Why So Many Sales Teams Struggle With Today’s Buyers (And How to Fix It)

When sales teams face performance issues, it's easy to blame them on messaging, skill gaps, or market headwinds.

But the real problem might be more foundational: buyers simply don’t want to engage.

This issue is especially visible in technical industries like manufacturing, where long buying cycles, technical complexity, and risk-aversion make buyer resistance especially intense.

Until you address that emotional resistance, no script, deck, or product advantage will make a difference.

We recently explored this challenge in a live webinar.  Watch the full discussion below:

Why Great Messaging Can Still Fail with Modern Buyers

Buyers today aren’t looking for more technical information. In industries where decisions are complex and high-risk, this truth is amplified. They’re looking for clarity and confidence. And when reps approach them with a traditional pitch, even one filled with value, it often falls flat.

That’s not because the pitch is bad. It’s because the buyer isn’t open.

These types of buyers are navigating long buying cycles, multiple stakeholders, and high-risk decisions tied to safety, compliance, and production. They are cautious by design. Their resistance isn’t just intellectual. It’s emotional. Which means the first job of any rep isn’t persuasion; it’s receptivity.

The Mistake Many Sales Teams Still Make

This is where most teams get stuck: They assume that because the buyer agreed to a meeting, they’re ready to receive value. But that’s rarely the case.

Industrial buyers have learned to keep their guard up. They’ve been conditioned to brace for the pitch, so they disengage before the real conversation even begins.

Reps are trained to deliver insights. Few are trained to create the conditions where those insights can land. That’s why messaging fails, even when it’s strong. The seed is good. The soil isn’t ready.

And here’s the cost: You’re not just losing deals. You’re forecasting conversations that were never real opportunities.

How to Recognize (and Respond to) Buyer Receptivity

If you want to influence a decision, you first have to understand the emotional posture of the buyer.

Are they guarded? Defensive? Distracted? Then even the best insight will be ignored.

Receptivity isn’t about agreement. It’s about openness. When a buyer is open, they’ll engage, explore, and consider new ideas. When they’re closed, they’ll protect the status quo at all costs.

In high-stakes, high-complexity sales environments, this emotional posture matters more than most reps realize. Because these deals don’t hinge on clever pitches. They hinge on trust, timing, and whether the buyer is willing to let the rep guide them.

Why Emotional Posture Comes First

Before reps can offer insight or direction, they need to understand the emotional context of the buyer. A closed buyer will resist even the best ideas, while an open one will invite them in.

That shift, from pushing to guiding, starts with how reps show up. And that begins before the first call.

In sales environments where technical evaluations and long buying cycles are the norm, reps must recognize that their primary job is to reduce pressure, not add it. The first few minutes of a conversation determine whether the door stays open.

Here’s how to spot the difference:

Signs of receptivity:

• They ask clarifying questions.
• They share challenges without prompting.
• They seem focused on the conversation, not distracted or multitasking.

Signs of resistance:

• Short, closed responses.
• A default to price or status quo language.
• A “checking-the-box” tone, rather than genuine engagement.

Training reps to read and respond to these signals is critical. If they miss the moment, they risk treating a closed door like an open one, and pushing a buyer further away.

Coaching a Different Kind of Sales Performance

Most coaching today focuses on technique: what to say, when to say it, how to close. But if reps are walking into conversations where the buyer is emotionally closed, technique won’t matter.

The real coaching opportunity? Helping reps recognize when they’re forcing traction that isn’t there.

The issue is rarely about skill. It’s about awareness and intent. Reps are taught to be ready to deliver, but not trained to assess the emotional state of the buyer. As a result, they treat every call like a selling opportunity, when sometimes, it needs to be a serving opportunity.

Here are three essential coaching shifts:

1. Spot early signs of resistance. Reps should learn to identify emotional barriers before diving into content.
2. Reduce pressure without retreating. Coaching should emphasize strategies for creating safety without losing momentum.
3. Stay in discovery longer. Help reps resist the urge to pitch early and instead earn the right to influence.

This new coaching lens also requires leaders to move beyond activity metrics. Instead of asking, “Did they deliver the pitch?” ask, “Did they build receptivity first?”

Because when reps push past resistance, they don’t just lose deals. They pollute the forecast with opportunities that were never real.

3 Practical Ways to Help Reps Build Receptivity

Receptivity isn’t a mystery. It can be learned, coached, and improved. Here are three actions that make a measurable difference in sales, and are especially critical in technical environments:

1. Diagnose Openness: Every conversation starts with a quick scan: Is this buyer open to this dialogue? Reps need to read subtle cues and adjust. If resistance is present, they should pause, not push. This step isn’t about giving up; it’s about planting the seed at the right time.
2. Reframe Early Conversations: The first meeting isn’t about qualifying the opportunity. It’s about qualifying the relationship. Buyers need to feel heard before they’ll listen. When reps open with curiosity instead of a checklist, they earn trust and uncover the real decision drivers.
3. Drop the Rope: One of the most counterintuitive skills in selling is learning to let go. When reps release the need to control the outcome, they create space for the buyer to step forward. This doesn’t mean being passive. It means leading with transparency, providing options, and always putting the buyer’s agenda first.

Useful questions that shift the tone include:

• “What’s changed recently that made this a priority?”
• “What have you tried before?”
• “Who else is impacted by this challenge?”

These aren’t just data-gathering questions. They signal empathy, interest, and intent to understand, not just sell.

Teams that embrace this mindset shift from trying to win the deal to trying to help the customer win. And that’s when real influence begins.

Ready to Reach the Buyers Who Won’t Engage?

You can’t coach performance if the rep is using the wrong playbook. Success starts not with what you say, but with how open the buyer is to hearing it.

If your team is delivering strong messages but still stalling out, you’re not alone. Most sales orgs are pitching through resistance without even knowing it.

Want to turn more conversations into conversions? Let’s talk about how ASLAN helps sales leaders equip reps to lead with receptivity, and drive real change.

Schedule a complementary consultation today.