What a Sales Call Taught Me About Capability, Trust, and Care

by: CEO Josh Law

The other day I sat in on a sales call for a piece of software I was curious about. I’d done a little research ahead of time, and it looked like the person leading the demo was the founder and CEO. That made me excited as I figured I’d get to hear the “why” behind the product directly from the top, and maybe even build a little relationship with him along the way.

The product looks cool, the founder was smart, and he brought a lot of energy. But as the conversation unfolded, I found myself fascinated by the differences between how he ran the call and how I approach discovery conversations. It reminded me just how much small details in sales matter – especially if you’re trying to build trust with someone new.

How the Call Started

The meeting was set for the top of the hour. About a minute or two past, he popped on camera. No apology, no quick “Hey, sorry to keep you waiting,” just right into the conversation.

For me, when I’m late, even 30 seconds, I like to acknowledge it. It’s a small thing, but people always respond well. It shows I value their time. This CEO didn’t do that, and while it wasn’t a deal breaker, it stood out.

He did bring energy, though. Right away, he laid out an upfront contract: “I’ll learn about your goals, and assuming this goes well I’ll hand you off to the higher ups.” That wording caught me off guard. Based on my research, he was the “higher up”. Maybe he was trying to make it look like he wasn’t the only one doing calls, but it came across a little funny and possibly disingenuous.

I then mentioned, in a positive way, that I’d seen he was the founder. He rolled with it and said he likes to take some calls personally, especially when he sees interesting prospects. The problem was - I’d booked the call less than 12 hours before, in the middle of the night. There wasn’t much time for “selection.” It felt more like startup-speak than genuine reasoning, but perhaps this is a poor assumption on my part. Maybe he was up late grinding it out.

The Middle of the Conversation

As we talked, I noticed his camera shaking a bit, which usually means typing. His eyes were moving across his screen, clearly checking messages or doing other work while I was explaining my goals. Again, not the end of the world, but it made me feel like I didn’t have his full attention.

At the same time, he asked good questions. He wanted to know about my goals, what environment I’m working in, where I’m headed. But somewhere along the way, he seemed to decide that the best next step was for me to just sign up for the free trial and let the product speak for itself. I could tell he was ready to wrap things up.

The whole thing lasted about 16 minutes. He gave me the rundown on pricing and scaling, explained the basics of the platform, and we closed out the call.

What Stood Out to Me

The product itself seems capable. I trust that it works and that it could deliver on its promises. But when it comes to trust in him, or the sense that he really cared about me as a prospect, that was lacking.

And here’s where my philosophy is different. I believe closing business almost always comes down to three questions a prospect asks themselves:

1. Is this product or service capable?
2. Do I trust this person and their company?
3. Do they care about me?

In my experience, if you can help someone answer “yes” to those three questions, you’re far more likely to win the business. In this call, capability was there. Trust and care, not so much.

The Takeaway

I don’t think my approach is the only way, especially in the fast-paced software startup world. But as someone who works with industrial businesses and rural communities, relationships matter a lot. People want to feel seen, respected, and understood.

At the end of the day, behind every sale is a human being making a decision. And often, a surprisingly big decision can come down to how they felt in a 16-minute conversation.

For me, that’s the reminder: capability, trust, and care aren’t just sales tactics, they’re the foundation of doing business with people.