Recognition in Action: How to Read the Buyer’s Unspoken Cues

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Why Do B2B Deals Go Silent After a Great Demo?

What really causes deals to stall late-stage?
How do you know if a buyer feels overlooked or uncertain?
What creates trust beyond product fit?

These are the questions modern sellers are asking.

And there’s a consistent, often-overlooked answer: Recognition.

They didn’t say no.
They didn’t ghost you.
They said “Let me check with finance” or “We’re aligning with leadership” and then things slowed.

It wasn’t just about the price or the product.
It was the absence of something more human.

What Is Recognition in Sales?

Recognition is the first principle in the RAISE™ framework. It means your buyer doesn’t just feel heard, they feel valued. They sense that you understand what they’re navigating inside their organization and what it means to win.

Buyers often care just as much about being respected and credited as they do about solving a problem. Recognition speaks to that need.

Signs a Buyer Feels Unseen

These are subtle, but powerful:

• “This might be above my pay grade.”
• “I’ll need to run this by leadership.”
• “We’ve been trying to get traction on this for months.”
• Silence after initial excitement.

These aren’t objections. They are signals. They tell you that the buyer may feel invisible or exposed. If you don’t respond with presence and Recognition, the deal may drift.

How to Show Recognition Without Sounding Scripted

Here are phrases that reflect Recognition, but it has to be authentic:

• “You’ve clearly done your homework. That makes this a much sharper conversation.”
• “This approach positions your team as strategic thinkers. Others will start asking how you pulled it off.”
• “Feels like this isn’t just a solution. It’s a move that gets traction internally.”

You are not flattering. You are naming what matters to them—and often, what they hope their boss sees too.

When to Use Recognition Most

• The buyer is an internal advocate, but not the final decision-maker.
• Momentum is stalling after a strong start.
• You sense politics, pressure, or hesitation between stakeholders.
• You want to deepen emotional trust before proposing next steps.

Recognition helps re-anchor the relationship. It moves you out of vendor territory and into strategic ally status.

Quick Practice: Tune Your Recognition Radar

After your next call, ask yourself:

• What did the buyer seem proud of?
• Who else are they trying to influence?
• What internal win are they hoping for?
• Did I acknowledge that in a real way?

Then follow up with a message that names what they brought to the table. Not the product. Not the features. The person behind the process.

Final Thought

If your deal went quiet, don’t just re-send the deck. Re-send a moment of Recognition.

Ask, “What does winning this look like for you?”

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