Why Most Businesses Misunderstand Their Buyers – with Sean Shannon

In this powerful BizBlend episode, sales acceleration expert Sean Shannon unpacks a common yet often overlooked issue in business: most companies think they know what their customers are buying—but they don’t. Sean, a seasoned sales leader with decades of experience leading sales teams at iHeart and Cumulus Media, joins Sana to explain why understanding the “job” customers hire your product for is more crucial than knowing your product’s features.

They dive deep into B2B sales strategy, the art of diagnosing before selling, the danger of cold calls without context, and the truth about AI in sales. Sean shares practical frameworks, like Jobs Theory and his 6-question discovery model, to help businesses unlock real customer insight. This is a must-listen for founders, marketing leads, and sales professionals who want to stop guessing—and start selling smarter.

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About the Guest:
Sean Shannon is a fractional sales leader and founder of Strategic Growth Design. With a career spanning top radio brands and now fractional executive consulting, Sean helps SMBs accelerate revenue through clarity, connection, and customer-first strategy. He also teaches marketing at the University of North Georgia.

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Key Takeaways:

• Most businesses confuse what they sell with what customers are truly buying.

• Customers don’t buy products—they hire them to solve specific problems or fulfill outcomes.

• Diagnosing the right problem is more valuable than pitching a quick solution.

• Salespeople must learn to identify the largest problem a customer faces, not just the first one that shows up.

• AI can automate outreach, but human connection, real discovery calls, and empathy can't be replaced.

• “Yes” or “No” closes the sales cycle. “Maybe” is the true trap.

• Cold calling still works—but quality prep and frequency matter more than mass outreach.

• Effective sales strategy starts by flipping traditional top-down targeting into bottom-up understanding—focus on why people buy.

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Connect with Sean Shannon:

• LinkedIn: Search “Sean Shannon Sales Xceleration”

• Website: strategicgrowthdesign.com (may be under maintenance)

• Text: +1 (206) 321-8362

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