Decks Don’t Close Deals. Guts Do

How to Spot When Experience Is the Real Driver Behind a Buying Decision

In a crowded market, features start to blur. I know the CMO and CRO pound on how you're so distinct in the marketplace but every vendor claims to be “easiest to use”, “most innovative”, “best value”, "the leader" in their space. So why do some win even when the pricing, specs, or timeline are nearly identical?

It’s not about the flashiest demo or most polished pitch. It’s about clarity, confidence, trust, and sometimes, even comfort. That feeling they get in their gut that says:

“This feels right.”

That’s experience. And when it’s the primary buyer driver, most sellers miss it or fail to double down.

What “Experience” Really Means in B2B Sales

In the RAISE™ framework, Experience is the emotional arc of the buyer journey. It’s the invisible layer under every meeting, email, or product walkthrough. Not “delight” for delight’s sake, but moments that make a decision feel doable, safe, and aligned.

It can look like:

A working session that matches their team’s decision style
A reference story they didn’t ask for but needed to hear
A side conversation that grounds the room before a big call

It can even be non-business: a thoughtful gift that hits a personal passion, or a shared laugh that breaks tension. Or maybe it's the warm backdrop of cinnamon buns floating through the air, the quiet, unexpected detail that softens the edges of the room. These moments don’t win deals alone, but they make buyers want to win them with you.

How to Know When Experience Is the Real Driver

Buyers won’t tell you, “We chose you because the vibe was better.” But they’ll show it often in the way they talk about others.

Here are signs experience is at the wheel:

They mention how other vendors made them feel rushed, overwhelmed, robotic.
They light up when you say, “Let’s simplify this.”
They respond to the pacing, clarity, and tone; not just content.
They don’t stall, escalate objections, or over explain internal resistance as much because the process itself builds trust.
They comment on how easy your product, service, or process feels

Experience-driven buyers are looking for momentum, ease, and emotional alignment. Not fluff. Flow.

It's not always dramatic, but it's always felt. Buyers may not name it directly, but they’re constantly measuring:

“Does this feel easy? Confident? Like I won’t regret it?”

That’s Experience. And it drives more decisions than most sellers realize.

Questions That Reveal an Experience-Driven Buyer

If you suspect the buying decision is more emotional than analytical, ask questions that open the door to those insights:

“What’s stood out so far in your conversations with other vendors?” → Listen for emotional cues: stress, confusion, pressure, relief.
“Is there anything you’ve seen; style, structure, or support that’s worked well for your team in the past?” → Surfaces process and preference.
“When you think about your stakeholders, what helps them feel most confident in a recommendation?” → Anchors their gut-check moments.
“Do you have a sense of what’s feeling ‘closer to right’, even if it’s not final yet?” → Invites reflection and emotional honesty.

You’re not just gathering data. You’re inviting them to notice what they already feel, and helping them name it. It will also giving you tells on where you're lacking or need to step up your game.

Where Experience Has the Most Pull

This driver tends to lead in:

Creative, marketing, or product-forward roles → Decisions are driven by emotional alignment, brand fit, and how things feel, not just functionality.
Founder-led companies or small buying committees → Trust and gut instinct matter more than formal process; relationships and intuition often outweigh price.
Deals with multiple stakeholders or internal politics → A smooth, confidence-building experience reduces friction, aligns teams, and helps de-risk complex decisions.
Markets where offerings are similar and differentiation is emotional → When features blur, buyers remember how it felt to engage, not just what was offered.

In these cases, a great experience is the differentiator. And it often shows up outside the “sales process” entirely.

The Takeaway

When a buyer says,

“I get it now.”
“This is way easier than the others we’ve talked to.”
“I like how you laid this out. It actually helped me explain it to my team.”
“You're the first one who made this....less complicated, make sense, easier to understand ”
“This feel a lot more manageable.”

They’re not giving you a throwaway compliment. They’re telling you the decision is landing in their gut.

You don’t need to be the loudest, slickest, or cheapest. You just need to be the one who feels right to move forward with.

And that starts by designing not just a process, but an experience.