Prospects are just like Aesop’s fox.

The fox wanted the grapes.

Couldn’t reach them.

So he walked away saying: “They were probably sour anyway.”

That’s cognitive dissonance.
Two conflicting thoughts:
“I want this.”
“I can’t get it.”
The tension is painful.
So the mind rewrites the story:
“I didn’t want it anyway.”

Prospects do the same thing:

“We don’t need another tool.”
“Timing isn’t right.”
“We’re fine with what we’ve got.”

Not because it’s true.
But because admitting otherwise means facing the discomfort of change.

Here’s where most reps blow it:
They argue.
They push.
They persuade.
They pressure.

They try to prove the grapes aren’t sour.

And the prospect digs in even deeper.
The smarter move?

Lower the tension.
Use elicitation.
Make an observation.
Give them space to rewrite their own story.

Example:

“I read a stat online that 37% of SaaS apps end up underutilized. Totally normal with fast growth because different teams grab tools and not all of them stick. I’d imagine you already have a way of catching unused or redundant software before it piles up.”

That works because:

It normalizes the problem.
Assumes competence.
Invites correction or confirmation.
Leaves an open loop they feel compelled to close.

That’s elicitation.
Not pushing.
Not proving.
Just creating space for the truth to surface.

Prospects don’t resist change.
They resists being changed.

That’s how you sell without selling.

If you enjoyed this check out my free book Sell Without Selling: How to make a sale without pushing, pressuring or persuading:
​https://books.joshbraun.com/4/forsale​