layer?
- What might be underneath this?
- What emotional impact is this creating?
- Why does this matter to them right now?
You don’t need to force deeper conversation.
You simply need to stay present long enough for it to happen.
That shift alone can completely change your close rate.
Want to Know What’s Really Holding Your Sales Conversations Back?
If you’re wondering whether your sales calls are getting stuck at the surface level, Brooke Greening created a tool specifically to help.
The Sales Conversation Assessment helps you identify:
- Where your sales conversations break down
- Whether you’re uncovering real buying motivations
- How effectively you build trust
- Why prospects hesitate or ghost after calls
It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll get personalized insight into how your sales conversations are actually performing.
Final Thoughts
Most prospects don’t buy because you had the perfect pitch.
They buy because they feel understood.
And understanding rarely happens at the first layer.
When you learn how to uncover the real problem in sales calls, you stop sounding generic. You stop competing on price alone. And you create conversations that actually move people forward.
That’s the difference between a sales call that “felt good”…
…and one that actually closes.
If your sales calls feel great… but people still don’t buy? There’s a good chance you’re solving the wrong problem. 😬
In this episode of Sippin’ Matcha & Making More Sales, Brooke breaks down one of the biggest mistakes service providers make during sales conversations: stopping at the first problem a prospect shares.
Because “we need more leads” usually isn’t the real issue.
And when we stay stuck at surface-level problems, we end up offering generic solutions that lead to hesitation, ghosting, and the dreaded “I need to think about it.”
Sales doesn’t have to be sleazy. But it does require curiosity, structure, and the willingness to go deeper in a helpful, human way.
Episode Summary
Brooke and Scott continue the conversation around the SERVICE Sales Framework by diving into the “R” — Recognize the Problem.
This episode explores why uncovering the real motivating problem matters so much in sales conversations and how surface-level discovery can quietly sabotage your conversions.
Brooke shares:
- Why people often start with “acceptable problems”
- How shallow discovery leads to generic solutions
- What causes prospects to hesitate or price shop
- Why understanding emotional motivation changes everything
- A simple mindset shift to help you improve your sales calls immediately
If you’ve ever walked away from a discovery call thinking it went perfectly… only to get ghosted later, this episode is for you.
Progress counts. And thank goodness for that.
What You’ll Learn
- Why the first problem a prospect shares usually isn’t the real one
- The difference between symptoms and motivating problems
- How shallow sales conversations create hesitation
- Why generic solutions make you blend in with competitors
- The role emotional connection plays in buying decisions
- A simple question to ask yourself during every sales call
- How better discovery conversations help you stand out — even in crowded markets
Resources Mentioned
- Take the Sales Conversation Assessment: https://buildingmomentum.info/assessment
- Follow along on Instagram: https://instagram.com/buildingmomentumresources
Join the Conversation / Subscribe
Want more honest conversations about sales that feel human instead of awkward?
Subscribe to Sippin’ Matcha & Making More Sales and join the conversation here: https://buildingmomentum.info/matcha
Connect with Brooke on LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/in/brooke-greening
How To Uncover the Real Problem in Sales Calls – Chapters
00:00 Why Prospects Don’t Buy After a “Great” Sales Call
01:02 Welcome: Sippin’ Matcha and Making More Sales
02:19 The SERVICE Sales Framework Recap
03:02 Recognizing the Real Problem in Sales Calls
03:36 Why “More Leads” Is Usually a Symptom
04:12 Your Job Is to Help Clients See the Real Issue
05:07 Solve the Problem They Feel, Not Just What They Say
06:23 Why Surface-Level Problems Create Weak Sales Conversations
07:44 Generic Solutions Lead to “I’ll Think About It”
08:14 Why Prospects Start With Safe, Acceptable Problems
09:24 How to Draw Out Deeper Sales Concerns
10:21 What Happens When You Stop at the First Problem
11:12 How Understanding the Real Problem Helps You Stand Out
12:24 The Sales Call Mistake That Makes You Look Like Everyone Else
13:25 The Simple Question That Improves Every Discovery Call
14:18 Don’t Rush to Fix the First Problem You Hear
14:33 Take the Sales Conversation Assessment
15:21 What’s Coming Next: How to Uncover the Real Problem
15:38 Subscribe for More Sales Conversation Training
How to Uncover the Real Problem in Sales Calls - Episode Transcript
Brooke Greening: Have you ever gotten off of a sales call and thought that it went really well, but then they didn't buy? There's an excellent chance you probably solved the wrong problem.
Yes. So something I want you guys to kind of think about is if you solve the problem that they say, but not the problem they feel, they will not buy.
But today I'm saying if we just land on that surface piece, that's when it starts getting shallow, we start getting generic solutions. When we have generic solutions, people start hesitating, and when they start hesitating, it lands into I'm going to think about it.
And so my client always talks about how she feels like people are sharing acceptable problems in the beginning, and that's exactly is what's happening. Everyone can share an acceptable problem. I'm not discrediting that problem. I am just saying there are more things to it, and it is our job as a sales professionals to help draw that out in a helpful and hopeful way, not in a manipulative way.
Scott Greening: Welcome to another episode of Sippin' Matcha and Helping You Make More Sales. I'm your host, Scott Greening, and in just a moment we'll be bringing our resident sales coach and sales advisor, Brooke Greening, into the conversation, where in about the time that it takes you to enjoy your matcha break or coffee break she gives you some great insight and wisdom on how to make more sales while valuing your customers.
And here she is sipping her matcha right now. This past weekend was a big holiday for our podcast, an important holiday. Mm-hmm. What holiday was it, Brooke?
Brooke Greening: It was National Matcha Day on Saturday, and so we didn't even know that. We had a fan of ours reach out and tell us. Yes. And by fan, my mother-in-law.
Yes.
Scott Greening: There are other people that listen to the podcast- Thanks, G-ma … but yes. G-ma's always looking out for Brooke and her matcha. She is. So we appreciate that. So we took some silly pictures. Yeah. You can see some of those on our Instagram feed, which is @buildingmomentumresources. And then we took the family out, 'cause that's what you gotta do- Yeah
on National Matcha Day to get, Yeah … matcha elsewhere, and so we enjoyed that. But today- Yeah … Brooke, we've been talking, we've been having conversation over the last several weeks about our s- SERVICE Sales Framework. Mm-hmm. And we started with setting expectations, and we talked about how that was telling them what's going to happen so they can relax and engage.
And then the previous three episodes we talked about establishing rapport, and so where we can quickly build connection and relevance to their business. And now we actually are getting into the meat of things. We need to really know what's going on. So where are we going today? What are we talking about today?
Brooke Greening: So the big idea is that we are going to be talking about recognizing the problem. And w- and what I've shared with you before, probably on a regular basis, is if we get the problem wrong, everything is going to start falling apart. So we wanna talk about today, what does it mean to be able to recognize the problem, and then also why is that important?
Scott Greening: Yeah, and I think there's… People generally, I think, understand that, that finding a problem is a part of the sales process. Mm-hmm. But how is what we're going to be talking about different than just finding that problem?
Brooke Greening: Well, the biggest thing is most people stop at the first problem they hear, and so they might hear "Hey, we need more leads," or, "Sales are inc- inconsistent.
We need better marketing. We need more clients." And those are actually symptoms, not real problems.
Scott Greening: Yeah. And so people m- may think, "Well, I'm answering a problem," or, "I'm answering a question," but it's not the real question. Mm-mm. And that's- Yeah … that's where we're headed today.
Brooke Greening: You're absolutely right, 'cause a lot of times people don't know how to articulate the real problem right away.
And it's not because they're not intelligent. It's not because they haven't done an incredible job in their business. It's just hard for them to actually see it. And so that's actually our job. It is our job to articulate the real problem and help them to see that so that then we can move them forward- And whatever that's going to look like from a sales perspective.
Scott Greening: Yeah, I know you talk a lot about how, like when we ask the type of questions, when we- we sometimes have a bad habit in sales of making the customer do the work- Yeah … that is really our job to do. Yeah. And so when we're talking over these next couple of episodes about recognizing the problem- Mm-hmm
you're going to do the work by asking- Yeah … good questions and- Yes … and doing that and leading the conversation. So what… Why is it so important that people find out what the real issue is in that? We- maybe we even skipped over it. Maybe we should go back and say what… How do we define this idea of recognizing the problem?
Brooke Greening: Yes. So something I want you guys to kind of think about is if you solve the problem that they say, but not the problem they feel, they will not buy. And this is not a manipulative, like, "Oh, no, there she goes. She's going to be manipulative. She's going to be pushy." No, no, no, it's just the reality. If we're solving the problem that they're telling you, but it's not the problem that they're feeling, they will not buy, because it's not that driving and motivating problem for them, and that is the whole point.
When we want to recognize a problem, we want to know what is driving them and motivating them to make a decision.
Scott Greening: Yeah, and so that's- that's the- the definition. That's what we're saying. So like with set expectations, we're helping people relax and engage. With establish rapport, we're building relevance and connection.
And here, we're trying to discover the- the real motivating and buying factors that are- that are going into that, and that's- that's not always the first thing that people say. And-
Brooke Greening: No …
Scott Greening: I know even in our relationship, that's … That doesn't always happen, and we've had- … 19 years of wedded bliss, and we're s- we still don't do it.
Brooke Greening: So I would say when I share with people, "Hey, you get the problem wrong, everything falls apart," when I tell them the first problem is never the real problem, they understand that to a point, but then there's a lot of pushback because they're like, "Yeah, but Brooke, maybe their marketing does need support.
Maybe they do need leads. Maybe they do need more clients." And I am just saying that is not going to be the driving motivating factor. That starts it, but there are underlying concerns that are connected to that surface-level problem. And so that is exactly what happens just in our own life. So perhaps what Scott is leaning into is yes, we've been married for 19 years- And our conversations typically go in regards to, "Hey, are we doing good?" And I'll be like, "Eh, maybe." And then I might share a slight bit of the frustration that I'm having or something that kind of got off of the rails. And so we do that because we just don't launch into usually what those underlining concerns are.
It's definitely connected to the first thing we're talking about, but we can't stay there, and that's what I really want to encourage people. I'm never saying, hey, we don't start having a couple of surface level questions. I'm not saying any of that. We're going to talk about that in the coming episodes.
But today I'm saying if we just land on that surface piece, that's when it starts getting shallow, we start getting generic solutions. When we have generic solutions, people start hesitating, and when they start hesitating, it lands into I'm going to think about it. And so that is what I am encouraging.
I'm not saying we don't have simple questions. We absolutely do, but we can't stay there, and we can't just start automatically answering that question. So Scott- Yeah … for you- I, well- … when was a time when we maybe didn't get the underlining concern?
Scott Greening: Like yesterday? I don't know. I mean, no, it's just, that's just a reality of you typically, even in a great, loving relationship like we have you, you- Mm-hmm
ease into things. And- Yeah … typically I might, after 19 years, have some idea that I don't think when she says, "It's okay," or, "It's fine," like- … there's something, there's something more going on. But we start safe because- Mm-hmm … We may feel uncertain about what it is. We may know hey, this is partially my fault or all of those things.
Mm-hmm. And I think for business owners, it's the same type of thing. We're professionals. We're supposed to know what we're doing. Yeah. We typically help a lot of service provider type of businesses, and they're experts at helping other people. So it's nervous to admit or to say- Yeah
I don't have it all figured out.
Brooke Greening: Yeah It's what one of my clients, and I love how she says this, 'cause when I was explaining it to her and I was giving examples in regards to even Scott and I's relationship, where he'll ask if I'm okay and I'm like, "Sure," then he- it's not his first rodeo so he knows that I'm not, so then he starts asking questions and I share just a tiny bit of what's going on.
We do that because even though Scott has never done this in our 19 years of marriage, we don't want them to downplay our concerns. We don't want them to tell us that they're not that big of a deal. We don't want them to just try to fix it immediately. Those are the things we don't want, and so then we don't necessarily share.
And then those are the things that are vulnerable. And so my client always talks about how she feels like people are sharing acceptable problems in the beginning, and that's exactly is what's happening. Everyone can share an acceptable problem. I'm not discrediting that problem. I am just saying there are more things to it, and it is our job as a sales professionals to help draw that out in a helpful and hopeful way, not in a manipulative way.
And that's what it's all about in understanding the problem and not getting it wrong.
Scott Greening: Yeah, and I think earlier you, you went through kind of the progression in that, and maybe it'd be good to circle back to that, 'cause I think that's a really good and helpful idea of so when someone l- lets it set at that acceptable problem sort of- Mm-hmm
level, what are some of the problems that come with that?
Brooke Greening: So if they just have the surface-level problem and that's it, and that's what we start trying to solve, then it's a shallow discovery and then there's going to be generic solutions at that point. When there are generic solutions that we're offering, that's going to cause them to hesitate, and when they hesitate, that's when it comes back as, "I'm going to think about it."
And now not only that, but then they're going to go to the competitor, and then if the competitor does the exact same thing, now it's just a race to the bottom in regards to who is the least expensive, 'cause they do not see any distinction whatsoever. However, if you get the problem right and we take the time to understand that, then when they go and talk to your competitor, they're thinking about you because you were able to understand where they were coming from.
It is a complete game changer, and I am not saying that lightly. It will make the difference between whether you make the sale or you don't make the sale, and it will make a difference whether you charge 10,000 or 25,000 or 50,000. It is imperative that we get this right when we talk about sales.
Scott Greening: Yeah, and I know, like even in our own business and even in our own lives, like we've had situations where we've been trying to work on a, an issue that we wanted help with for the business or different things, and you start looking into possibilities and you start talking to things and you're like, "Okay, great."
Let's keep our options open. But then when somebody actually takes the time to like- Yeah … talk with us, get to know the problem and all of that, then we're pretty motivated to, to buy pretty quickly, and price is, it's not gone from the equation- Right … but it's less of the factor than just you're the same as so and so, and who can do it cheaper or whatever the case may be.
Brooke Greening: Yeah. So that is one way that we accidentally sabotage our sales calls, because then we make it seem like we're just like everybody else. And so many times people are like, "Well, how do I stand out from my competitor if we're offering the same things, we're doing the same things?" This. This is how you do it.
Because they want to make sure, especially in the service-based industry, that you understand their problem and that you're recognizing it and that you're validating it. And we're going to talk more about that in the future episodes, but this is literally where everything will start either completely coming together so that we can move it forward, or it will start falling apart.
Scott Greening: And
Brooke Greening: today- Not to be discouraging.
Scott Greening: Today our focus is just making sure people are aware of, okay- Yeah … what is it that we're talking about, what are the issues, and we're not diving- Yeah … a whole lot into how to do that or some best practices. No. But so that we give people a little bit of hope.
What's a little shift? Yeah. What's a little tiny thing that they could do to get started towards this? Yeah.
Brooke Greening: So just ask yourself this question: is this the real problem or is this the first layer? When someone starts sharing with you and they give you a symptom, like my sales are down, or this isn't going well, or I need help, like we're not discrediting that at all.
But we are going to ask ourself the question, not them. That would be awkward. We're not going to say, "Well, is this the real problem? Is there another…" Like, no. And we're going to talk about how to be able to ask those questions in later episodes, but right now I want you to ask the question to yourself, is this a real…
Is this the real problem or is this just the first layer? And then I want you to ask yourself one other question: do I stop at the very first problem that I hear or do I try to go to the next level on it? 'Cause that's the whole next thing that we're going to talk about. We do not want to be trying to
Scott Greening: fix something when we first start.
All right. So you may be listening out there and you may be thinking like- I don't even know. How- it's, I'm not even sure what I'm doing. How could I do that? I'd encourage you to take Brooke's sales conversation assessment, and it's a great tool for you to get a little bit of an outside perspective on how you're actually doing these different parts of the sales conversation.
And you can discover if you are settling for that first question or finding a deeper issue and that through that, as well as the other six or seven parts of the sales conversation. So you can access that sales conversation assessment at buildingmomentum.info/assessment, and it'll take you between three and seven minutes to go work through it, to answer the questions, and to get some good introductory advice that's customized to your answers based on that assessment.
B- Brooke where… We've been hinting in that at where we're going, but what are we going to talk about next time? What are you going to share with us?
Brooke Greening: So next week, we're going to say exactly what it starts to sound like and where most conversations are getting stuck when we start uncovering the real problem.
We're going to actually talk about what do we say, what do we not say, to be able to uncover those real problems that are driving and motivating them to buy.
Scott Greening: Great. We'll look forward to that, and the best way for you to make sure that you're getting the information and being part of this podcast community is if you would subscribe, if you'd like, if you'd share, if you'd comment, and do all of those things.
Your engagement not only encourages us and helps us keep moving forward, but also will let your peers and friends know about this as well, and we always appreciate that. Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo, so we're moving from- Yes. … National Matcha Day into Taco Tuesday- Tacos … on Cinco de Mayo. So have fun.
Right. We'll see you. Keep making more sales.
Brooke Greening: Bye-bye.
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