SHOW / EPISODE

Losing Deals to Your Competitor? How to Break the Status Quo (Ask Jeb)

13m | Oct 28, 2026

When every product in your market looks the same, the only way you win is for your competitor to lose.

In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount takes a question from Jen, a 20-year sales veteran who moved from TV into digital advertising and has watched three deals in a row end with the prospect sticking with their current provider.

Jeb’s advice starts with the sales process. The buyer’s emotional experience is the most consistent predictor of whether you win, so stop fixating on the close and look at how you run discovery, how many commitments you ask for, and whether you can drive a wedge between the prospect and the incumbent. Sometimes the right move is to walk away before you hand your competitor your proposal. If you sell in a crowded market and keep losing to the incumbent, this episode will help you lay the groundwork for competitive displacement.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why prospects stick with the status quo and what to do when you keep losing deals to no decision
  • How to compete in a commoditized market where every company and product looks the same
  • The five decisions buyers make before they choose to work with you
  • Why past customers, including accounts other reps once handled, are the best place to start prospecting
  • How adding steps to your sales process builds buyer commitment through the investment effect
  • Why sending your detailed proposal too early can give the incumbent vendor everything they need to keep the account
  • How to find out if a prospect is willing to change
  • How to ask discovery questions that help prospects realize their current vendor is taking them for granted
  • When to walk away from a deal and focus your pipeline on high-probability opportunities

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Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount
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