It all started with a single LinkedIn message.A million-dollar B2B deal in rural Myanmar wasn’t closed with pitch decks or price drops. It was closed with listening, local insight, and tapping into a customer’s dream. Here's how we coached a technical sales team to close one of their longest-standing leads.Title:It Was Never About the Price—It Was the Inspiration
Back in 2019, I reached out to the Managing Director of one of the world’s leading process engineering companies—a firm operating in over 140 countries. I introduced myself, shared the field-based sales transformation work we do at Primer International (ပရိုင်မာ အင်တာနေရှင်နယ်), and left it at that.
Two months later, I got a reply.
“Would you be able to visit our office in Thilawa SEZ?”
That meeting would turn into one of the most fulfilling consulting journeys of my career—and eventually, the closing of a million-dollar B2B deal that their sales team had been chasing for over a year.
But that outcome didn’t come from charisma, closing tricks, or cutting prices.
It came from coaching a brilliant technical sales team to see beyond specs—and into the heart of what really drives decisions.
I still remember that first visit vividly. I had just five minutes with the Managing Director before the workday ended. So I didn’t pitch. I just listened.
He told me everything.
His sales team was full of smart engineers who deeply understood the product. But when it came to selling, they led with specifications, not benefits. They had world-class sales training content—but it wasn’t localized. The team struggled to internalize what those trainings meant for their local customers. It wasn’t landing.
They didn’t need more technical knowledge. They needed transformation—in mindset, in messaging, and in how they connected to the customer.
When he finished, I said:
“Your team doesn’t need more information. They need to learn how to translate that into value for the customer. Let me help them shift that mindset.”
We signed the contract the next day.
Three months later, we took the training from the whiteboard to the field.
This wasn’t a routine check-in. It was the climax of a long pursuit—a deal their sales team had been chasing for over a year. A high-stakes opportunity with one of the biggest rice exporters in the country.
We headed to Shwebo, Sagaing Region—home of the famous Shwebo Paw San rice.
The client? A former mayor. A well-respected figure. The owner of one of Myanmar’s largest rice mills. He was deciding between my client’s European-engineered solution and a cheaper Chinese system.
On paper, the odds were against us:
But we had one thing in our favor: preparation.
We also had something else: deep local context. We knew that in rural Myanmar, the decision to buy isn’t just financial. It’s emotional. It’s reputational. Especially when you’re a community leader like this client.
We spent hours reviewing previous interactions, aligning the value story to the customer's personal goals—not just business metrics. We practiced active listening, value-linking, and cultural nuance.
This wasn't just a sales call. It was a mission.
We met in his office for about 45 minutes. The client was warm and curious—but he kept circling back to the same question:
“Why should I pay double?”
My client’s sales engineers followed everything we had practiced:
Still… no close.
Then something shifted.
The client casually shared his dream:
To be the first mill in his region to export rice to Europe.To inspire others in his community.To leave a mark.
And that’s when it clicked.
It wasn’t about cost.It was about legacy.
I leaned forward and said:
“This system meets EU standards. If you want to export to Europe, this isn’t just a machine. It’s your bridge. Your statement.”
His eyes lit up.
We didn’t even need to show the cheaper competitor quotes. He was ready to sign.
As we left, he joked:
“If you were a girl, I’d marry you.”
It was his way of saying: “You really understood me.”
That win didn’t belong to me.
It belonged to the sales engineers who showed up again and again for over a year. Who earned the trust. Who laid the foundation.
I was just the spark at the right moment.
And that's something every sales leader should understand: the field team is your engine. Without their consistency and credibility, no amount of strategy or coaching can close the deal.
This deal was won through:
Big B2B deals in frontier markets like Myanmar often don’t hinge on slick presentations or product superiority. They hinge on something deeper:
A single human moment where the buyer feels seen.
When sales teams focus on relationships, not just responses, they unlock long-term value.
This project reinforced everything I believe about sales in tough markets:
✅ Sales cycles are long—you’re playing the long game
✅ Relationships matter more than your slide deck
✅ Aspiration trumps logic—people buy what helps them become who they want to be
Even the most technical sales teams—engineers, specialists, product experts—can become powerful connectors. They just need the mindset, skillset, and practice to make that shift:
And that shift doesn’t just close deals.It transforms careers, builds confidence, and turns teams into trusted advisors.
It also teaches leaders something powerful: selling is not convincing. Selling is connecting. When you make that leap, everything changes.
Whether you’re leading a sales team, working in an emerging market, or trying to transform how your team sells—remember this:
Don’t just focus on the price or the product.
Listen for the dream behind the decision.
That’s where the real deal is.
.
#B2BSales #SalesLeadership #EnterpriseSales #SalesCoaching #Localization #FieldSales #MyanmarBusiness #EmergingMarkets #ValueSelling #MindsetShift #SalesTransformation
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