Thinking that sells – DSRP, business acumen, and systems thinking with George Brontén
It is a well-known problem that meetings get bogged down in functions and "buttons." The salesperson is under pressure, the customer wants to see proof—and suddenly everything is about CRM fields, integrations, and dashboards.
The result? Price focus, long loops, and a weak business case.
In this week's episode, George Brontén takes a different approach: start with thinking.
He has immersed himself in how we organize information and how DSRP (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives) can help salespeople understand the customer's world – for real.
In the conversation, George shares several invaluable strategies. Here are three insights you won't want to miss:
1. The basis of thinking – perspectives that open up
The core of DSRP is that we organize information. When you realize that your image of reality is not reality, you naturally become curious about the customer's perspective. As George says, "What I see is not reality. What I see is my image of reality."
Why it matters: You avoid assumptions, ask better questions, and identify what really drives the decision. In Adviser Partners Way of Sales, we train this as an active change of perspective—from "being interesting" to "being genuinely interested."
"P is perspective. Just understanding that they have a perspective and you have a perspective."
2. Zoom out before zooming in
Many sales teams jump into the details too quickly. George challenges them to take a step back and start with the purpose. "Why do you need a system? ... What should CRM not do?" By first defining what should not be solved, you can pinpoint the value of what should be solved.
Why it matters: When you zoom out to the business—not just the product—the business case becomes clear. This strengthens your credibility and opens up dialogue with management/finance. At Way of Sales, we work with a helicopter view and impact goals before the demo—to set the agenda.
3. Make relationships visible – this creates business value
We often look at individuals and systems—but forget about the relationships. This applies to both people (stakeholders) and systems (integrations). George puts this blind spot into words: "Most of the time, we don't see the relationship."
Why it matters: In B2B, relationships determine flow, friction, and decisions. An integration is not a "checkbox"—it must be justified by business value. At Way of Sales, we work with stakeholder and system maps where each relationship answers the questions: why, what data flow, what decision flow, what business outcome.
This is just a fraction of the knowledge George Brontén shares. Would you like to hear the entire conversation, get more concrete examples, and dive deeper into how DSRP, business acumen, and systems thinking can elevate your sales team? Listen to the entire episode of We Love Salespeople in your podcast app!
Do you and your sales team want the tools to implement these strategies and reach new levels? Adviser Partner helps you build a sales culture that performs. Get in touch to learn more about our proven methodology.
