The Sales Prologue: The Shift That Builds Trust and Drives Engagement

This post, first published on LinkedIn, is part of The Shift Series, where we explore transformational techniques that accelerate revenue.

The Wrong Start: A Sales Meeting Gone Sideways

James, a rookie sales rep, entered his meeting confident. After some quick small talk, he opened his PowerPoint presentation.

"Before we begin, let me walk you through today’s agenda," he said, clicking on a bulleted slide.

Across the table, his prospect, Sarah, raised an eyebrow. Fifteen minutes in, James was still talking—he hadn’t asked her a single question.

"James, I was hoping we could talk about our challenges and see if you can help," she finally interrupted.

James will learn from his mistake. He spent so much time perfecting his pitch that he forgot the most critical part: understanding the customer first.

This happens every day. Sales reps assume what matters to buyers instead of asking and listening. The result? Buyers feel unheard, disengaged, and frustrated.

Imagine a different approach that shifts the dynamic from a seller-driven presentation to an engaging, buyer-led conversation. This is where the Sales Prologue comes in.

What Is a Sales Prologue, and Why Does It Matter?

The Sales Prologue is a proven storytelling technique that quickly establishes trust and credibility at the start of any sales meeting. Rob Scanlon, founder of Private Sales Coach, introduced it initially. Jim Burns later adopted and refined it and passed it to me through his coaching.

The key idea behind the Sales Prologue is to surface the questions the buyer came to the meeting to answer. Once we know what the buyer truly cares about, we can organize the meeting around their agenda instead of ours while still making our points through conversational discovery.

This dramatically improves meeting outcomes—buyers feel genuinely listened to, and the sales rep immediately differentiates themselves by shifting away from a generic pitch and toward a buyer-led dialogue.

Mastering the Sales Prologue shifts the conversation from a traditional, scripted approach to an open, buyer-driven discussion. The result? Stronger engagement, deeper trust, and a more natural pathway to uncovering opportunities.

Examples of Sales Prologues in Action

A well-crafted Sales Prologue shifts the conversation from a generic sales pitch to a buyer-led discussion. Here are four variations, each suited to different contexts.

1. Classic Sales Prologue (Original Example)

"Carl, as I was preparing for our meeting today, I tried to put myself in your shoes and think of some of the questions you might have for me. I thought you might want to know:

1. How does Shift90 create value for clients?
2. Who are some clients we have worked with most like Allied Signal?
3. What could we do together in the short term, with a limited budget, that would be a proof of concept or prototype that has an impact?

Are these some of your questions, or do you have others?"

✅ Why this works: This approach signals preparation and credibility, inviting the buyer to shape the discussion while keeping the conversation structured.

2. Pain-Point Driven Sales Prologue

"As I was preparing for our meeting today, I tried to put myself in your shoes and consider the challenges companies like yours often face. I imagine some of the questions on your mind might be:

1. Why are our [sales/operations/marketing] efforts not delivering the expected results?
2. What common roadblocks prevent companies in our space from achieving [specific outcome]?
3. How can we quickly identify and address the gaps holding us back?

Do these resonate with you, or are there other concerns you’d like to prioritize?"

✅ Why this works: This immediately aligns with the buyer’s pain points, showing that you understand their struggles before they tell you.

3. Insight-Driven Sales Prologue

"As I prepared for our meeting today, I tried to put myself in your shoes and consider the more significant trends impacting your industry. I suspect you might be thinking about:

1. How are other companies adapting to [industry shift, new regulation, technology change]?
2. What strategies are leading organizations using to stay ahead in [key challenge area]?
3. What’s the most significant blind spot businesses don’t realize is costing them revenue or efficiency?

Are these some of the things you’ve been considering, or is there another priority on your mind?"

✅ Why this works: This approach positions you as an expert who brings fresh perspectives and insights, leading to a more educational and strategic discussion.

4. Challenger Sales Prologue

"As I was preparing for our meeting today, I tried to put myself in your shoes and consider the risks that companies often overlook. You might be wondering:

1. Are we missing opportunities to improve efficiency or revenue that competitors are already taking advantage of?
2. If we continue as we are, will we still be competitive in the next 12-24 months?
3. What’s something we haven’t considered that could make a significant impact?

Are these some of the concerns you’ve thought about, or is there another challenge that’s top of mind for you?"

✅ Why this works: This prologue challenges the buyer’s status quo, prompting them to reflect on their current approach and potential blind spots.

Addressing Common Objections: “It Feels Scripted”

Many sales professionals hesitate to use the Sales Prologue at first. Some feel it might sound too scripted, while others worry buyers will see right through it. I get it—I was skeptical, too.

But then I practiced it, refined my delivery, and tried it. The response was astonishing.

The buyer opened up immediately. They unloaded their challenges, frustrations, and goals in a way I had never seen before. I was glad I recorded the call because I would have struggled to write everything down.

How to Make It Feel Natural

✅ Practice Until It Feels Natural – Aim to deliver it at least 20 times in practice sessions.

✅ Adapt It to Your Style – You don’t have to use it word-for-word. Find the phrasing that feels most comfortable to you.

✅ Listen More Than You Talk – The power of the Sales Prologue isn’t in delivering it perfectly—it’s in the buyer’s response.

✅ Trust the Process – The first time you see a buyer “empty their bucket” of problems, you’ll understand why this technique works.

Stronger Sales Conversations. Higher Win Rates.

The way you open a meeting directly impacts your meeting's outcome. 

Enhancing win rates, buyer engagement, and overall revenue growth begins with elevating selling skills in conducting meetings.

Finally, the sales prologue is a technique: As part of your meeting planning discipline, you must anticipate the buyer's questions and customise each sales prologue.

You can take the Revenue Acceleration Scorecard to see how well your approach drives meaningful conversations and measurable results.

✅ Identify gaps in your sales and go-to-customer strategy

✅ See how your win rate compares to top-performing teams

✅ Get personalized insights to accelerate revenue growth

🚀 Take the Scorecard Now → Revenue Acceleration Scorecard