Episode Details

Ever been ghosted after a first sales meeting you thought went well? It’s frustrating when momentum dies before you ever get a second conversation. Lee Salz says it often happens for one simple reason: most sales teams don’t have a prescribed way to run the first meeting, so they default to “discovery.” And discovery, in his words, is an egocentric sales step. Meanwhile, the buyer is thinking, “I have 400 things to do… what do I get out of meeting with you?”

In this episode, Damon sits down with bestselling author Lee Salz to break down how to stop getting ghosted by replacing discovery with a value-led consultation. Lee explains why the first meeting sets the foundation for every deal, how to pace the sales process instead of cramming everything into one call, and how to engage emotion so your prospect leaves thinking three powerful words: they get me.

If you sell in a competitive B2B environment where buyers already have a provider in place, this conversation will help you run a stronger first meeting, differentiate earlier, and secure the next step before the call ends. Drawing from The First Meeting Differentiator, Lee shares a clear, repeatable framework sales leaders and individual contributors can implement immediately.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. Why the first meeting is the deal foundation, and how weak first meetings create closing problems later in the sales cycle
2. How to stop getting ghosted after the first sales meeting by replacing discovery with a consultation that delivers meaningful value
3. The best first meeting agenda question to earn trust fast: “For this to be a great use of your time, what do you want to make sure we cover today?”
4. How to engage emotion in sales conversations so prospects feel “they get me” and want to keep interacting with you
5. The two non-negotiables to secure the next meeting before you hang up: a defined next step and a scheduled next interaction on the calendar

Timestamps:

1. 00:00 - Episode preview and introduction
2. 01:22 - Is your first meeting setting you up for failure?
3. 04:04 - The secret to turning discovery into a game-changing consultation
4. 06:09 - Why your prospect might forget 90% of your meeting
5. 09:25 - Why your deal falls apart before it even starts
6. 15:25 - The one question you’re probably not asking (And why it matters)
7. 19:09 - The hidden power of emotions in sales
8. 25:13 - Why stories are your secret weapon in sales and how to tell them right
9. 28:52 - Is your ideal client actually the right fit?
10. 35:22 - How to keep your prospects coming back for more
11. 39:19 - The hidden mistake salespeople make at the end of every meeting