One of the most important lessons I have learned in my career is that sales is not just about closing deals — it is about solving problems. I have always held the stance that I won’t work for a business that doesn’t add value to its customers or solve real issues.
I currently work for a risk management system provider called Origami Risk, where the focus is on customer-centric selling, a strategy that has revolutionised their approach to tech sales. By putting the customer at the centre of everything they do, Origami has built stronger relationships, closed more deals, and, most importantly, delivered real value to clients.
Origami’s focus on customer satisfaction is evident, as demonstrated by its Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 48, which is more than twice that of its nearest competitor.
The report explains that this score reflects customer satisfaction by measuring how likely current users are to recommend the company to colleagues and friends in the industry.
Below, I’ll go through some of the important criteria to improve customer satisfaction and use Origami as an example where I can.
Understanding the Client’s Pain Points and Processes
This is a crucial part of customer-centric selling. One big Sandler Sales Rule is – “no pain, no sale”.
While understanding a client’s pain points is an obvious requirement in any sale, I’m going to go a bit deeper into its importance.
In tech sales, one size does not fit all. Every client has unique needs, and it is crucial to understand their specific pain points before offering solutions.
A lot of companies or sellers have the tendency to force pain points on a client rather than making the effort to better understand how their business operates and if there are any issues in the first place.
It’s best to start every sales conversation by identifying the challenges clients face. This helps determine if the business is a good fit for that potential client or if it’s better to part ways.
For instance, many of our Origami Risk clients struggle with managing risk, compliance, insurance, and safety across multiple platforms. By consolidating all these functions into one platform, Origami Risk provides a solution that not only addresses their problems but also makes their operations more efficient.
The whole reason the business is named Origami, after the Japanese art of folding paper into different shapes, is because the platform is designed to be folded and molded to their client’s and potential clients’ needs.
A lot of risk systems are built and the client has to fit into that system. Origami does the opposite of this by designing a system that fits the client.
So take a leaf out of Origami’s book and make your client’s issues your issues.
Building Long-Term Relationships
Customer-centric selling is not just about making a sale — it is about building long-term relationships. Origami Risk prioritises the client’s long-term success over short-term gains.
You should think of the client’s success as paramount to your success. If they are achieving their goals and hitting their targets, your solution would’ve helped make that happen in some way or the other.
This means staying engaged with the client even after the sale is made. Origami excels as when a new client is onboarding, the implementation team stays with them long after they’ve gone live with the system. This way, if an issue arises with the system, they don’t have to go log in with some IT ticket; they will have direct access to the analyst that implemented their data and work hand in hand to resolve their issue as quickly as possible. It’s something so simple and small but goes a long way in deepening the trust between the client and Origami.
By offering continued support and ensuring that the solution you provided continues to deliver value, you are going that little extra step to prioritise each client and foster long-term partnerships, which ultimately leads to repeat business and referrals.
The Role of Technology in Customer-Centric Selling
While customer-centric selling relies on understanding the client’s needs, technology plays a key role in making the process more efficient.
With the ability to gather and sift through vast amounts of data with CRM analytics and marketing tools, companies can predict what a client’s future needs are before they’re even asked for. Origami regularly collaborates with clients to ask what challenges they’re facing or what tweaks can be made to the system to better suit them.
Track customer interactions, identify patterns, and empower your business to ascertain customer demands, ensuring that value is always being added.
In conclusion, customer-centric selling is not just a strategy—it is a mindset. By really focusing on the client’s needs, building long-term relationships, and integrating more efficient use of technology and smarter technology stacks into the life cycle of your client’s post-sale, your businesses can develop a much more efficient, personalized, and proactive approach.
None of these points are reinventing the wheel, but I find practice makes perfect, the more you hear good points and habits, the more likely you are to repeat them and be consistent.
Professional athletes aren’t the best because they only do the amazing things, it’s also because they’ve mastered the basics and foundations to be elite.
Opemipo Okuboyejo
Tech Market Analyst
Writes from London
