What I Learned From Getting My Sales Call Critiqued

A candid look at my consultative selling strengths and blind spots—and how you can avoid my mistakes

I recently did something that made me pretty nervous: I had Claude.ai critique one of my sales calls. The call was with a potential client named Guy, and while I thought it went reasonably well, getting an outside perspective revealed both my strengths and some significant blind spots I didn't even know I had.

If you're doing consultative selling, especially if you're naturally more comfortable in "consultant mode" than "sales mode," this breakdown might help you avoid some of the mistakes I made.

The Setup: Using a Scorecard to Start Sales Conversations

I use a marketing scorecard as a lead generation tool—prospects fill it out, get their results, and then I offer to review it with them. It's a great way to provide value upfront while creating a natural reason for a sales conversation.

Guy was a successful consultant running multiple revenue streams: a fractional COO practice, a course he was developing through Maven, and franchise group marketing services. He was doing well but struggling to systematically market his newer offerings.

What I Apparently Did Right (That I Didn't Fully Appreciate)

1. I Actually Listened

The critique noted that I asked thoughtful, open-ended questions and built on Guy's responses rather than rushing to pitch. Honestly, this just felt natural to me—I'm genuinely curious about people's businesses. But apparently, many salespeople don't do this well.

I learned that this consultative approach was building trust and credibility throughout the call, even when I felt like I was "just having a conversation."

2. My Analogies Worked

I used a gear ratio analogy to explain how marketing systems work together (like a bike having multiple gears vs. just one). The critique called this "compelling and memorable." I tend to think in analogies naturally, but I didn't realize how powerful they could be in a sales context.

3. I Read the Room on Timing

When Guy indicated he wasn't ready for immediate help with his course, I didn't push. Instead, I suggested we reconnect later. The critique praised this as "smart timing recognition" that built trust for the long-term relationship.

This felt right in the moment, but I worried afterward that I was being too passive. Turns out, not being pushy when someone isn't ready actually strengthened my position.

Where I Completely Missed the Mark

Here's where the critique got uncomfortable (but incredibly valuable):

1. I Didn't Go Deep Enough on the Scorecard

Guy gave me great feedback—he disagreed with his 0% brand awareness score. But I just acknowledged his feedback and moved on.

I should have dug deeper: "Tell me more about why you feel the brand awareness score doesn't reflect your reality. What are you seeing that suggests stronger brand recognition?" This could have revealed specific gaps and opportunities I could help with.

2. My Qualifying Was Weak

This was probably my biggest miss. While I got his revenue numbers, I never asked about:

• His budget for marketing coaching
• His timeline for addressing these challenges
• What he'd invested in coaching before
• How he makes decisions about this type of investment

I was so focused on being consultative that I avoided the "sales-y" questions. But the critique pointed out that qualification actually serves the prospect by ensuring we don't waste time exploring solutions they can't afford.

3. I Was Vague About Value

I explained what I do, but I never clearly articulated what ROI Guy could expect or shared specific examples of similar client results. I talked about my process but not the outcomes.

Looking back, this was a huge missed opportunity to differentiate myself and build confidence in my approach.

The Moments I Completely Whiffed

The critique identified several perfect openings I sailed right past:

When Guy kept mentioning LinkedIn's limitations for reaching his audiences, I should have positioned my multi-channel approach more strongly. Instead, I just nodded along.

When he described feeling overwhelmed managing multiple initiatives, I could have positioned time management and systematization as core benefits of my coaching. I missed it entirely.

When he mentioned his LinkedIn automation setup, I should have explored how to apply that same systematic thinking to his other revenue streams.

These weren't just minor misses—they were golden opportunities to demonstrate relevance and create urgency.

What I'm Changing Going Forward

1. I'm Getting Explicit About Call Structure

Instead of just diving in, I now say something like: "I'd like to spend about 15 minutes getting your feedback on the scorecard, then if it makes sense, explore whether there might be ways I could help with your marketing challenges. Does that work for you?"

This sets expectations and makes the transition to "sales mode" feel natural rather than abrupt.

2. I'm Qualifying with Confidence

I used to avoid budget questions because they felt pushy. Now I realize they're actually helpful: "Typically my clients invest between $X and $Y over 6 months to get their marketing systems dialed in. Is that in the ballpark of what you were thinking?"

This isn't being pushy—it's being respectful of everyone's time.

3. I'm Creating Urgency Around Consequences

When Guy mentioned building his course, I should have said: "I see a lot of people spend months building great content, then struggle to fill their first cohort because they didn't think about marketing until the end. Have you thought about what happens if the first launch doesn't go well?"

This isn't fear-mongering—it's helping prospects understand the real cost of delaying decisions.

My New 4-Step Framework

Based on the critique, I've developed a clearer structure for these calls:

1. Scorecard Review (10-15 min)

• Get detailed feedback
• Identify top 2-3 gaps together
• Get agreement on what matters most

2. Discovery (15-20 min)

• Current situation and specific challenges
• Goals and timeline
• Budget range and decision process
• Previous investments and what worked/didn't

3. Solution Preview (5-10 min)

• How I typically help with similar situations
• Specific outcomes and ROI examples
• Brief process overview

4. Next Steps (5 min)

• Assess mutual fit honestly
• Propose logical next step
• Schedule follow-up or provide timeline

The Biggest Lesson: Consulting and Selling Aren't Opposites

My biggest takeaway was that being consultative doesn't mean avoiding sales altogether. The best consultative sellers know when to shift from exploring problems to presenting solutions to assessing fit.

I was so worried about being "salesy" that I wasn't serving my prospects well. They need me to help them understand whether we're a good fit and how to move forward if we are.

Guy clearly respected my expertise and was interested in working together. The foundation was solid—I just needed to build on it more strategically.

What This Means for You

If you're naturally consultative like me, you might be making similar mistakes:

1. Are you transitioning smoothly between consulting and selling? Or does it feel abrupt when you shift gears?

2. Are you qualifying thoroughly? Budget, timeline, decision process, and past investments matter.

3. Are you creating appropriate urgency? Not through pressure, but by helping prospects understand the cost of inaction.

4. Are you being specific about value? Features don't sell—outcomes do.

The Bottom Line

Getting critiqued was humbling but incredibly valuable. I thought I was being consultative, but I was actually being incomplete. There's a big difference between the two.

The goal isn't to manipulate prospects into buying—it's to serve them by clearly determining whether you can help and, if so, how to move forward efficiently.

I'm grateful for the feedback, even though it stung a bit. My next sales calls are already stronger because of it. Sometimes the best way to improve is to get an honest outside perspective on what you think you're already doing well.

Have you ever had your sales approach critiqued? What did you learn about your blind spots? I'd love to hear about it.