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How to Handle a Prospect Who Lies to You
Description
Not every lie from a prospect is malicious. In this episode of Sales Leadership with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the subtle art of detecting and responding to deception in B2B sales. They break down the three most common lies sales reps hear—the fake authority lie, the budget lie, and the timeline lie—using a real case from a mid-market SaaS company that lost a $340,000 deal because the rep never challenged a prospect's claim of 'final sign-off.' Lucas walks through the verbal and behavioral cues that signal dishonesty, like overspecificity, repeating the same phrase verbatim, and a shift from 'we' to 'they.' Luna shares a counterintuitive tactic: thanking the prospect for their honesty right after they lie, which often triggers a correction. The episode closes with a framework for deciding when to push back and when to walk away, including a specific script for saying 'I don't think you're being straight with me' without burning the relationship.