In sales, timing and relevance are everything. But too often, teams focus on the pitch and miss the bigger picture without context awareness: the external factors shaping their buyer’s world. This article explores how using the PESTEL framework—Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors—can help sales teams sell smarter, not just harder.

Influencing is at the heart of successful sales conversations.

Yet many sales professionals fall into the trap of focusing too much on their product rather than what the client genuinely needs.

Here are three actionable strategies to elevate your influencing skills and offer solutions that leave a lasting impact:

Sales teams that see stronger engagement and higher conversions position themselves as trusted advisors, more than just vendors. Read more to find out how and why an outside-in strategy will greatly improve your teams’ sales effectiveness.