Teaching Is the New Selling—Why Insight Beats Features or Price

In a crowded market of office supply vendors, the Grainger sales team noticed that many customers saw them as interchangeable with every other supplier. When contracts came up for renewal, conversations revolved entirely around who could offer the lowest price. The standard sales approach—highlighting product lists and service guarantees—fell flat. Yet one sales manager decided to break the mold. Through data gathered from customer purchases, she discovered a pattern: companies were losing huge sums through 'unplanned purchases,' which often went unnoticed because they seemed trivial—a ladder here, a replacement bulb there.

She built a teaching pitch around this insight. Instead of starting meetings by talking about the Grainger brand, she sat with facilities managers and walked them through the numbers: how much time, labor, and cash was tied up in last-minute, unplanned orders. By the end of the discussion, customers felt unsettled, almost indignant at how much was slipping through the cracks—but eager to fix it. Only after lighting this spark did she show how Grainger’s bundled offering could bring order and efficiency.

Customers weren’t just buying products anymore; they were buying a solution to a problem they’d never fully named. Over months, renewal rates spiked and contract values rose sharply. Senior managers began recommending Grainger not just for price but for value. The emotional punch of counting invisible losses—paired with a solution—created lasting loyalty.

Behaviorally, this illustrates how insight-based selling shifts a buyer’s mindset. When people are taught to see a new threat (or opportunity), especially alongside a compelling narrative, their brains shift gears from routine evaluation to active problem-solving. Anchoring solutions to teaching moments lays the groundwork for long-term, relationship-based business.

Just for your next client meeting, challenge yourself to bring a piece of information or perspective your audience hasn’t heard before. Shape it into a simple story, not a list of product features or prices. Aim to make your listener pause and consider—maybe even to feel uncomfortable for a moment, if it means they see a blind spot. Once you’ve provoked curiosity or concern, then show how you can help them act. This shift from feature-selling to insight-giving will set you apart—and you’ll feel the difference right away.