Edwin Klimkeit

The five rules that decide whether a customer buys a second time.

• Ahimsa: respectful communication and transparent pricing. No pressure that comes back at the next renewal.
• Satya: present the product as it is. An honest no in discovery saves six months of pipeline.
• Asteya: fair competition. Badmouthing the incumbent costs you credibility with the CFO.
• Aparigraha: the long-term relationship before the quick end-of-quarter close.

In practice: One question before every pricing conversation: would I still stand behind this offer in three years?

What a sales leader agrees with himself before he asks it of the team.

• Saucha: thorough preparation, clear presentations, a tidy CRM.
• Santosha: accept results and focus on the process, not on the one deal.
• Tapas: execute the strategy consistently, even in the third month of a weak quarter.
• Svadhyaya: learning never stops. Every lost deal gets an honest loss review.

In practice: A forecast is a promise to yourself. MEDDPICC is the discipline to keep it.

A board reads body language faster than slides.

• Physical fitness carries concentration through long negotiation days.
• A calm presence builds trust, especially when the room is tense.
• Presence means being fully in the meeting, not in the next one.

In practice: Five minutes of movement before an important meeting. Sounds trivial, changes the first impression.

If you lose your breath in a negotiation, you lose the margin too.

• Deep breathing lowers stress and sharpens focus.
• A calm voice sounds more confident than any argument.
• Hold the pause. The best answer to a discount request is often three seconds of silence.

In practice: Conscious breathing during calls and presentations, especially when objections come up.

Distraction is the biggest enemy of good discovery.

• Phone away, laptop closed, full attention on the person in front of you.
• Send less, receive more. The customer notices whether you listen or just wait to talk.
• Better relationships, more efficient conversations.

In practice: Two minutes of silence before and after every customer meeting. Sort your thoughts first, then write.

The customer’s need and your own sales goal in one picture.

• Every meeting has a clear goal and a defined next step.
• Visualisation: what does success look like for the CFO, in euros and in days?
• Better decisions, more focused communication.

In practice: Before the meeting, write down three sentences: what does the customer want to achieve, what do I want to achieve, what is the next step.

In enterprise sales, empathy is not a soft topic. It decides who wins the champion.

• Listen to what is said, and hear what is not said.
• Read and use emotions and decision dynamics at C-level.
• A deeper understanding of the real buying reasons, more stable relationships.

In practice: After every discovery call: what concern does my counterpart have that is not in the notes?

When attitude, method and result come together.

• Mindfulness becomes part of every sales activity, from first contact to renewal.
• Regular reflection on your own practice, as a person and as a team.
• Success through holistic thinking instead of pressure at quarter end.

In practice: Quarterly review with the team: what worked, what do we repeat, what do we stop.