“Always Be Closing.” This mantra, immortalized in sales culture, has probably done more damage to client relationships than any other phrase in business.
I watched it firsthand with Rajiv, a talented account executive in Singapore. In a crucial meeting, he relentlessly pushed toward the close — every client comment became a chance to steer back to his solution, every question an objection to overcome. The meeting ended politely, but we weren’t getting that deal.
“I addressed all their requirements and handled every objection,” he said afterward. “Yes,” I replied, “but you never actually learned anything about their business.” He’d been so focused on closing that he’d forgotten something fundamental: genuine curiosity. That points to a different ABC I’ve seen drive exceptional results across Asia Pacific for three decades — Always Be Curious.
Why curiosity trumps technique
The selling environment has fundamentally changed. Buyers have more information than ever, decisions involve larger stakeholder groups, and value must be demonstrated before a purchase, not just promised.
Gartner found B2B buyers spend only 17% of their journey meeting potential suppliers — and when they do, they want insight, not product information. A LinkedIn study of 500+ decision-makers found the top trait they value isn’t assertiveness or product knowledge — it’s active listening. Yet most sales training still focuses on talking points and closing techniques.
The three dimensions of sales curiosity
1. Intellectual curiosity — understanding the business
Low curiosity: “What’s your budget for this project?” High curiosity: “Help me understand how this initiative fits your broader strategy. What outcomes would make this a clear success?”
Coaching Sarah, a sales leader with a perfect technical fit but no traction, we shifted from selling to getting genuinely curious about why the initiative had suddenly become a priority. That curiosity surfaced a fact mentioned in no meeting — the client had lost share to a more digitally agile competitor. She repositioned her solution as an accelerator for digital transformation. The deal closed in weeks, at twice the anticipated size.
2. Interpersonal curiosity — understanding the people
Low curiosity: “Who makes the final decision?” High curiosity: “How do decisions like this typically get made here? Who needs to be involved, and what matters most to each stakeholder?”
Ming, an executive in Hong Kong, was stuck on a multi-division deal. Getting curious about the stakeholders themselves, he discovered an IT Director scarred by a past failed project, an Operations leader new to her role and risk-averse, and a Finance team with flexibility on operational (not capital) spend. None of it came from standard discovery questions. With that understanding, he tailored his approach to each — and unified the buying committee.
3. Situational curiosity — understanding the context
Low curiosity: “When do you need to implement?” High curiosity: “What’s driving your timeline? What opportunities or risks are affected by when this gets implemented?”
On a telecom deal in Indonesia, the RFP stressed cost reduction — but curious conversation revealed the unstated priority was an aggressive expansion into rural markets. The team pivoted to emphasize scalability and rural deployment, and won despite a higher price.
Why we aren’t naturally curious in sales
Several forces work against curiosity: performance pressure narrows our focus to the close; confirmation bias makes us seek information that fits our solution; the expertise trap makes us eager to show what we know; time constraints discourage deeper exploration; and in some Asian business contexts, sellers are expected to present as the expert, not the explorer.
Cultivating curiosity — practical techniques
- The 2:1 ratio: for every statement, ask at least two exploring questions.
- The five whys: trace an important need to its root cause (phrased thoughtfully).
- The perspective shift: “What would I want to know if I were investing my own money in this client’s business?”
- The learning review: after each interaction ask “What did I learn that I didn’t know before?” If “nothing,” curiosity was missing.
- The preparation pivot: prepare questions, not presentations.
From ABC to ABV: Always Be Valuable
When you’re truly curious, you discover opportunities to create value that competitors miss — unstated needs, connections between challenges. That transforms your role from vendor to valuable partner.
Rajiv proved it. On his next major opportunity he invested time understanding the business, the stakeholders’ priorities, and the context. The conversation flowed from exploration to collaborative problem-solving, and his recommendations emerged organically. Six months later he’d closed the largest deal of his career — with a relationship built to last.
In a world where information is abundant but insight is rare, curiosity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the competitive advantage that turns ordinary sellers into extraordinary advisors.
Always Be Curious. Until next week, Benny K. P. Tan
