The Iconic Playbook for Modern Leaders: Ask Boldly, Break Bias, See Beyond Words
“In business, hesitation is the costliest mistake. If you don’t ask, you don’t get it. When you ask boldly, you often gain more than you expect.”
Sales is often described as the art of persuasion. In my experience, it is closer to the art of understanding. The best outcomes I have seen did not come from clever pitches. They came from clarity: knowing when to ask, when not to ask, when to challenge, and when to look beyond what is said in a room. Actually when not to ask in the scheme of things becomes extremely critical and often helps build the relationship that is derived out of empathy.
My own journey, from Pune to New York to London, shaped these beliefs. Moving across markets and cultures taught me that businesses are never just about numbers. They are about people. And people carry expectations, assumptions, and unspoken signals that matter as much as signing the deals.
Over time, three lessons stood out for me: the courage to ask, the discipline to overcome biases, and the insight to see beyond listening and just listening. These principles guide how we drive customer success at SG Analytics today.
If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get It
In sales, hesitation is often the silent deal killer. I learned this early in my career. A client had turned down our proposal. I decided to ask a simple question: why – and with humility from a mindset that we want the result to be fair and logical? That single conversation opened the door to new requirements we had not considered. Within weeks, the same client signed with us. The deal was not lost. It was waiting for the right ask.
This principle has guided me beyond client conversations. When I wanted broader responsibilities in my career, I did not wait for them to be offered. I asked for them. In leadership, perception of readiness often drives opportunity. Asking signals intent and confidence.
Too many professionals assume the answer is no before they even try. The reality is different. You do not get what you do not ask for. When you do ask, you often gain more than you expect.
The Bias of Profiling People
One of the biggest risks in sales is assuming we know who a client is before we have even met them. Early in my career, I once walked into a pitch certain that the senior executive in the room would drive the decision. I focused all my energy on him. By the end of the meeting, it was the quieter team member who asked the sharpest questions and ultimately shaped the deal. My bias had nearly cost us the opportunity.
Bias is expensive. Sometime ago, I was reading a report by Forrester that sales teams who rely on stereotypes about buyers miss up to 40 percent of genuine opportunities because they overlook decision-makers who do not fit the expected profile. I have seen this firsthand. Deals are lost not because clients say no, but because we fail to see the full picture.
The lesson is simple. Never reduce people to a title, a company logo, or an assumption. Real sales impact comes from curiosity and respect. When you approach every interaction without bias, you discover influence where others only see hierarchy.
Listening Is Not Seeing
Listening is a skill every sales professional is taught. Yet I have learned that listening alone is not enough. In client meetings, the most important signals are often unspoken. A pause before answering, a look exchanged across the table, or a slide skipped in a presentation can reveal more than a hundred words.
I remember a negotiation in New York where the client kept agreeing verbally, but something felt off. Instead of celebrating, I paused and asked what was holding them back. The hesitation that followed exposed a hidden concern about implementation support. Addressing that issue saved the deal. If I had relied only on their words, we would have celebrated a “yes” that turned into a silent “no” later.
True understanding requires presence. It means observing context, body language, and what is left unsaid. Seeing beyond listening transforms conversations. It allows us to solve the real problem rather than just respond to what is spoken.
Staying Close to Clients Across Borders
My career and all the opportunities have taken me from Pune to New York and now to London. Each move was not just a change in geography but a lesson in proximity. Staying close to clients has always been the difference between guessing their needs and truly understanding them.
In Pune, I learned the discipline of building trust in a competitive local market. In New York, speed and scale forced me to adapt quickly to clients who demanded measurable outcomes. In London, the focus shifted again toward long-term partnerships shaped by cultural nuance and regulatory complexity. Across these markets, one principle has held true: distance creates gaps, and gaps create risk.
Sales leaders cannot afford to lead from afar. Proximity is not only physical but also about mindset. It means being accessible, being in tune with context, and building credibility through presence. No technology or dashboard can replace the insight you gain when you are close enough to see what truly matters to clients.
Summing Up
Sales is not about chasing quotas. It is about asking boldly, breaking biases, and truly seeing clients and their vision – making it one with a challenger mind set. These three lessons have shaped my career and continue to guide how I lead.
I believe the courage to ask opens doors, while the discipline to challenge bias protects opportunities that might otherwise slip away. Listening with intent but seeing beyond words ensures that we address what clients truly need, not just what they say.
Markets, geographies, and industries will change. What does not change is the human side of sales. Leaders who practice these principles will not only close deals but also build partnerships that last far beyond a signature on a contract.