An online magazine for and about businesses of all sizes, in Edinburgh and beyond
Are you looking to learn more about the art of selling? We had a chat with Gerry Forristal, who specialises in buyer behaviour, value articulation and sales-process design. Here’s what he told us, about why some sales don’t materialise – and what to do differently next time:
"If a sale stalls or disappears, it’s usually because the conversation didn’t resonate. The buyer didn’t feel heard or understood. That’s why the most effective sales conversations aren’t built around persuasion; they’re actually built around resonance. When you resonate with your buyer’s ‘reality’, what matters to them, what’s driving their decision and what’s holding them back, you create space for trust and movement.
A useful way to think about this is through the ‘trust triad:
1. qualification – are we speaking to the right buyers?
2. credibility – are we asking questions that demonstrate our insight?
3. permission – are we earning the right to move forward, or just assuming it?
Get those three working together, and the sales process becomes easier for everyone involved.
Qualification
Most people skip this step, and it costs them. One of the biggest mistakes I see is talking to the wrong people for too long. Not every lead is ready, able or even the right fit. Pre-qualifying buyers isn’t just about asking if someone’s interested, it’s about finding out where this sits on their list of priorities. Who's involved in the decision? Is their intended spend realistic? Is now the right time? Without that clarity early on, you risk investing time in people who were never going to move forward. Great sales conversations start by being honest about fit, on both sides.
Credibility
You earn credibility through your questions, not your pitch. If you want to be taken seriously, stop leading with pitches and start leading with curiosity. Buyers don’t want to be sold to, they want to feel understood. The fastest way to build credibility is by asking questions that make your buyer pause and say “That’s a good question.” It shows you understand their world. You’re not throwing features at them, you’re diagnosing. That kind of insight-led conversation builds trust quickly and sets the tone for everything that follows. It says: I hear you, and I know how to help.
Permission
Buyers don’t want pressure, they want control. Sales isn’t about pushing. It’s about earning the right to proceed step by step. That’s what permission is. You might say, “Would it be helpful if I shared how we usually approach this?” or “Can I offer an idea?” These little check-ins or micro-permissions lower resistance and make the conversation feel collaborative. In a world where buyers are tired of being sold to, permission builds trust. It says “I respect your pace.” And ironically, it often speeds things up because people move faster when they don’t feel forced." Sponsored
