A salesperson I coached last week said something interesting. She had just lost a deal she was sure was green. When we went through her Analysis report together, she couldn't remember exactly what she had said to the prospect at the point where the meeting turned.
That's the worst sign. When you can't remember your answer — you responded on autopilot. And that's where the deal is lost.
The 7 default phrases you're probably using
Here are the phrases. Read them and spot yourself. If you recognize 3+, you're not alone — and you're not a bad salesperson. You're just not calibrated.
Default 01
Prospect: "We already have a solution for that."
You typically respond
“I understand, but we differentiate ourselves by...”
You go on the defensive. The prospect has raised their shield — you attack. They hold the shield even tighter.
Use instead
"When it's working — what do you still handle manually?"
↳ Find friction. What they hate about their current setup is what you're selling against.
Default 02
Prospect: "What's the actual ROI on this?"
You typically respond
“We've seen 3-5x ROI with similar customers.”
You're selling to others. You're not telling them anything about themselves.
Use instead
"What's your current cost per acquired customer — and what's the target?"
↳ Flip the question. Let them set the numbers. Then it's their ROI, not yours.
Default 03
Prospect: "I need to run it by my colleague."
You typically respond
“When do you speak with him?”
Logistics question. You're not booking anything — you're confirming you're waiting.
Use instead
"What's the most important thing for your colleague to understand — so you can make a good decision?"
↳ Involve, don't stop. Let them define what's missing.
Default 04
Prospect: "That's impressive."
You typically respond
“Thanks — we've spent two years building it.”
You're thanking them for vague positivity. It's often camouflaged doubt.
Use instead
"What is it that's making you hold back a little?"
↳ Vague positivity is often an indicator of hidden doubt. Ask directly.
Default 05
Prospect: "Send it in writing and we'll look at it internally."
You typically respond
“Shall we set a follow-up meeting?”
You're asking for calendar time. They just asked you to leave.
Use instead
"What would good written material specifically cover for you?"
↳ Define scope. Get them to tell you what actually needs to be included.
Default 06
Prospect: "Our existing tool does that too."
You typically respond
“We differentiate ourselves by [feature list].”
Feature shoot-out. You lose. Specs are not what they're buying.
Use instead
"When you use your current tool for that — where does it frustrate you most?"
↳ Find frustration first. Don't sell against features — sell against friction.
Default 07
Prospect: "Let's get back to it once we've reviewed the material."
You typically respond
“That makes sense. Have a good day.”
Standard 'we'll circle back'. No commitment. The deal is now theirs to forget.
Use instead
"Sounds good — can we set a follow-up time now so it doesn't get buried?"
↳ Suggest a specific date before the meeting ends — even if they decline. Removes pressure from the listen.
Why it's so hard to avoid
The 7 default responses are not random. They were trained into you over years. Every time you said "That makes sense, have a good day" without losing a deal right away, your brain registered it as an acceptable answer.
The problem is: most deals die 7-14 days after the meeting, not during it. Default responses let the deal <em>simulate</em> a good meeting — without anything actually moving forward.
How to fix it
One approach works: pick one of the 7 default responses you use most often. Write the tactical alternative on a post-it. Stick it on your screen. Use it the first time it comes up.
It's not fancy. It's not smart. But it works because you're replacing an automatic response with a new automatic response — one at a time.
If you want a more systematic approach, we've written a full playbook on that moment. It covers all 12 killer phrases (we skipped 5 here), DISC calibration, and a 3-week practice protocol.