Tomorrow sells today: why prospects care more about the future than your past
If you’re in sales, you’ve likely spent plenty of time perfecting your product pitch and highlighting past success stories. But recent research suggests the secret to truly successful sales conversations may have less to do with your past accomplishments – and much more to do with your ability to clearly paint a picture of your prospect’s future.
In our latest podcast episode, Bitty Balducci, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Washington State University, shared insights from her groundbreaking research that analyzed 40,000 outbound sales calls. Her findings were clear: Sales reps who explicitly focused their conversations on future benefits – explaining exactly how their solutions would improve their prospects’ outcomes – were significantly more successful.
Why? Because your prospects are inherently forward-looking. They don’t simply buy products or services; they invest in better versions of themselves, their teams, or their companies. As I’ve explored in previous articles, like “Stop being too polite: the counterintuitive guide to prospecting calls,” clarity and confidence about the future consistently outperforms a purely polite or historically focused approach. The other article worth reading is called “The ultimate SDR checklist: suit up, set the pace and keep it positive.“
Balducci emphasizes that successful SDRs were notably direct about the future, using clear, confident language such as, “We will help you achieve…” or “You’ll immediately experience improvement in…” This forward-looking approach does two key things:
- It builds immediate relevance:Prospects can visualize exactly how the solution impacts their goals, making abstract benefits feel tangible.
- It establishes credibility:Confident future-focused statements signal certainty, reducing hesitation and creating trust.
In a few weeks, I’ll be sharing another piece I’m working on called “Why talking about tomorrow helps build trust today.”In it, I’ll share a little bit about future-oriented language and why it’s critical to creating urgency and clear value. Balducci’s research strongly reinforces this, providing quantifiable proof of what many successful sales reps intuitively know: people care deeply about where you’re taking them next.
Stay tuned – I’d love your thoughts on how trust and future-focused storytelling work together in your own conversations.
So next time you’re on a sales call, challenge yourself to shift the narrative forward. Rather than relying solely on past achievements, explicitly frame your conversation around tangible, compelling future outcomes. Ask yourself:
- “Am I clearly communicating the prospect’s improved future state?”
- “Does the prospect clearly see how taking the next step impacts their business?”
The bottom line
Prospects aren’t just buying a product – they’re investing in their future. And your conversation should consistently remind them exactly what that future looks like.
Special thanks to Bitty Balducci, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Washington State University, whose fascinating research explores the powerful influence of vocal delivery on successful sales calls. Bitty analyzed 40,000 outbound sales conversations and identified key vocal techniques—like dynamic pitch variation, future-oriented language, adaptive pacing, controlled positivity, and active listening – that significantly improve outcomes. Her insights emphasize that sales success often hinges not just on what you say, but how you say it. For more practical tips, check out our full podcast episode together here.
