Selling a product you don’t believe in erodes confidence, authenticity, and ultimately performance—making it harder to connect with buyers and close deals.
But while doubt is natural, great sales reps seek clarity by asking questions, understanding customer impact, and aligning with products they truly stand behind.
The takeaway? B2B sales success starts with belief—either rediscover your product’s value or find something you can genuinely advocate for.
Three bites in and we couldn’t believe how good this place was.
Ah, pizza. Not just any pizza though. Phenomenal pizza. We left the restaurant in a food coma and the next day told everyone we knew about our experience.
Selling is easy when you believe in your heart that you’re persuading someone to make the right decision. In my case, selling this pizza place was a no-brainer. The product was great, the service was fantastic, and I believed it was worth the schlep to the middle of nowhere New Jersey to get a slice.
The question is what to do when you’re not sold on what you’re selling.
What to Do When the Line Is Blurry
What happens when, to use my pizza analogy, you’re tasked with selling the “good but not great” pizza place when there’s a far superior slice being served at the pizza restaurant down the road?
This is the gray zone where the line gets blurry, and it can wreak havoc on your sales effectiveness if you’re not careful. Here are three things you can do to sell well, ethically, and effectively when the line is blurry.
(1) Find a different angle besides features and benefits
Odds are, if you’re feeling like your product isn’t “the best” it’s because you’re comparing apples to apples, when you should be comparing apples to ice cream. Maybe your software isn’t the best at integrating with a payment processing system your customers use. So stop measuring it in terms of that feature and focus on something else.
For example, maybe your founder started this company because of a sense of social responsibility and ethical practices, so she provides all employees with paid family leave, treats customers with respect and dignity, and started a scholarship fund for STEM education.
If you can’t sell the “best features” angle, you could sell the founder’s vision. Depending on the prospect, you can connect with their love of their family, their own experiences as an employee, or whatever other emotional hook you can find. Remember, we sell to the heart, not to the head—so speak to your customer’s emotions.
(2) Focus on what the prospect needs, not what you think about the product or service
Traditionally, we’re taught to sell by focusing on how great our product, service, or company is compared to our competitors. We highlight features and benefits. But if you’re having trouble connecting to how great those things are, a different approach works better. I call it the “Problem/Solution Framework.”
You focus on your prospect and whatever problem they have at that exact moment, and then ask yourself: Will my product or service solve that problem?
If your prospective customer’s problem is, “It’s 8:45 PM and I’m starving!” then it doesn’t matter if you don’t have the best pizza in the city. It matters that you have a table available and your food comes out quickly.
Focus on the aspects of your product or service that solve your customer’s problem. Even if you don’t believe it’s the best pizza in town, your customer might.
(3) Be honest about what isn’t great about the thing you’re selling
Since the economy has evolved from caveat emptor to caveat venditor, it works to your advantage to be transparently honest. It’s a buyer’s market. And in a buyer’s market it takes two seconds of Googling to be found out.
When you’re dishonest, or if your prospect can sense there is something dishonest happening, you destroy that trust.
Dishonesty in this case doesn’t simply mean making a false claim. It also means lying by omission. If your prospect knows, for example, that your competitor’s payment processing is better than yours, pretending that’s not true won’t help you sell it.
What will help you is being honest about your imperfections. Show that you (or the product) are fallible, but that you’re working on it. This type of transparency increases your credibility in the eyes of your prospect. When you act with integrity—even (or especially) when it’s not in your own best interest—you engender trust.
Customers buy for emotional reasons and justify the sale with rational reasons. So, if they trust you, like you, and believe that you’re looking out for them, they’ll want to do business with you, even if your product isn’t the best.
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When the Line Is Clear: You’re Selling Something Shady
If your products or services don’t actually provide the benefits that you claim they do, or your testimonials have been exaggerated, then you’re in a situation where the line is very clear: You should leave.
When any of the above criteria are met, you don’t simply “not believe” in what you’re selling, you’re actually being deceitful by selling it.
Relying on deception to sell is problematic for two reasons. First, it can destroy your self-concept and have deleterious effects on your mental health. And second, it makes you worse at sales.
Protecting your mental health: how selling something you don’t believe in destroys your self concept
Most of us view ourselves as (generally) good people. When your behavior directly contradicts your beliefs, it creates a disconnect, which has to be reconciled. In psychology, we call this cognitive dissonance: “situations in which our actions do not match our beliefs, creating a state of psychological and emotional discomfort.”
To resolve this emotional discomfort, we have to either change our behavior or change our beliefs, so that the two are aligned instead of in conflict.
Changing your behavior is the ideal outcome here (i.e., no longer selling the thing you don’t believe in). However, many people, especially if they feel financial pressure to stay in their job, unconsciously change their self-concept (their beliefs about themselves) instead. And this is where it gets dangerous.
Since you now have evidence of your willingness to behave in a deceptive manner, you begin to believe that you’re the “type of person who does things like this.” And as soon as you begin to believe that about yourself, you’ve opened the door for other unethical indiscretions.
Things that were once unthinkable are now permissible. This can lead to problems in your marriage, friendships, and in business if you are found out.
The danger with shifting your self-concept is that you risk becoming numb to your ethical boundaries. Once one ethical boundary violation becomes possible, other ones seem a lot easier. It’s like a “gateway drug” to making more bad decisions down the road that could get you into serious trouble.
How selling something you don’t believe in makes you worse at sales
I had a client who was one of those guys you associate with “old school” selling, where he’s a bit pushy and borders on annoying. He thought of everyone he encountered as a future potential sale. And he never—ever—believed in what he was selling.
In order to sell, he falsified testimonials, sold services whose benefits were made up, and pitched products that weren’t proven to work.
Because he’d thought of himself as a generally good person (but was deceiving others by selling things he didn’t actually believe in) he made that mental shift to “I’m the kind of person who does things like this” in order to justify the bad behavior.
He further justified his behavior by telling himself things like, “I need the money for my kids,” “I’m doing the right thing by my family,” “this is just how it is,” and “this is how you play the game.”
These are common justifications for when we know we are engaging in unethical or deceptive behaviors with which we disagree.
What happened next was what I call the “used car salesman” effect. It happens when you don’t believe in what you’re selling. You overcompensate by trying too hard to convince the prospect they need this product (or that they need you).
If you’ve ever been hit on by someone who’s trying too hard, you have an idea of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of this effect and how ineffective it is. When you try too hard to make a sale, the prospect picks up on your nervous energy and is actually turned off by you.
If your product or service is legitimately deceiving people, do not sell it. You’ll be no good at sales since part of your job is proving you are trustworthy and convincing the prospect that your product or service will solve their problem. It’s impossible to do that (more than once) if you’re trying too hard.
In the case with my former client, he burned a lot of bridges once people caught up with his schemes. And now he has a reputation of someone you don’t want to do business with.
Better to go find another product you actually believe in.
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1. How does a lack of genuine belief in what I’m selling actually impact my sales performance and overall well-being?
When you don’t genuinely believe in your product or service, it creates a psychological conflict known as cognitive dissonance. This internal struggle can manifest in several ways that directly hinder your sales performance and take a toll on your mental state:
Reduced Authenticity: Customers can sense insincerity. Your lack of conviction might come across as hesitation, leading to distrust and making it harder to build rapport.
Lower Motivation & Energy: It’s draining to push something you’re not passionate about. This can lead to burnout, decreased effort, and a reluctance to go the extra mile.
Difficulty Handling Objections: Without a deep belief, it’s harder to confidently counter objections or articulate the true value, as your arguments may lack conviction.
Impact on Mental Health: Constantly feeling like you’re misrepresenting or pushing something you don’t endorse can lead to stress, anxiety, and a feeling of ethical compromise.
2. Beyond just “focusing on customer needs,” what concrete steps can I take to genuinely find some aspect of a product or service to believe in?
It’s not always about loving every single feature, but finding something you can stand behind. Here are actionable steps to build genuine belief:
Deep Dive into Success Stories: Talk to existing happy customers. What specific problems did the product solve for them? Hearing firsthand testimonials can shift your perspective.
Identify Niche Benefits: Even if the overall product isn’t your favorite, there might be a specific feature, use case, or target audience for whom it’s genuinely transformative. Focus your energy there.
Engage with Product Development: Understand the “why” behind the product. What problem was it designed to solve? What’s the long-term vision? This can foster empathy and belief in the mission, if not every iteration.
Become a “User” (if possible): If you can experience the product as a customer, you might uncover unexpected value or pain points it addresses.
Shadow Top Performers: Observe colleagues who do believe in the product. How do they position it? What stories do they tell? You might learn new angles or perspectives.
3. What are the ethical boundaries when selling a product I don’t fully endorse, and how can I maintain my integrity?
Maintaining integrity is paramount, even when belief is wavering. The line between ethical selling and misrepresentation can be thin.
Focus on Facts, Not Feelings: Stick to verifiable facts, features, and proven benefits. Avoid hyperbole or making claims you can’t substantiate.
Transparent Communication: If a customer asks about a known weakness, address it honestly but pivot to how the product’s strengths outweigh it for their specific needs, or how the company is working to improve it.
Qualify Rigorously: Don’t sell to someone for whom the product is genuinely a bad fit, even if it means losing a commission. Your reputation and the company’s long-term success depend on satisfied customers.
Identify Your “Walk-Away” Point: Understand what constitutes an ethical red line for you. If you’re asked to outright lie or mislead, it’s time to re-evaluate your position.
Align with Company Values: Does the company’s overall mission and values still resonate with you, even if a particular product doesn’t? This broader alignment can help you navigate specific product challenges.
4. When is it time to consider if a sales role or company is no longer the right fit due to a persistent lack of product belief?
While temporary dips in enthusiasm are normal, a persistent and deep-seated lack of belief can be a sign that it’s time for a change.
Sustained Performance Decline: If your numbers are consistently suffering despite genuine effort, and you attribute it to your lack of belief, it’s a strong indicator.
Erosion of Passion & Motivation: If the thought of going to work fills you with dread, and you’ve exhausted all avenues to find belief, your long-term career satisfaction is at risk.
Ethical Strain: If you constantly feel you’re compromising your values or integrity, this is a critical sign that the role is not sustainable for your well-being.
Lack of Growth & Learning: If your lack of belief prevents you from engaging with new product updates or learning opportunities, you’re stagnating professionally.
Impact on Personal Life: When work stress due to this internal conflict starts affecting your personal relationships or health, it’s a clear signal for re-evaluation.
5. As a sales manager, how can I support my team members who are struggling to believe in the product or service they are selling?
A manager’s role is crucial in fostering belief and motivation. Ignoring this issue can lead to high turnover and underperforming teams.
Create a Safe Space for Honesty: Encourage open dialogue where reps can express concerns without fear of reprisal. Understand why they’re struggling with belief.
Facilitate Product Immersion: Arrange deeper dives with product teams, customer success, or even R&D. Help them understand the product’s genesis, impact, and future.
Share Success Stories & Testimonials: Regularly highlight how the product genuinely helps customers. Bring in happy clients to speak to the sales team.
Identify & Leverage Individual Strengths: Some reps might excel at selling specific features or to particular segments. Help them focus on areas where they can find belief.
Provide Coaching & Training: Offer training on objection handling specific to their concerns. Coach them on how to find and articulate value, even if it’s not immediately obvious to them.
Address Product Gaps (Internally): If multiple reps share valid concerns about product weaknesses, advocate for these issues internally to product development.
